Posted 2024-11-26 5:42 PM (#185829) Subject: Suggestions for lightweight two horse trailer
New User
Posts: 2
We currently have an SUV with a towing capacity of 5000lbs and tongue weight of 500lbs.
We are new to horse ownership, but have started leasing a small pony. She’s wonderful when riding, but extremely skittish around trailering.
We’ve worked with her and have been able to load her successfully into a friend’s trail wind classic II slant load. It looks like the trail wind has a weight of a little over 3300 lbs, so probably 3800-4000lbs with the pony, but I’m a little worried about the tongue weight loading her in the front.
Our other experiences with trailing her have honestly been so stressful that if it’s doable, we would probably try to get a trail wind just because we know she can do it!
I’d love to get more seasoned opinions on whether this trailer is just too close for comfort weight wise and if so, are there other lighter options that still have the large open feel of the trail winds trailer.
A bit more information, if helpful. Right now, we’re only trailering about a mile. Anything over that would be for a show and our barn trails the horses for shows.
At some point, we will need to get a larger truck, but I don’t anticipate that happening for a year or two.
Any thoughts/suggestions would be very appreciated. We’re new enough to all of this that we don’t know what we don’t know!
Posted 2024-11-27 8:51 AM (#185834 - in reply to #185829) Subject: RE: Suggestions for lightweight two horse trailer
Elite Veteran
Posts: 801 Location: Tenn/Ala.
Welcome to the horse world! Not familiar with that trailer, and 1 miles isn't very far. But 1 point often overlooked when folks look @ capacity is that livestock is shifting cargo. A 4,000 trailer with 2 Harleys is radically different (and easier/safer) to pull than the same weight in a horse trailer. I've seen it stated to take towing capacity of a bumper pull vehicle, times 70% for an equivalent livestock trailer. Not my math, but it has merit IMHO.
As to too much tongue weight- you need a weight distribution hitch. That will take care of that. And always better too much tongue weight, than too little. Put her in the back of a 2H slant- and you'll be all over the road with sway.
Posted 2024-12-03 9:32 PM (#185835 - in reply to #185829) Subject: RE: Suggestions for lightweight two horse trailer
New User
Posts: 2
Thank you! I hadn’t appreciated that having moving cargo would make that much difference, but it makes a lot of sense.
I’ve been looking at alternative lighter weight trailers that have similar dimensions and feel more open like the trail winds design and think this is a safer fit for us.
I really appreciate you taking time to give your thoughts.
Suggestions for lightweight two horse trailer
