Posted 2013-10-02 11:15 PM (#155130) Subject: Altering My Trails West Adventure To Make More Room
New User
Posts: 1
I bought a 2H BP Trails West Adventure to pull my 16.1 Trakehner in, he fits height wise, but closing the divider on him is a bit of a squeeze length wise. He's fine on short trips, but the long hauls with a stuffed haynet in front of him are unfair because he has no room to back up to make room for the hay, so he's living on top of the haynet for 10+ hours - with how uncomfortable that probably is for him I'm fortunate he still loads. We had dee's installed so we but put a triangle feed bag under his nose as a possible solution to giving him more room but it doesn't hold enough hay for longer hauls and I'm not thrilled with how long his rope has to be to reach for it. I only need it to haul this one horse, so sacrificing the back slot is a none issue for me, however I don't want to take the divider out completely because I like having the back space to load things that won't fit in the tackroom like extra hay and tack trunks for long hauls (we bungee it to D rings we had installed so it can't slide into him). We are looking into either moving the entire divider back, which would mean having the front rewelded further back as well as shifting the latching mechanism further back - essentially making it a one horse trailer forever with a small area to throw a tack trunk in after loading the horse. Our other thought was to leave the front of the divider where it is, add a second latching mechanism further back (leaving the first where it is), and adding a removable extension to the end of the divider so we could hook it to the new latch, than if we wanted to, take off the extension and put it back to normal on the off chance we haul two little horses around. Does that make sense? Has anyone done something similar with their trailer? If so, how much would you expect to pay to have welding work done on your trailer and where would you take it? I have a trailer place that's done some minor work for me, checking the brakes, padded the divider, all routine type things, or would you take it a specialty welding shop?
Posted 2013-10-03 3:09 AM (#155131 - in reply to #155130) Subject: RE: Altering My Trails West Adventure To Make More Room
Veteran
Posts: 203 Location: Lander WY
Have you checked with Trails West to see if moving the divider would be a structual issue ? Are you talking inches or feet ? Sometimes a snug stall is comforting to the horse and to the piece of mind of the owner knowing the horse can not turn around while travelling. Just my 02
Posted 2013-10-03 3:38 AM (#155132 - in reply to #155130) Subject: RE: Altering My Trails West Adventure To Make More Room
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
http://nrstrailers.com/inventory/trails-west-adventure-2-horse-bump... ... is this your trailer type? Many long bodied Warmbloods do not fit well in a slant...unless the trailer design specifies it as constructed for warmbloods...I personally haul all warmbloods in straight load trailers, but that's just me...
Posted 2013-10-03 4:55 AM (#155133 - in reply to #155130) Subject: RE: Altering My Trails West Adventure To Make More Room
Veteran
Posts: 136 Location: Watertown, TN
By the time you pay someone to do the work and turn this trailer into something unique that only a very few people would be interested in should you decide to sell it later; why don't you take this trailer and that money and invest in something that is designed and built to do the job you want it to do?
Posted 2013-10-03 9:36 AM (#155136 - in reply to #155130) Subject: RE: Altering My Trails West Adventure To Make More Room
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
I would try attaching the trailer tie to the halter ring at the side. It allows my horses to put their head down yet keeps them from turning and reaching over the divider. All without a long trailer tie that they might get into trouble with. A bit of hay at each stop is a good thing instead of a lot for the entire trip. You get to check the horse and the horse gets a respite from traveling.
Posted 2013-10-03 1:12 PM (#155138 - in reply to #155130) Subject: RE: Altering My Trails West Adventure To Make More Room
Member
Posts: 19
Location: Ramona, CA
We sell Trails West and do not advise using the Adventure for any horse larger than 16 hands. Although this doesn't help you now, we also have a full service shop and do not recommend "adding" an extension to the existing divider. When the horse leans on the divider it will probably bend the divider. You might have to have an entirely new divider fabricated. We also install d-rings for hanging the hay bags on the slant wall or divider so the hay bags are not in their faces. They just need to turn their head to eat from the hay bag. Maybe just this modification will help.
Altering My Trails West Adventure To Make More Room
