I just bought a steel 2 horse thoroughbred (at least taht is what everyone is calling it) style trailer.  I need to fix it up ALOT but need to know whereto buy the parts.

I need the following:

Steel for the sides

rubber mats for floors and aides

windows for the sides (the ones in are green plexiglass!)

butt bars

breast bar

I'm also curious how I can determine if I can remove the center bar?

I've finally found someone that will paint it (not alot of places will do it in Dayton OH)  We're planning on riveting diamond plating over the really bad areas on the outside with caulk under it as we secure it to seal the plating from the weather.

Before you spend any money consider what you just said, *rivit over the rusted area, caulk cracks* 

All this is just coverup and not repair. To properly repair all the bad steel has to be cut out and replaced, entire trailer sandblasted down to bear metal and then primed and painted.

Rust = cancer and if it is not cut out and treated it will just keep growing under the alum plates and caulking.

You might want to just bail out and find a project with less work to do.

Thanks for the advice.  Its not an option for us at this time to bale out as a newer trailer will cost more.  We need it to last a few years until I can purchase a newer one.  A few sides are going to be repalced- but the areas on the front where he won't be kicking are going to be covered with daimond plating.

is the trailer safe? your putting your horse in there

wait and get a trailer that is late model and safe

god forbid that you get in a wreck the trailer will not hold up

I know this from my exprience with the same thing, a lot of vet bills

and one mess up horse

thanks.  I took the trailer today to a body shop, actually a friend of a friend that rehabs trailers and its only going to be about 700 for teh work so we are good to go.  I just need to get new reflectors, lights the diamond plating- he's going to cut out the rusted areas as best as we can get them out. 

Good luck with the project. I have bought several older steel trailers and thought about rehabing them but always end up selling and getting something a little better. Now I have a good steel trailer with just minor surface rust that will be easily taken care of. I hope everything works out for you all. Watch the floor joist those rust out pretty bad in my part of the country. You may want your body guy to weld up some new ones or reinforce whats there...