We prefer ramp trailers. Hubby is a DVM and the first thing he wants done is to get a OEM ramp on a new horse trailer if there isn't one. We have them added by the dealer or manufacturer so the ramp matches and doesn't devalue the trailer.  He just feels like they are safer, especially for young stock.

We have added little rubber strips to a few ramps that seemed slicker than normal. They really help give the horses  traction.

Hubby just cut long 2" wide strips from a old rubber stall mat, then used self tapping screws with big washers making sure to recess them so the shoes never touch. I have also seen this done with little wood furring strips on some commercial haulers. He has done several trailers that way over the years.

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I have a ramp on my LQ trailer and my 2 horse straight load. I like ramps. My friend bought a 3H trailer with a very high step. My horse had no problem getting in but tended to slide out. I could just envision him losing his footing and easily sliding up under that trailer. After that time he was a bit tentative about backing out until he came in and out of my ramp trailer a couple of times, then he was back to normal. Ramps can be a bit slippery occasionally but you can do things to them to make them less so. I think step ups are fine as long as they are fairly low to the ground. Just my opinion, of course. I used to be very against ramp trailers but needed a ramp to load my carriages. I have had a ramp on every trailer I have owned because of this and have been very happy with them.

My trailer was built by Silver Star, which has been out of business since 2006. I got the ramp from a Sundowner dealer. He ordered the ramp from Sundowner, removed the rubber bumper from the rear of the trailer and bolted the ramp to the rear trailer frame. I sure they had to drill more holes, but you wouldn't know that the trailer didn't come that way from the factory. The Silver Star Star Lite Supreme trailers and the "all aluminum" Sundowner's were built simular to each other. The dealer that installed the ramp was.... LB's of Harmony, N.C.

http://www.lbstrailer.com/catalog/

I'm not sure a Sundowner ramp would bolt right up to your Merhow, but any decient machine shop could make it possible.

Just out of curiosity. You say you want to add a ramp because you blocked the axles and raised the trailer.

Just how high did you raise it?   My trailer sits about 18" off the ground. But my driveway slopes away and if I back in too far. It's common for trailer bumper to be 22-24" off the ground.  My horses are in and out of that with out thinking twice. Of course I've urged them over a lot of fallen logs on the mountainside.

It's a personal preferance whether people want a ramp or not. I'd never critize one way or the other. Just wondering if you had hit a height level, where it just wasn't practical for the horses to navigate? I guess that is a stupid comment. I just remembered watching Grandpa ask his horse to jump in the back of his pickup truck. And that's a whole lot higher than any horse trailer.

We used to have a 2mule slant GN that had a ramp.  Our mules HATED it!  They tried every which way to avoid it, loading or unloading.  I should have "listened" to what the mules were telling me to begin with, would have avoided one of them falling to her knees and sliding down the ramp while loading. It wasn't wet and we were parked on level ground...can't remember if she was shod or not. Luckily she wasn't hurt.  But, that ramp was removed the very next day.  Mules were much happier to load/unload after that ramp was pulled.  Hubby took round pipe and welded it where the ramp used to be attached to cover the square corners and protect the legs while loading/unloading.

We also used to have a brushbuster stock trailer.  They sit high off the ground, never was a problem for the mules, even if we were parked on uneven ground that might make the trailer even higher.

Each to his own.  If you are worried about leg injuries because the trailer is higher, guess you could wrap the legs.

When I sold the 2mule slant, the buyer was a horse owner & she was glad we had taken the ramp off.  Anyone want my ramp? Make you a deal on it - just come get it out of my yard. It was for a 2004 CM....think it was 6 or 6.6 wide with a fixed rear tack.  Ramp was only for the stall area, not the whole back end.

Mary B in Texas

BrushyCreek,

Should have come on to the forum ride.  Everyone had a great time!

All the mules would load in the 2mule slant, just hated the ramp.

Laughing at the mental picture I got of your hubby's mule getting a whif of the "fowl" smell.

Mary B in Texas