# Opinions on slant loads?



## amandaandeggo (May 21, 2008)

if you wanna sell it let me know. it's exactly what I'm looking for.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

I love my slant load. 

All brands are made differently. A friend loved mine but didn't want to pony up the same $ so she bought a less $ brand. Her 16 hand horse only fit in one of her stalls whereas he could stand in any of the stalls in my trailer.


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## danastark (Jul 17, 2008)

The draw of slant loads is a study done where they let a horse loose in a stock trailer and drove around while a camera filmed the horse. The diagonal position/slant is where the horse naturally stood on it's own. I think the option of removing the dividers is attractive too.

My 3 horse slant does not have the rear tack compartment and I don't want one there either, too confining. You should check how tall/wide your trailer is. Mine is 7' tall, 6 1/2' wide and comfortably fits 3 average-sized horses. I love my trailer but need a new one because it is not wide enough for my 17.3 draft cross. I can only haul 2 horses when I take him. I give the regular horse the front stall and then my big guy gets the back 2 stalls.

Hope you find something you want.


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

amandaandeggo said:


> if you wanna sell it let me know. it's exactly what I'm looking for.


Sorry, but I'm not selling it; I just use it without the dividers and with the rear tack folded.  But if you were in the area, I know of a place that sells all sorts just like it for <$1,500-ish.




danastark said:


> The draw of slant loads is a study done where they let a horse loose in a stock trailer and drove around while a camera filmed the horse. The diagonal position/slant is where the horse naturally stood on it's own. I think the option of removing the dividers is attractive too.
> 
> My 3 horse slant does not have the rear tack compartment and I don't want one there either, too confining. You should check how tall/wide your trailer is. Mine is 7' tall, 6 1/2' wide and comfortably fits 3 average-sized horses. I love my trailer but need a new one because it is not wide enough for my 17.3 draft cross. I can only haul 2 horses when I take him. I give the regular horse the front stall and then my big guy gets the back 2 stalls.
> 
> Hope you find something you want.


Really? I've never heard of that study. :shock: 
I think my trailer is a little over 7' tall, because one of our stocks is 7' and 2-Pak's ears brush the ceiling, but in the slant, they don't. I'm not sure how wide, though... maybe 6'. Not wide enough for 2-Pak to comfortably turn around in.

And I'm not really in the market for a new trailer (unless, of course, the perfect one falls into my lap for way-cheap. :lol: ), since we have three trailers as it is. I usually just use a different trailer depending on which horses I'm hauling.


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## 4hoofs4Him (Apr 4, 2009)

I have an Adventure by trails west, a two horse slant loader. It's my absolute dream horse trailer. The tack room is in the front and has TONS of room. I actually have ALL of my tack in it... enough for three horses

It's the MX edition fits my friends 17+hand horse, and is just magnificent.

I can't even describe how wonderful I think it is!!


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Angle load floats are the most popular float/truck over here. It's generally believed that most horses travel better, weight is more evenly distributed, etc.

We're looking for a 3 horse anlge load at the moment, as an upgrade from our 2 horse straight load :]


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

I don't like them. Never have, never will. The only good thing I see about them is that it divides the weight better over the axles but I find they make the horse stand in an uncomfortable position, you can't monitor them thru the front window and are to tight for most horses.


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I absolutely despise slant loads. I have a 17hh WB mare and my mare feels extremely claustrophobic in them. I've seen alot of big horses get hurt when something goes wrong and the rear tack won't collapse. 

i don't see what the draw to slant loads is. all you're doing is squishing your horse like a sardine and making him feel pretty darn uncomfortable. 

Straight loads all the way. I just bought a 2003 Trail-et two horse straight load and love it!!!


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## CheyAut (Nov 26, 2008)

LOVE my two horse slant. Will never buy a straight. I have horses that will NOT load in a slant, but load beautifully in a slant. I also will not buy one with rear tack (maybe if it's removable, then I'd never put it in) as I don't like how it makes the entrance more narrow... My horses don't like it, either  Plus, having the divider open in my 2 horse slant makes a perfect stall for a mini or two that get along really well at competitions  None of my horses have probs fitting in my slant (that includes a 16.1h TB)


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## Tazmanian Devil (Oct 11, 2008)

I have heard that slant is a better position for the horse. Probably based on the same study mentioned already.

My personal reason for getting a 3H slant is that Slant is the only 3H trailer I could find that was bumper pull. If I was looking for a 2H, I probably would have bought a straight load with dressing room. For 3H, slant was the only viable option.

I have a 16hh _very_ beefy QH (looks like a draft mix) that weighs in at >1300#. My other horse is 16.1hh, >1200# and very "long" necked. Both fit easily in the trailer. In fact, the slant gives them more "front to back" room than most straight loads I have seen.

Yes, the third compartment seems tight, especially with the fold out tack area. When I need to put a larger horse back there, I just take out the tack divider and the area is bigger than the other two.


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## Aliboo (Jun 20, 2008)

I think I looked at those at a fair and i was like what the heck, theres no way a horse would want to be in there. and if its a horse that hates being loaded your screwed!


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## LDblackhorse (Nov 26, 2008)

personally think they are good for quite horses.

From my experiance loading many horses from the race track and stallions. i perfer the straight away. Htere is nothing worse trying to get a horse on the trailer that does not want o go on then trying to get him to move side ways. That is why most get there own box stall. if they are on a long haul and are a gelding or a mare then most of the time the are not tide and can find there own comfortable spot.

As for stallions it is more of a saftey issue. I knew one lady who thought she could put her stallion in the front two geldings in the middle and mare on the end. Lets just say that ended real bad ( no deaths just alot of gashes). all the horse had to be removed just to get to the one in the first stall.

as for broodmares it can give them more space if they have a youngster by there side.

There fore that is why I like the straight loads and most transporter. At least if something gos wrong you can get to that horse. If you are on the road alone at least it is easier then taking them all off.

But that is just my opinon to each his own


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

mixed feelings. I have a 2 horse slant load Sundowner with a rear tack and a front tack. The rear tack I always leave empty or I might have a bag of shavings in there. One because all the urine from the horse area runs down through that area so not an ideal place for equipment. I can also move that whole wall and make the entrance big so thats good...but again if I do that I can't store anything there. The horse section on the end is great and does fit a big 16.2 hh horse with ease. But the front section does not. It can only fit a 15 hh comfortably...which leaves me in a quandry because I have 2 horses...both over 16hh. Which means if I want them to be comfortable I can only haul one at a time. In an emergency I could squnch one but hopefully I wouldn't have to go far. We're in the process of finding a Brenderup straight load.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

hotreddun said:


> One because all the urine from the horse area runs down through that area so not an ideal place for equipment.


Shavings will solve that issue.


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

mls said:


> Shavings will solve that issue.


It still seaps through every now and then. And you still have to spray down the mats after a long haul...I don't want to move all my stuff every time I do a cleaning. I don't know I just never used that section.:?


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## Chris (Mar 19, 2009)

*Slant Trailers*

I recently bought a used 3H Slant 4Star (1996)trailer. And I just LOVE it!! When you have the slants folded back against the walls the trailer is wide open and all of my horses load with little coaxing. We have 2 TB, 2 QH. The TB are 15.3 and 16.3hh and they have plenty of room. Our 16.3hh TB would not load in our straight load 2H bumper pull, but with just a little time he will load in the slant because it is not as scary looking to him. I just love the gooseneck. Even though the BP is in great shape I was always a reck when we got to the show grounds, but not now . Of course I had to buy a bigger truck .


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## amandaandeggo (May 21, 2008)

i have a straight load . . . eggo hates it! i actually took out the divider just like the test and thats now how i haul, they do this also to ship mares with foals and sometimes stallions. in watching him in the rearview mirror i also realized that his natural position was sideways with his head always facing the middle of the road. when you think about the body structure of a horse it makes sense. horses don't naturaly stand sideways on a slanted surface, roads are slanted to allow water and debris to runoff, it is much easier on them to have their front haves facing up the slanted surface, which is how slant loads are. the easier it is on the horse the more stability that horse has and the easier it is on the horse to handle turns. also horses handle weight being forced from the back or the front of them better than they do from side to side, when you turn a corner it puts the most gravitational force on the horse's rear or forelimbs, so the turns are easier on them, instead of straight loads that put all of that force on a rear and a forelimb at the same time.


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## Siestasgirl16 (May 4, 2009)

I have a Trail-et three horse slant load with a living area and side tack. Our trailer is extra tall and extra wide so our Arabs have more then enough room. I do however not like ANY trailer with there rear tack. My horse can turn and walk out, I dont like backing horses out of trailers as one of my aunts horses tore all of its tendens in its back leg while backing out of a trailer. That is why I always you the most sturdy shipping boots I can find.


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## stacieandtheboys (Jan 6, 2009)

MLS and CheyAut what trailer do yall have? We are going to be in the market for a 3 or 4 horse. I have a huge 16.2h QH a fat 15hish mare our pony and her baby.I need the stalls to be very comfortable for them.


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## county (Nov 29, 2008)

Actually the study done filming horses being hauled showed they stood at a slant but facing backwards not foward. I prefer a stock trailer and haul my horses loose that way they can stand what ever way they want to.


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