# On the trailer hunt



## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Most folks do feel more secure having a trailer to transport their horses. Plus you have much more options available for lessons/campouts or whatever your interest. 

Although I am certainly no expert, the advice I have received over the years and experience hauling makes me cautious on load capacity. Thus I try not to exceed 80% of the vehicle towing limit. 

So that would put you at 4000 pounds max. Minus your horse @ 1000 lbs. = 3000 lbs. for trailer and cargo. If you haul a second horse, that only leaves you 2000 lbs. 

I figure on 500 lbs. for hay, saddles, etc. just to be on the safe side. 

So you are now at 1500-2500 lbs. for the trailer. That does not leave you many options. 

A Brenderup is the first trailer that would fit your needs, and as I have owned one for 19 years I can highly recommend them. They weight between 1500-2500 lbs. depending on the model. Plus they have self-contained breaks, so no brake control needed in tow vehicle. Horses love them! However, they are not produced anymore so only used available and they are expensive and hard to find. 

The other option would be an open stock type steel trailer. I had one for 10 years that weighed 2000 lbs. for a 16 foot stock trailer with 1/3 open sides. That trailer was very handy for many things besides horses; we moved twice and carried all our belongings in it. Plus carried hay, boy scout camping supplies, etc. also a plus is the very reasonable cost for a 12-14 foot stock trailer. Brand new (recommended) is in the 4-6K range. 

Most steel and aluminum trailers with closed sides would be too heavy. 

Do you have a picture of your horse you can post? Sounds very beautiful


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I'm not going to get into all the techy stuff with trailers. If you search previous threads you'll find amble discussion on that aspect of trailer ownership. I will say that I have pulled a two horse straight load with one horse (approximate weight 2600 lbs for the trailer - considerably less for the horse) with a Jeep Cherokee. It pulled fine (level, relatively straight road, no unplanned stops). 

If you have to make do with your Jeep for the time being then that's what you have to do. You can't beat having your own trailer for those unexpected (and usually unpleasant) emergencies. You can run like this until you're ready to upgrade to a more robust tow vehicle, however it's not the best (and I think you are already aware of this) setup for going to a show/trail every weekend scenario.

Best of luck with the trailer search.


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## Surefooted (Oct 6, 2015)

Thank you so much for your input! 

A stock trailer is a great idea, we live in a very rural area right now so the trailer hunt has been extremely difficult, but stock options are everywhere. 

I was originally thinking of trying to keep to a two horse trailer, but most brenderup's that I can find that are within ten hours of me all are single horse trailers. Is this a large disadvantage for future use or safety? There's something so strange to me about a one horse trailer for some reason, but I can't put my finger on why. I don't have plans for a second horse any time soon.

Here is a picture of my boy!


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Your horse is stunning!!! 

Totally agree there is something a bit odd about a one horse trailer! I would think re-sale would be more difficult because of a limited market. 

I always used the other stall in my Brenderup for hay and stuff when hauling only one horse. Most people do only haul one horse though, unless they are sharing the ride or something. 

I wouldn't own an enclosed steel trailer, they are beastly hot inside. My horses wore fly masks in my stock trailer to help protect their eyes. They rode fine in it. I usually straight tied them in it, but I could fit five horses in my 16 foot trailer if I slant tied them (no dividers needed). 

The stock trailer worked great as a box stall too at campgrounds so I didn't have to tie him up outside.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

One important thing about stock trailers; make sure the horse's center is over the wheels for his stability (and your tow vehicle too). 

This is the style stock trailer I am referring to. They have great resale value also! 

K&K Bumper Pull Stock Trailer - Bee Horse Trailers


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## Surefooted (Oct 6, 2015)

Thank you so much, he's definitely a spoiled brat!

Very good point, I'll have to look into those trailers more. If the Brenderup doesn't work out due to the limited supply, does anyone know any other lightweight european style trailers that are similar weight/quality? I sent out some messages today for any Brenderup I could find, but no luck yet.


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

Surefooted said:


> Thank you so much, he's definitely a spoiled brat!
> 
> Very good point, I'll have to look into those trailers more. If the Brenderup doesn't work out due to the limited supply, does anyone know any other lightweight european style trailers that are similar weight/quality? I sent out some messages today for any Brenderup I could find, but no luck yet.


Off the top of my head ... Fautras, Boeckmonn, St. Georges. are all European trailers. The only problem is that they're probably rarer beasts than the Brenderups. There is a dealer for Boeckmonn in Maryland, I think (Is it Traveled Lane?) but otherwise, they're all Canadian dealers.


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