# Trailering Tall/Wide Horses



## lou21 (Jul 3, 2021)

Does anyone have any experience hauling larger (16hh+) horses in a 2 horse straight load with the dividers removed? If so, have you found them to be better with the divider or without? Is there any reason not to remove it?

I am considering purchasing a 2 horse Sundowner (7'6'' tall, 7' wide, 16' long) and removing the center divider so my bigger horse has more room to balance herself in a "box stall" configuration. 

I have considered stock trailers as well, but like this trailer because I have the option of keeping the divider for when I need to trailer 2 at once. 

Thanks!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

What is your horse that concerns you fitting in a 2-horse straight stall?
How big and size of the boneframe? 

The trailer you describe is what has been known in sizing as a warmblood trailer.
Extra height that has now become a standard...
Extra width as it used to be 6' wide was standard size stall x2 for a 2-horse. This trailer adds 6" wider per stall is significant space given.
How long is the actual stall length size and then overall for the head/neck space?
Those measurements speak more of will the horse fit the trailer than most realize and how safe in the trailer the horse will be transported.

If you still truly need more space then go with a draft width trailer which is 8' wide, and 8' inside height or taller.
_@QtrBel might have some true insight about sizes as she has drafts and quite a few of them she trailers._
To be honest, if you need more space than a warmblood trailer provides than you _need_ to step up to the draft-trailer as not only do you get height and stall width with appropriate length, you also are provided with a beefed up floor and structural supports as you have heavier animals than should be standing on a normal structured trailer...don't care what manufacturer...drafts need the beefier trailer for more PSI they have with bulk in size.

Please do not be fooled into thinking horses must have all this extra space to balance...
Horses _need_ to be driven in a trailer with a conscientious driver behind the wheel who slows down gradually, increases or takes off from stops gradually, slows down and or crawls around corners and if on twisty roads..._slow down._
In actuality horses who have some realistic confined space in a instant of hard stop or road roughness riding in the trailer use the support of the walls to contain their balance....and that protects them.
As long as your horse can easily walk into the stall area, stand quietly and cock a hoof in relaxation, shift and move the hoof a bit for new placement....then you are offering a safe environment for movement, aka trailering.
I would *not* be interested in a 2-horse straight load trailer that does not have a sliding center divider as there is your extra space to load/unload you may wish for.
I do though insist if there are butt bars they must be secured cause they are a integral part of the trailer design for strengthening the trailer and it keeps a tush from sitting on a rear door.
If you remove that center divider or keep it pinned to the side you just compromised that trailers design and safety features... 

So, some things to think about... 
🐴... _jmo..._


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

We've hauled in both a three horse slant BP that was supposed to hold three drafts but the reality was 2 drafts with no divider and one yearling behind a divider. Otherwise they were cramped. Best was just the two and then we could use a divider that we had reset to divide the space. 8' wide and 7'8" tall. I wish we would have had an 8' tall but they did fine as it was not the trailer used for long trips. Any dividers not in use were removed. The straight load GN held 4. Again 8' wide with 12' length per pair with butt bars or front held the surrey plus two. I think total length was 36'? It was maximum length allowed. Since owner did not want to remove top of surrey it was over 11' tall. There was a tackroom/abbreviated living quarter in front. Knicknamed the great white whale it was a beast.

When I had saddle horses and hauled with a friend before I left she bought a slant load with side doors and rear doors. You could reverse load from the side and dividers swung out so you could walk them out the back. Before that she had a stock trailer and since that was how all her horses would end up facing she had her horse trailer built that way.


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## preppyrider (Jul 13, 2021)

I have been doing this for most of the last year. I had a ring and clip welded to my divider so I could swing it over and it was sort of a modified slant--she had 3/4 of the stall space. Used 2 carabiners, a chain and a pool noodle to create a butt bar. She hauled fine this way, never seemed to have any issues. Trailer was 7'6 tall, 6' wide, 12' long (no tack room).


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