# Hauling in a stock trailer?



## BB2 (Oct 22, 2012)

I have a gooseneck stock trailer with a center divider in it to haul my horses. It's just a typical stock trailer with a rubber floor, open metal bars and... That's about it. I don't have a side door. It's a completely open stock trailer. 

I was hauling my horses to ride today and someone at the trails where we ride says "Um... Do you always haul your horses in that?" I said yes, I do. And she says, "Wow. You should look into something different. You are asking for problems." 

Of course, she has a 4 horse exxus. 

I'm sort of concerned now about hauling them in a stock trailer. I've never heard its bad. Are there any precautions I should be taking?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Is it a typical stock trailer, or a typical_ horse_ stock trailer? Livestock stock trailers are different than the ones they make to haul horses.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Her horses are no safer than yours. The only precautions we can take is to be extremely observant of drivers around us. Something our fire department/rescue requested is that the horses have some type of identification in the event of an accident and horse/s take off. While on the subject, have spare halters and leads secured to the trailer for easy access, in case, even a long rope.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I haul in a live stock trailer, is it ideal NO, is it all I have for now, YES. I would love an upgrade, and have been promised one a few times now, and then things go wrong, :twisted: but it does the job.

Mine is tall though, and has a front 'grooms door' so maybe it started life as a horse trailer.


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## peppersgirl (Aug 24, 2012)

pftttt...out here most people haul their horses in livestock trailers.

the only 2 things I could see being a problem, is if you have one of the old shorty stock trailers..now a days most stock trailers are made with more horse friendly-ness in mind (hieght wise).
or if you are hauling a few horses that don't get along..thats where dividers come in handy..

other than that I wouldnt listen to the snobby lady with the exiss..


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

How tall is the stock trailer inside? Some of the cattle trailers are really short.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Really??? 
That was a pretty sh!tty thing for her to say. We sold our horse trailer with dividers to go back to hauling with a stock trailer(it too has a center cut gate). 
Ours is short, its a 6'6" but 7' wide. One of our horses is about 16H and he doesn't hit his head. I explained this another thread, but turning a horse around and leading out seems to work the best for stock trailers that have alower ceiling height. I have noticed horses that are a little worried about backing out of a trailer usually hold their head up higher increasing the chance of them hitting their head. 
Personally I don't see how hauling in a horse trailer is any safer than a stock trailer.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

I also haul in a stock trailer and I find that horses often prefer a big, open stock trailer over a slant or straight load.  So you can go tell that lady to shove............ her horses in her big fancy trailer. lol. Just don't be rude like her. haha. 
Also, I do have a side door but I hardly ever use it.
As long as it's not one of the short trailers, like the others have said, it's absolutely fine.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

I have an Adam that's classified as a stock, but it's not what I consider one. It has a center post that goes up the back of the trailer, so it's not completely open in the back like a real stock.

One of these days I'm going to buy a modified stock, because I like them so much better than regular straight/slant loads. 

The one thing I do like about my Adam is that it has a front escape door. Nifty!


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

I own 3 stock trailers. A 16 foot by 7 that I tie 7 horses to the left side of; A 20 foot WW that hauls 8 the same way and a 28 foot cattle trailer that I haul 10 head in, all tied to the left side without dividers.

I also have a 6 horse Sooner Aluminum horse trailer with slant dividers, drop down windows and a large dressing room. It is for sale because I never use it since I no longer show.

Call her a snob and ask her to mind her own business. Ours all have full tops, but unless you are hauling wild horses like mustangs (they do not allow you to pick them up if a trailer does not have a top) I see no problem.

I can still remember 'way back when' I still had a stock rack for my 3/4 ton PU and used to jump two horses in it and haul them everywhere. This was in rugged mountains on dirt logging and Forest Service roads. Got stuck more than once and had to unload them to get the PU out of the mess, jump them back in and go on.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

I bought an open stock four-horse bumper pull trailer brand new in 1987. It is 6'6" in height.

The front has a removeable divider, the back is completely open for two horses to stand side-by-side

Besides hauling all over OH and PA trail riding, when I moved, I hauled three of my horses from PA to SoCal in that trailer. Five years later, I hauled those same three horses to Tennessee.

I still have that trailer and those three horses who went to many trail rides, parades, and cross-country twice. Nobody ever got so much as a nick of the skin riding that trailer.

While nobody has ever said anything, I have received some condescending-down-their-noses-looks for carrying my horses in such a low-life/no class trailer but, guess what? It still doesn't have any serious rust on it, the frame is solid and best of all it's been paid off since 1990 

Sounds like you're dealing with the same no-class type of folks; I guess some things in the horse world never change:-(

Further to Cherie's comment, back in the 60's my ex-SIL's uncle loaded one of his young QH's in the bed of his truck and hauled it from OK to OH as a 14th B-day surprise for her. Horse had never been anywhere, he put the racks on the truck, said "get up in there" and away they went. That's how my grandad also used to haul horses and nobody got hurt. BUT there was a lot less traffic back then, even going state-to-state; I wouldn't do that in today's whacko world.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

As long as the stock trailer is tall enough for your horse's height, and it is wide enough for your horse to turn around (as most will ride backwards, unless you tie them), and it is safe with no rusting metal, it is just as good, if not better than a slant load (because it gives the horses more room). 

Sounds like you have one of "those" snobby horse owners on your hands that know everythiing better than everyone else.


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## BB2 (Oct 22, 2012)

As we were leaving the trails today I asked her why it was so dangerous, acting like I was worried just to see what she would say!

She said my horses probably caught a chill in there with all the wind blowing on them (since it has no solid walls) and they could get a cold and die. She also said they probably bang their little legs on the divider, anddddddd asked how in the heavens can I let them eat hay while we are hauling. 

Lordy.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

I get looks bc I PREFER a steel (4-horse, gooseneck, slant-load) trailer to an aluminum. EVERY time I see an accident where a tiny car rear-ends someone I think about how my horse in the back has a chance, but might not in an aluminum bc it could look like an accordian.
I replaced a stock trailer, but I'd have another stock trailer in the future, if it fit my needs.
I never thought about it, but by leading my horses through a 32 in wide, 6 ft tall door (to my old feed room) when I rented space and did lessons, I prepared them for the 1/2 wide opening in my newer trailer. Horses hate dark places and small openings, and too many fancy new trailers are dark with small openings. Stock trailers have a wide door and light pours into them. I also like a step up bc it won't move around when they load/unload like I have witnessed a ramp do.
As long as your floor isn't rotted out, and you don't have dangerous rusted places in your trailer, it is just fine for trailering. Ignore the critics. =D


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

BB, you need to shorten that chain she keeps pulling. If more people would take a ride in their trailer in various weather they'd have a better idea of what the animals deal with instead of just talking about it. I've been told those aluminum Exiss are quite noisy inside, unpleasantly so for our hearing, imagine what it's like for the horse.


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## KountryPrincess (Oct 23, 2012)

Good gravy, why can't people who don't know anything keep their big mouths shut? All the ranchers around here haul their fully saddled horses side by side in stock trailers. These guys are hauling up into the high country this time of year to round up the cattle and bring them down before the snow starts. They need those horses for work, if there was a chance of them getting sick from hauling that way it would not be cost effective to do it. 

My mare was broke on a ranch in Utah before I bought her as a 4year old, and hauled all over in stock trailers. She loves a good stock trailer, likes a slant load, and is more hesitant about loading into a straight load, which, unfortunately I have, but we don't haul all that often in it. She will load into all three but I can easily tell which she prefers. Horses love room and good airflow and stock trailers have both. As others have said, just make sure it is tall enough, and go tell that ignoramous to go scratch.


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

My trailer back home is an older Bison stock trailer. We put our own divider in it and have never had any problems. Shoot, that lady should see what ppl here in Hawaii haul in. Makes my stomach turn. They just recently made it a law to have some sort of roof on horse trailers. Most just have a few pipes across the top and don't have solid walls of any type. Not to mention open fronts. Scary seeing ppl on the freeway with their horses heads hanging out of the front of the trailer. They haven't had any horses jump out. But they have had trailers over turn on the freeway. Thats why they made the law about some sort of roofing.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

BB2 said:


> As we were leaving the trails today I asked her why it was so dangerous, acting like I was worried just to see what she would say!
> 
> She said my horses probably caught a chill in there with all the wind blowing on them (since it has no solid walls) and they could get a cold and die. She also said they probably bang their little legs on the divider, anddddddd asked how in the heavens can I let them eat hay while we are hauling.
> 
> ...


 She needs to go spend this weekend and first part of the coming week with "SueNH", so she can get an idea of what reality is all about.

I don't think she'd survive a "a hurricane Weekend Preparedness Venture with Sue" but it sure would be fun to watch:lol::lol:

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-talk/horses-hurricanes-o-o-prep-141733/page2/ Post #18:wink:

COAL Heat? Water well in the basement? What are THOSE things?!" she may incredulously scream out. My grandma used coal heat until I was 11. While our basement well was covered and no useable we had one because the farm house was built in the Ohio days of the Western Reserve Land Grant --- back in the 1800's:shock:

Yep, the gal that doesn't like your trailer needs some serious hands on life lessons


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

BB2 said:


> As we were leaving the trails today I asked her why it was so dangerous, acting like I was worried just to see what she would say!
> 
> She said my horses probably caught a chill in there with all the wind blowing on them (since it has no solid walls) and they could get a cold and die. She also said they probably bang their little legs on the divider, anddddddd asked how in the heavens can I let them eat hay while we are hauling.
> 
> ...


Oh geez....Some people forget that horses are livestock and live outside rather than lap dogs.


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## BarrelRacingLvr (Feb 26, 2012)

I LOVE our stock trailer....when we have short hauls to races that aren't over night and we don't have to stay over night, we take our stock trailer. We don't have any problems with it or it's height, yes it is shorter then our huge LQ but that isn't a problem. The only one that I occasionally worry about is our big running mare but she knows where the roof is and never as problem with it. 

I don't like hauling our big, huge, heavy LQ around when we don't have to because it cuts our gas mileage by A LOT. Where the Stock Trailer is light and you can take more horses if I wanted and doesn't cause the truck to drink so much lol.


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