Posted 2010-08-10 11:17 AM (#123347) Subject: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Member
Posts: 13
Location: Pipestone, MN 56164
I am at my wits end,I bought a 28' kiefer X440 4 horse slant,the stud area had,had a solid wall put in for storage, the living area is an awesome, 8',guess what,my horses,all 3 of them, who were more than happy to jump into a stock trailer, HATE the slant, it has tack/manger in it which makes it seem very small to them, I have tried everything to get them in there, it takes hours, scares the hell out of them, my idea now is to take the mangers out, which will eliminate the tack area under it,& put in smaller dividers,(Kiefers are so tall & solid & hot, my horses don't have room to wiggle) which I can't find anywhere,or buy a stock/combo & make my own living area, spendy decision, the biggest problem I'm having is convincing my husband to give up his living area,can't use living quarters if you can't load your horses! Does anyone think taking out the mangers will help? or will it just make the trailer worth less?
Posted 2010-08-10 11:35 AM (#123350 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330 Location: northeast Texas
How wide is the trailer you purchased? If its not 8 ft and you have fairly large horses then they probably are cramped. But unless they are REALLY big they should be able to load and haul okay, abeit a bit cramped, unless you are maybe hauling very long distances. In that instance, I would just remove the dividers, leaving the manger part intact, and load them side by side. Removing the mangers will add some room since the stall next to the rear door is usually larger. Not that you asked for opinions but mine is that you need to train your horses to load. They are creatures of habit and are used to an open stock option only. Mine are used to a slant only so dont know if they hate it or not. Removing the dividers will probably help get them to load and unless its a very narrow trailer so they are really cramped then you could probably put the dividers back in once they are used to the trailer. Its a good idea to train your horses to load in anything, incase they must in an emergency. When I had my rig totaling wreck a friend came with a small standard 2 horse to pick up my horse from the scene of the wreck and to let me borrow. She is a long, tall horse and hesitated a bit, then loaded up. She was cramped and I wouldnt haul her long distances that way, but it was fine for short trips to the vet and trail heads while we got our insurance settled out and our truck and trailer replaced. You never know when your horse just might have to load in something strange, and his life could depend on it.
Posted 2010-08-10 11:40 AM (#123351 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Location: Central Arkansas
Have you tried taking out all of the dividers and using it like a stock until they get used to it? Is your back tack collapsible or fixed? In our 4H, we can collapse the back tack and remove the center post for loading mares with babies.
Posted 2010-08-10 11:41 AM (#123352 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Expert
Posts: 1351 Location: Decatur, Texas
Originally written by Sodak Girl on 2010-08-10 11:17 AM
I am at my wits end,I bought a 28' kiefer X440 4 horse slant,the stud area had,had a solid wall put in for storage, the living area is an awesome, 8',guess what,my horses,all 3 of them, who were more than happy to jump into a stock trailer, HATE the slant, it has tack/manger in it which makes it seem very small to them, I have tried everything to get them in there, it takes hours, scares the hell out of them, my idea now is to take the mangers out, which will eliminate the tack area under it,& put in smaller dividers,(Kiefers are so tall & solid & hot, my horses don't have room to wiggle) which I can't find anywhere,or buy a stock/combo & make my own living area, spendy decision, the biggest problem I'm having is convincing my husband to give up his living area,can't use living quarters if you can't load your horses! Does anyone think taking out the mangers will help? or will it just make the trailer worth less?
Why not just take the deviders out and not worry about removing the mangers? Sure the front horse will have a little more room, but the main compartment is wide open. Removed our from our Sundowner last year just to haul our cow to the vet. (no other trailer to use)
Posted 2010-08-10 11:41 AM (#123353 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
To gut/remove mangers and dividers in this the trailer will make it pretty much worthless to anyone other than you. Also, by removing those mangers, you are probably weakening the structural integrity of the trailer on the street side. Those manger doors will have to be secured in a manner so as to remain in place if a horse were to kick or paw them.... My suggestion, sell this trailer and return to a stock type with a LQ. Nice sellection of stock/combo LQ trailers on HTW. 37 stock/combo LQ matches on HTW. JMHO...
Posted 2010-08-10 4:10 PM (#123356 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Elite Veteran
Posts: 814 Location: Tenn/Ala.
Just a note- the thoughts about trying it with the dividers out make sense. But in this particular trailer the mangers are probably just bolted in. If you wanted to take a bit of time, you can actually remove them (you'll lose the dividers also), and still have the ability to put them back in later. You will need to be aware that the manger doors were not designed to hold horses so you may need to install a temporary liner on the headwall. But double check me and make sure that the mangers are actually built as I think they were- a freestanding section that rivets or bolts to the floor and the wall at the trough area. If that's the case you can invest a few hours and try it for yourself if that's what you think is best.
Posted 2010-08-10 9:11 PM (#123372 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Member
Posts: 13
Location: Pipestone, MN 56164
Thank you all, it's 7 wide, & a collapsible tack, I have taken the dividers & tack out, didn't work. yes my horses are big boys, not so tall, but old quarter horse types, I can get them in with help, but that makes it so I can't go alone, we plan on strengthening the manger sides, & building dividers that aren't quite so thick & solid,we have very capable welders here, so that's not a problem, I've tried finding used stock/combo trailers with living quarters within my price range, not an easy feet :)best one I found is in TN. I'm from MN. I had my trailer for sale, but it was too short inside for the gals horses, again those tiresome mangers ;) well, guess I'll keep looking, thanks again all.
Posted 2010-08-11 10:22 AM (#123388 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Elite Veteran
Posts: 714 Location: Minnesota
I'm going to jump in with CTRider on this one. You really need to do a LOT of ground work with your horses. Put a little treat like some grain in the manger so they get it when they get in. Craig Cameron has an excellent video on how to train your horses to load, as I am sure others do.My horse had only ever riden in a slant with dividers and when we trailered with a friend to a trail head in his 30' stock trailer she was loaded up front. All the other horses were just untied and led of the trailer easy as could be. Mine wouldn't budge. Had to back her all the out of trailer which she did like always. When we got home again tried to lead her off, she walked to the gate, but locked up and would not step down, and again had to back her off. Worked with her and now she still hesitates, but will step nice as can be if necessary.
Posted 2010-08-11 11:03 AM (#123391 - in reply to #123372) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447 Location: cedar rapids iowa
Originally written by Sodak Girl on 2010-08-10 9:11 PM
Thank you all, it's 7 wide, & a collapsible tack, I have taken the dividers & tack out, didn't work. yes my horses are big boys, not so tall, but old quarter horse types, I can get them in with help, but that makes it so I can't go alone, we plan on strengthening the manger sides, & building dividers that aren't quite so thick & solid,we have very capable welders here, so that's not a problem, I've tried finding used stock/combo trailers with living quarters within my price range, not an easy feet :)best one I found is in TN. I'm from MN. I had my trailer for sale, but it was too short inside for the gals horses, again those tiresome mangers ;) well, guess I'll keep looking, thanks again all.
I am wondering if the slant is short making the space small or your stalls are narrow. Mangers shouldn't take up floor space. There head n neck has to go somewhere. When I had mangers my horses chests din't touch the mangers as they are not that deep.
Posted 2010-08-11 11:29 AM (#123393 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Arkansas
We have beened called by the vet and state police for animal transfer when a horse or cattle rig wrecks. After being forcibly ejected or drug from a turned over trailer. it is always amazing that most of these well trained animals, under the worst circumstances imaginable, load quickly into a strange trailer on the side of the highway. We have also seen large horses load themselves into short small straight load trailers they had to push themselves into while saddled, dragging stirrups along the sides, at ranch brandings. Point is, it does sound like your horses can certainly learn to load and ride in your trailer, esp, minus the dividers if need be. More work may be needed with them........We have a 20 gooseneck stock trailer that everything loves to load in, the LQ is a slant, with mangers, 8' wide, and then there is the 2 horse. We keep that runabout 2 horse around for not only using in search and rescue, but everything here is taught to be "sent" into that trailer, and it is the one we use to teach customer's horses etc to load, as it requires the most training to do well. Enlist some help, and just do some loading practice to get them more comfortable with the new rig. Don't lose heart, just commit yourself to acheiving that goal........your animals will benefit from this addition to their foundation and education.
Posted 2010-08-11 12:32 PM (#123395 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Regular
Posts: 85 Location: Galahad, AB, Canada
My horses and I too went from years of riding in a stock trailer to a slant load, and I think the difficulty is more with the people's attitude and fears than the horses! At least with me that was true - I had to learn the best way to make it work, then I was able to help my horses.
I would suggest opening your front drop-down windows when teaching them to load. Once I did that mine were able to get in the narrow slant easier because they'd walk in further, putting their heads and necks directly outside. That made it easier to close the divider behind them. I would then walk outside and give them a treat through the open drop-down window.
Also, when you're in the learning process, fold up the rear tack, or at the very least, make it smaller.
My horses now prefer the slant load to the trailer - probably because its quieter when they ride down the road. I don't have mangers, so I leave my horses loose and let them eat off the floor. I tried hay bags, but with my 7' wide trailer the bags just took up too much space. My long mare fits better in the slant when allowed to be loose. When she lowers her head to eat she takes up a shorter space, and is more comfy.
Don't get discouraged, just work at the problem slowly. Don't make it a war, but find ways to teach your horses to load and unload, and I suspect there will be the day when you and your horses really appreciate the slant load. And since I too load alone, I've found the slant much easier than the stock trailer. I found loading one horse in a stock trailer fine for one person, but two horses got hard because the first would always try to turn around and look at us when we came in behind it. With the slant load each horse stays in place while I load them alone.
Posted 2010-08-12 11:56 AM (#123425 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Member
Posts: 45
I started out with a two horse straight load with a ramp. I have had some difficult loaders in the past so I worked with my colt to the point that I pointed him at the trailer and he would walk in. Later I bought a slant load and he disliked it from the beginning as he didn't like the noise of traffic in his face. He would shake the trailer every time we passed traffic for months. Went from eating in the trailer to not eating at all, but he got use to it. I used a Monte Roberts Dually halter to get him in the trailer. Finally bought a living quarters gooseneck slant, but unlike the two horse slant he has to back out and this causes him more anxiety, rarely will he get in without using the dually halter, but the halter always works. If your horse isn't use to having to back out, take some time to work them outside the trailer around obstacles, etc., so you won't have a stuck horse in a trailer. I have tried a lot of different methods, probably have two or three trailer loading videos but the dually halter works the easiest for me. I have even helped other people get their horses in trailers using the halter. Best of all the halter makes it a one person job. I use a rope halter underneath the dually and take off the dually and tie the horse in the trailer with the rope halter. I never leave a horse unattended or tied with the dually halter, kind of hard to explain, check out the halter on his web site, I don't want the horse to accidentally get caught on the ring where you attach your lead rope, could do some real damage if a horse panicked. Good luck.
Posted 2010-08-12 12:02 PM (#123426 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Veteran
Posts: 229
Sodak, I also had a situation similar to yours. For years I trailered in a beat up piece of junk stock trailer, 18 foot on the deck, 6 wide. I camped in it, so I had the center gate closed and two horses straight loaded in the back 9 feet. This is about the worst it gets and I trailered this way literally thousands of miles. I was so proud when I got a nice slant load two horse trailer. Now, my horses would be safer! They hated it. It was new and they wanted their old trailer. If you have removed the dividers and the rear tack, then the horse is able to stand at any angle it so choses, therefore, the mangers are not the issue. I'm with some of the others in that, with time, your horses should be able to do OK, providing that the physical space is not truly too small for the horses. Do like Cowgirl says and open up the drop downs when you are loading. Also, I wouldn't let any horse get in the habit of going out frontwards even if it can. Also, I put the bigger horse in the rear most stall because it has the most room. Once the horses trailer in a slant, they really like it. They seem to very quickly figure out that the dividers give them support. They can sort of park their butts in the corner and rest a bit.
Posted 2010-08-12 1:20 PM (#123431 - in reply to #123395) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Member
Posts: 13
Location: Pipestone, MN 56164
Thanks again, loading my boys into a stock was never a problem, I just took both with me unhooked the leads & said jump in, pretty as could be, not so now. dropping down the entire window, good idea, someone else told me not to do that, MY mistake, maybe if I had, they would have been happier;) the #1 problem I had with Ace was, he loaded fine, but took me 2 hours to get him out, he backs super good outside, but because he had never had to do it in a trailer, he wouldn't, he finally squeezed himself around & out, now he'll rear in front of the door.
Posted 2010-08-12 1:44 PM (#123433 - in reply to #123432) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Member
Posts: 13
Location: Pipestone, MN 56164
Here's the ticket peoples, it's 7' wide, add 2' to that for mangers, takes alot of room away, Arabs would fit real nice, it's just too dang short, the boys are wide too, their bodies literally rub against the "solid" (no air there)dividers & wall, hence they feel squished. any of you know what it's like to walk around in jeans that are too tight all day? than stand in a closet with a shelf stuck up against your chest? that's how it must be for them, when we get to where we're going they were drenched in sweat & shaking from head to hoof, I want to take the mangers out so they have more room,(yes I will beef up the wall) so they are more comfortable for they're ride, they mean everything to me, they are my sanity, I was just trying to find out if anyone knew anything about converting a trailer, not a lecture on training my horses to go in, but it is nice to hear I'm not alone with this little problem;)now that, that's said & done, does anyone know where to find dividers? I wanted some that have a better air flow. thanks
Posted 2010-08-12 3:01 PM (#123436 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Elite Veteran
Posts: 714 Location: Minnesota
My previous trailer was a Kiefer and the dividers were the jail bar style. Give Kiefer a call, I'm sure they can help you out with those. They really give maximum air flow. And to be honest, the horses really do like to know by sight that their buddy is there with them.
Posted 2010-08-12 3:26 PM (#123439 - in reply to #123347) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Because your trailer is made out of metal, it can be repaired, modified or changed to any configuration you need. It will take some tools, a skilled fabricator, some applicable metal materials and a competent welder.
If you know of a fab shop with a plasma cutter, most solid dividers can be cut with slots or any shaped opening, to allow an air flow or better vison between horses. The cut edges will have to be dressed smooth, but the modifications are quick and easily performed once a template is made. This is much less expensive than replacing the dividers. Another option is to have the shop cut off the top or a section of the solid divider, and fabricate a tubular replacement.
Any modifications to your trailer will effect its resale value. If the revised trailer will suit your needs for some time, this will not be an issue. However, if you plan on a replacement in the near future, you might want to consider purchasing a trailer already built to your specifications, and selling yours while it has some more value.
Posted 2010-08-12 7:00 PM (#123446 - in reply to #123430) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Arkansas
Hey, didn't mean at all to step on your toes, was just reading where it was a 2 hour ordeal to get one out, and that certainly says there was a bit of anxiety for you and Ace. We sincerely hope you get your trailer situation where both you and your horses are relaxed and happy travelers, as you surely should like to be. Best wishes with the restructurings or whatever you decide works best. Sorry for offering the well intended advice,, there are quite a few good tibits for you in this thread, I know you did not ask for it, so just store it for future reference. No harm intended. We meant well!
Posted 2010-08-12 9:04 PM (#123454 - in reply to #123446) Subject: RE: Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
Member
Posts: 13
Location: Pipestone, MN 56164
I'm sorry I sounded so cranky all, it's just been so frustrating & not a little embarrassing to buy a $22,000.00 trailer & have your horses decide they like the old one better, lol, I have a stepdaughter-in-law & her parents watch & criticize everything I do with my horses, they laughed at me behind my back when I got it & told other people I would never use it, looks like they were right, so I get a little defensive some times, shame on me. thank you to all of you who've offered advise & solutions, I will let you know how the renovations turn out, but I am going to invest in that halter for Ace so he doesn't bust his head & open those windows so they can stick their heads out right away, I'll get them in there & they will be happy about it!!!! LOL ;)
Is it possible to change a 3 horse slant into a stock trailer
