Posted 2007-01-07 9:17 PM (#53482) Subject: stright or slant load
Member
Posts: 23
Location: Pierz, MN
Hi, I'm currently redoing a 16' stock trailer into 4 stall horse trailer. Just wondering if there would be an advantage between straight or slant load. Any thoughts would be helpfull, thanks.
Posted 2007-01-07 9:31 PM (#53485 - in reply to #53482) Subject: RE: stright or slant load
Regular
Posts: 56
Location: Alabama
I always heard that slant loads were better for your horses balance when goin down the road.I have a slant load and I've had to us stright loads before and hate them
Posted 2007-01-07 10:17 PM (#53489 - in reply to #53482) Subject: RE: stright or slant load
Member
Posts: 14
Location: hartford city, in
The 16 ft stock trailer is going to be a tight squeeze for 4 horses if trying to go slant. Most 4s are 18 ft floor length. Do agree that slant is the only way to go.
Posted 2007-01-07 10:37 PM (#53491 - in reply to #53482) Subject: RE: stright or slant load
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 500
Location: West TN
Is your trailer a square or round front end. I could see it being pretty tight for four horses on a 16ft. if the nose was rounded like most are. I agree with the others that you will like the slant. We took a trailer like you are describing and made dividers and turned it into a slant from a straight load. Lots of work to say the least.
Posted 2007-01-09 11:16 AM (#53590 - in reply to #53482) Subject: RE: stright or slant load
Veteran
Posts: 112
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Truly a preference thing. I have had both, straight loads are excellent for large horses but awful for a nervous horse and backing them out is sometimes stressful. If your horse self load I think they are a bit quicker to load overall. I opted for a slant that I use as a box stall when hauling one- I can walk them in and turn them around so they can walk out head first. My 16.3 horse fits in front nicely and the 15 hand can turn around in the back stall easily. Just used the trailer as a stall to get out of the rain, untacked and everything- THAT is nice!
For slants have heard that some horses may try to run you over exiting. Haven't had this problem but can see how that would happen.
If you do opt for straight, in my opinion, a ramp is easier on the horse- just make sure it is not slippery!!
Posted 2007-01-09 5:28 PM (#53610 - in reply to #53482) Subject: RE: stright or slant load
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 333
My 15.3 QH didn't fit into my friend's seven foot wide slant, the unpadded divider left marks on him. He was jammed in that stall. With a stock, you could make the stalls wider so that the horse could fit in them better.
My hub's horse is 16.3 and long, needs a straight load. I like both loads, my RMH is a better size for the slant stalls than my other ones so I have straight loads for that reason.