# slant vs straight load?



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Trailer shopping as many of you know, but my thread has gotten really long so I thought I would put this specific question in a separate thread. So far, I've looked at very basic 2-horse bumper pull straight load trailers. But I'm wondering why so many of the new trailers are slant load. What, if any, are the advantages of slant load? Seems to me that if I were being towed in a trailer, I'd want to be facing the direction of the movement, not be diagonal to it. So what are the advantages of slant? Which do you prefer?


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I've had both over the years. While any horse of mine is expected to adapt to whatever I have, I do like the flexibility of a slant load. I don't use partitions in my slant load.

Dealing with a variety of horses most do like, or accept, being tied forward. Some prefer facing backwards. I often am only in contact with a horse for a few days or a couple weeks, so am not putting time into schooling on loading and trailer behavior.

Having ridden in trailers, I like being able to stand diagonally. I found I shifted my weight more often and more easily, possibly reducing fatigue. Surely someone has done a study on that, or should.

But, if I was going to have a trailer for my own horse(s), for my own use, and mostly local hauling (4 hours or less), I would buy whatever the best trailer was that fit my budget.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

I think people can make arguments either way: slant/straight step-up/ramp

I think slant has taken a lot of interest partially because you can get more horses in a smaller foot print.

I like my straight load trailer as I can unload either horse first, our trailer has a divider down to the floor so besides the squealing of seeing faces if I'm hauling my friends horse plus my horse i don't worry about them dancing and catching one another's feet/legs... maybe it's an undue worry but still something I think about.

i've never hauled in a slant so can't comment on them, i just worry about the walking up in beside them if you have someone that is nervous/dancing where on the straight load someone can untie the horse and hold it while someone else would drop the ramp & butt bar


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## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

I prefer a slant load over a straight load. Like Boots, I tend to not use the divider and allow my horse to stand untied, whichever way she prefers (if we're hauling solo). It's less stressful while loading (for my horse). Typically she ends up standing backwards. 

My trainer hauls with an open sided stock trailer, so it's fun to drive behind it and watch the horses adjust driving down the road. Most of them stand at a diagonal...

I few years ago when my late mare coliced, we needed to haul her to the vet...we wouldn't have been able to get her into a small straight load. I was VERY thankful I had a slant/stock trailer that day.


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## jimj911 (Aug 12, 2009)

I am a firm believer in box stalls. I understand not everyone has the means or truck to haul such a trailer. Giving the horse the ability to move around stand how he is most comfortable to take up the acceleration, deceleration and turns. I have hauled high end horses as a business all over the country and I just cant get behind the idea of a slant load. The horse is only able to brace with his one forward facing front and rear hind leg. It basically limits the horses abilities. Are they ok for short local trips? Yeah probably, but to me giving the horse the best ability to adjust and brace using all four legs is key. At least in a head to head format or straight load that is the case as well. I think slant loads are trying to get more out of a shorter in length package at the horses expense.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Acadianartist said:


> Seems to me that if I were being towed in a trailer, I'd want to be facing the direction of the movement, not be diagonal to it.


Well on one thought, _most _horses if you haul them loose in a stock trailer will turn themselves around and prefer to ride backwards, and often times at a slant. So by putting them in a straight load, you are facing them the total opposite way of their preference, and not allowing them to slant.

In a perfect world, I would love to have a REVERSE slant load horse trailer, so they could ride more backwards while still having dividers between the horses (I do prefer dividers). But maybe someday when I can afford one (can find a used one once in a while, but most you have to custom order).

Anyway, food for thought.



Acadianartist said:


> So far, I've looked at very basic 2-horse bumper pull straight load trailers. But I'm wondering why so many of the new trailers are slant load. What, if any, are the advantages of slant load?


If you are ever going to haul only 1 horse in your 2-horse trailer, I would pick a slant load over a straight load any day of the week, because it's a more even load on a slant load than a straight, when you haul only one horse. 

But, I can't say that a slant versus a straight is necessarily "better" than the other. Just depends on your individual preferance. I prefer a slant load, over a straight load.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

Grew up with a 2 horse straight load. We did have 1 horse that just refused to load into that trailer. My first trailer was 16" stock trailer. The heaviest trailer ever made! It made so much noise that I am surprised the horses would load in it. We hauled 2 horses in it tied at a slant. there were no dividers - it was an OK trailer but tended to let one of the horses get squished. 

My first brand new trailer (and the one I still own) is a 3 horse slant. I love it! I have had really large horses in it and small horses. Some horses we back out and horses can also be led out. We have the rear compartment that is larger and a horse could be loose in there if needed.

I will never buy another straight load trailer.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I've had both and prefer the slant load and the horses seem to also. I occasionally had problems loading unfamiliar horses in the straight load, 2 horse (I called it The Bread Box and it made ME claustrophobic, so no wonder horses weren't thrilled) and only rarely have a horse refuse for any length of time in the slant load. Granted, when I bought the slant, I had trailered or had hauled many horses over many years, so had time to develop my preference. 

When I bought my Logan 3 horse slant, I bought one that is 7' in height on the inside and 7'6" wide. Not huge or oversized, but more generous than many. It's also white on ceiling and walls and has several lights inside the trailer. It has 3 windows on head and butt sides, so is very open and airy feeling. Some horses will balk at the ramp, but usually work through that in just a few minutes. I don't worry about walking inside beside my own horses because there is lots of room and they are used to it. I can either tie or if the horse is nervous and not ready, pass the rope out the window for someone to hold. In case I'm alone, I can tie the rope outside of the trailer and pass the clip through the window and then load the horse. Not ideal, but stronger than tying hard inside right at first. I have one full divider and (2) 1/2 dividers that block heads but leave legs clear. There's an escape door in front of the 'stallion' slot just in case. I have flood lights around the outside and over the back doors, so even at night, I can light that thing up and get rid of horse eating shadows. 

I discovered along the way that some of the things that sound great are a waste of time and money. For instance, those really neat little feeder bags that clip inside the trailer? Yep, all 3 torn up on the first trip. I stick with hay bags tied high now. The screens so you can travel with the head windows down? NOPE. They tore up the first time we started to roll. So now I just leave the head windows up, but open and drop the butt windows for good circulation when it's hot & humid. 

Next time, if there is one, I'll pay to have the inside sprayed with bed liner material, it's more durable than the floor & wall mats. I'll put down mats too on the floor, but not as the primary covering. When I bought this trailer, they hadn't developed real good spray in bed liners yet, horses would have just destroyed it. Next one will probably be an LQ too, those were pretty new and rare and outrageously expensive when I bought this one.

So that gave you a lot more than just slant vs straight, but it's some of the stuff that I've found I'd change if I were going to do it all again. Oh, and of course, if money were not object. As Justin Wilson said, "Money is no object. I don't object to it atall.". You supply the Cajun French accent, LOL!


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

I don't understand how anyone can even have a preference between slant and straight load trailers if you haul without the dividers. Basically, either way you're hauling in a stock trailer without the open slats. Maybe on some slant loads it's particularly convenient to fold all the dividers against the side, vs. the trouble of removing the partition in a straight load, but if you like to haul loose I'd think you would take the dividers out anyway.

I believe the two main attractions of a slant load are ease of loading (assuming no rear tack room) and the ability to offer a three-horse trailer in a reasonable size package.

My horse hauls better in a straight load. He stays cooler and more relaxed, and on my 2600 mile round trip he never hesitated to jump back in. The extremely effective ventilation of a straight load is impossible to duplicate in a slant. The roof vents direct a blast of air right down the horse's back and sides and out the rear without a lot of irritating turbulence around his eyes.

My dream trailer would be a two-horse straight load with a removable divider and nothing in front of the chest bars to prevent a horse from lowering its head to the floor. And definitely a step-up, for multiple reasons. All the major manufacturers offer them. What I haven't found is a one with a single rear door.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I'm in jims camp....
Box for long hauls and straight otherwise.
My horses when they are allowed to be "loose" {which is rare}...backward and straight or forward and straight is their positioning.
_Not slanted....*their choice.

*_I am not a fan of slants, period.
Not every trailer but so many have a rear tack compartment which forces you to walk through a narrowed opening into a now darkened trailer interior.
If you have 2 horses and only a 2 horse trailer to secure a head and leave you are now sliding past a body to exit the trailer rear...to me that is DANGEROUS in a unpredictable situation including a horse with pea-sized brain.
Forget many slants are still 6' wide and a larger horse just doesn't fit their body and closure of that divider doesn't always work...hence why many don't use the things.
I like my horses having their own "space" designated not having the bully squashing my other guy and supporting their weight as they are leaned upon.
For now AA with "smaller" horses it probably isn't so much a concern, but you don't know what down-the-road six months shall bring. This trailer is going to be around for many years yet so make sure you not limit yourself to severely buying to "small".
For me, I bought a trailer that can accommodate my horses regardless if 14.2 or 16.2....they fit, period. 
That put me in straight configuration and taller {7'+} interior height. I actually own 2 trailers. 
I have both a ramp and step-up..my horses prefer the step-up I believe. Both do allow me the opportunity to use it for other things besides just "horses" too. My loading door is a wide full width opening, it does though however have a slide so I can duck inside if I wish. My semi-stock trailer is a 4 horse so bigger than what you search for.
My straight load is a 2-horse with a solid divider that swings and removes if I want it to... 

*The one thing I would stress for safety issues...YOUR SAFETY is please, please do not buy a trailer without a human escape door.*
I prefer full sized not a 1/2 climb out one but it must have a safety escape door.
Horses are unpredictable, even our most trusted and steady horse. Things happen and in a hurry when they go bad...the ability to escape can save you from horrible injury or worse.
_*Do not purchase any trailer with no human escape door *and if a straight load preferably 2 escape doors, one on each side!!_
_:runninghorse2:...
jmo...
_


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

Sorry... after getting slammed against the wall inside a straight load, and then watching another lady trapped with her horse rearing up over her head, I hate slant loads. I just don't think they are functionally safe for the handler, and personally I don't think they are the best thing for the horse, and I hate them for emergencies because if something happens to the middle or first horse you have to unload all the others to get to him. I've done a lot of research on trailers as DH and I travel part of the year and stay other places a few months at a time, so we are hoping to bring the horse with us eventually.

For slants, I believe I read a research paper somewhere that stated over LONG distance trips, they fatigued the horse. Reason being that they cause the horse to use one side of their body more than the other. It may be easier for us, being two legged, to stand at a diagonal in a trailer, but horses have four legs and balance front to back or back to front, not side to side.

If horses are crammed in together loose in a trailer, you may see them stand diagonally. I believe this is because it is then easier for them to use each other to lean against, reducing fatigue.

I read somewhere that a very experienced commercial hauler recommended a stall with partitions for long distance travel. Reason is that when the horse is tired, he can lean against the partitions. Many owners who had their horse travel this way found their horse less fatigued at the end of a cross country trip than when they had traveled in a box stall. This is what made me change my mind about being set on a stock trailer. I'll take either straight or stock now.

I really prefer the straight loads with walk throughs in front AND escape doors that you can open from the inside! Very important safety feature, IMO. Another reason I'm not a huge fan of those old style straight loads where the horse stands with his head in the feeder is that they don't allow the horse to stretch his neck down and clear his airways. Now he's riding with his nose in the hay, particles going up his nostrils, and no way to clear them out.

However, the one I saw you post did have a door in front of the horses, and the horses were free to stretch their necks down over the chest bar. You can't go wrong with that!


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

You don't need an escape door if you don't get in the trailer. Send your horse in, throw the lead rope over his back, hook up the butt bar and walk around and reach through the window to attach the lead to the tie-ring. Unload in reverse order.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Joel Reiter said:


> You don't need an escape door if you don't get in the trailer. Send your horse in, throw the lead rope over his back, hook up the butt bar and walk around and reach through the window to attach the lead to the tie-ring. Unload in reverse order.


Sounds wonderful but in reality not every horse will load as such and not every person with a horse and trailer knows how to teach this either.
I have one horse who "point & shoot" and he is in no problem.
I have another who will follow where ever you go...but he just _will not _self-load. 
I've worked what seems hundreds of hours and nope, not happening.
Sent him to a professional trainer...just not happening.
He is a follower and will _not_ do it on his own.
Anyone he will follow, but he will follow...not walk on forward by himself.

Any suggestions to make him a self-loader I would be appreciative of and love your insight....:smile:
:runninghorse2:..


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I do have a 'step up' slant load at present and although my horses travel and load/unload OK I really don't like it. I've had slant load 'horseboxes' in the UK so I'm used to that but we don't have the 'step up' thing, my UK horses didn't even question it so I don't see that as the 'thing' either
I just prefer the side by side system with ramps and front unload. When you're introducing a horse to trailering and you have one that's a bit anxious they just seem so much easier to work in and you can open the front right up and make the interior look less like a metal can
Now that there's just DH and I here I'm looking for getting something like this - not this brand specifically, there are several companies making them now and you can get them in gooseneck or bumper pull. Its more like the UK trailers and now I've had experience with both types I like the side by side a lot more


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

^^^
This is how I would like my horses to load. Unfortunately we are not there yet, so I'm having to walk in leading the horse.

I currently have a 3 horse slant load. I don't use the dividers as I'm normally only taking one horse at a time. I like to leave mine loose in there, but occasionally tie as I want them accustomed to being tied up in the trailer as well. 

I personally like my slant load - if I needed to I could fit all three of my horses in there. I also like that it is wide open in the back, so way easier to load a horse. I've used the little 2-horse bumper pulls and I feel claustrophobic in those...nevermind the horse. 

Although, I would probably just get whatever I could afford. Beggars can't be choosers. My 3-horse slant is perfect for me right now. But it is an eye sore as it has an unbelievable amount of surface rust on the nose.....and I can't afford to get it standblasted and painted right now. Sigh....


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

interesting seeing some of the comments on size of the straight load. I guess i just lucked out when buying that we found a good tall & wide used exiss trailer close. I would say warmblood size? it's tall, open, airy, in a pinch can remove the center divider and make a box stall. 

another thing I don't like with some of the slant loads (more so in the LQ) is they actually shorten the stall by putting in a built in feed manger... more convenient for us humans but the horse space needs to be 100% for the horse first


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

horselovinguy said:


> Any suggestions to make him a self-loader I would be appreciative of and love your insight....:smile:
> :runninghorse2:..


Yeah, sending is kind of a more difficult thing to teach. I started with gates, so I could get the horses used to going through ahead of me and turning around and waiting for their halters to come off. Then I moved on to narrower places like between two cars or between me and some obstacle. Usually if they lunge ok they can get the sending exercise eventually. Sometimes "gentle as possible but firm as necessary" means a solid whack the first time. But every horse is different

I would say if you have a horse that needs to be led into the trailer, you can get by with a door that opens to your tack room. Lead the horse in, hook up the rope, duck through the tack room and walk around and close the butt bar.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

horselovinguy said:


> If you have 2 horses and only a 2 horse trailer to secure a head and leave you are now sliding past a body to exit the trailer rear...to me that is DANGEROUS in a unpredictable situation including a horse with pea-sized brain.


I agree. Which is why I have taught my horses to both self-load and self-unload in my slant load trailer. If I need to tie them, I do so through the window. I don't have to go into the trailer, except to close a divider behind them, or open one up. I'm certainly not crawling anywhere near them.



horselovinguy said:


> Any suggestions to make him a self-loader I would be appreciative of and love your insight


Time and consistency. As with any type of training.

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/trailer-loading-101-a-205770/

To me, the self-loading part is easy. It's the self-UNloading that is more challenging to teach!



Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> I discovered along the way that some of the things that sound great are a waste of time and money. For instance, those really neat little feeder bags that clip inside the trailer? Yep, all 3 torn up on the first trip.


:rofl: Same exact thing happened to me. Thought I was being a nice horse owner to allow them to have hay in the trailer .... too bad!



Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> The screens so you can travel with the head windows down? NOPE. They tore up the first time we started to roll. So now I just leave the head windows up, but open and drop the butt windows for good circulation when it's hot & humid.


I just put fly masks on their face for traveling rather than the window screens .... because we all know they would end up like the hay bays!!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

For me, the way I taught my horse to send into a trailer is first teaching her to 'send' over obstacles in an arena, with a flag and a long rope. She learned that stalling out was not as easy as giving it a try. The other step is teaching them that if they don't walk into the trailer by themselves the other option is to be lunged around and around in front of the entrance. If they walk into the trailer by themselves, special treats and getting to just stand there and eat them. It didn't take my trailer-averse horse all that long to figure out what the deal was. Would have been much shorter if I had known what I was doing to begin with but it was trial and error for me.

Both steps require a lot of calm patient encouragement, and waiting for behavior to be offered rather than forcing the issue. Don't get in a fight with your horse! (like I sometimes do).


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

tim62988 said:


> interesting seeing some of the comments on size of the straight load. I guess i just lucked out when buying that we found a good tall & wide used exiss trailer close. I would say warmblood size? it's tall, open, airy, in a pinch can remove the center divider and make a box stall.
> 
> another thing I don't like with some of the slant loads (more so in the LQ) is they actually shorten the stall by putting in a built in feed manger... more convenient for us humans but the horse space needs to be 100% for the horse first


 We liked the look of the Exiss trailers - we need the WB size - so interesting to hear that you like yours


I'm not sure I want to be climbing up to a window to tie a horse!!! We just lead ours on to the slant load, tie them and then swing the divider across and secure it. No crawling around underneath anything


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Wow, so many opinions! Thanks everyone. It's useful to know why you like one over the other and you've got me thinking about various aspects of trailers that I hadn't thought of. 

To be clear, we would not be hauling far. I'm not interested in going more than an hour or two away. If at some point in the future that changes radically, we'll look at a roomier trailer, but for now, we are looking at short distances only. Most of the time it will probably be just one horse, but I want the ability to haul both. I definitely want a divider between them. They get along well, but it doesn't seem fair to the subordinate horse to put them in such tight quarters with the dominant animal. Even though anytime it's cold, I find Harley huddled in with Kodak in her stall, LOL. 

And yes, definitely an escape door! Harley is good, but Kodak can spook so I do NOT want to be crushed against a wall because little miss spooky saw a spider. 

LOVE the idea of a horse being able to step out of the side, as in the model Jaydee showed. But I'm afraid that's beyond my financial means at this point. 

So I think it will be straight load for us, with a divider (ideally one that is removable!) and an escape door.


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

horseluvr2524 said:


> Sorry... after getting slammed against the wall inside a *straight* load, and then watching another lady trapped with her horse rearing up over her head, I hate slant loads.


Oops! Typo! That's what I get for posting before I've had coffee. I meant to say slant load. I got slammed against the wall inside a slant load, one with a rear tack to be more specific.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

horseluvr2524 said:


> Oops! Typo! That's what I get for posting before I've had coffee. I meant to say slant load. I got slammed against the wall inside a slant load, one with a rear tack to be more specific.


Yes, I had to read your post a couple of times to figure out that you meant a slant load! lol 

I do get the advantage of the slant for walking a horse into the trailer because the space is much bigger until you shut the divider. But having loaded Harley into slants and straight loads, I can say it made no difference at all to him. He used to walk right onto a step-on, but then after a bad experience with my BO's trailer, he's difficult to load in any trailer, but especially one with a ramp, and those seem to be prevalent in my area. I know he can do it, but we need to do some trailer training and I can't do that if I don't have a trailer. Kodak, on the other hand, will walk into anything. Her backing out skills are what need work (she runs backwards). We may have to park the trailer against a hill so she won't hurt herself backing out too fast out of a step-up. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Step 1: buy trailer. Step 2: train horses to get on and off.


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

Unless you have one with a rear tack. They make the space so much smaller.

Random pic from online:


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I really don't like rear tacks. Just way too claustrophobic for me, and really, what would I use it for? I keep my tack up front, where it's easy to get to if I have a horse tied to the side of the trailer. I have no use for 2 tack rooms Here's a link to a Sundowner that is configured a lot like my Logan. I have a 3 horse version. 

When loading, I let the horse go in, toss the rope up over the top of the divider and tie horse #1 in #2's slot. #2 gets tied in the #3 slot and #3 (on those very rare occasions I haul a 3rd, gets tied outside the head window. That way, I can always have the lead rope in hand when I open the divider. My horses are trained to stand until asked to unload, back or forward, doesn't matter. Instead of a solid wall like shown in this floor plan, I have an escape door at the front of the 1st horse slot, which is also where I have a solid divider wall between horses #1 & 2, because that's where I'll haul my stallion if I need to haul a mixed load. Mine has a ramp which this one doesn't but it's close enough to give you an idea. 

Sundowner Trailer Corporation


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I hate rear tacks, it's not where I tie the horse, I like to have my stuff right next to my horse when I am at a show. For hauling, I love a straight load, however my one mare showed me how painful it was for her (this was years ago), so it's either a stock trailer or a slant load. As far as bad loaders and nervous horses when transported, an open slat stock trailer is the unsung hero of curing those problems.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

My vote is for a straight load with a ramp and clear space forward of the chest bar. Second choice would be a stock trailer. 

I used to think a slant load would be good so I could carry all three of my horses at one time. Then a few years ago went on a trail ride with a friend and loaded my two with her one in her slant load. I hated it. 

Both my horses clipped their legs on the step up but fortunately had leg wraps on so were ok. My 15h Arab/paint cross was too big for the last stall! We had to put my short-backed RMHA gelding in the last stall. There was no room to get out of the way if the horse got spooked or anything. Then unloading, oh my! I was scared my RMHA gelding would take one step to the side and fall out! No way could he back up, had to turn him and lead him out. 

After our ride, neither one of my horses wanted to get back on! They have always been very easy to load in my straight load. 

My straight load is big, airy and inviting to horses. Hard loaders become easy loaders in a straight load. 

I'm most surprised by the comments about a "little two horse" trailer. My two horse is 7' tall inside, and will fit draft horses with room to spare. Plus I have escape doors. 

Even the best horse can have a problem that causes them to panic in a trailer. Had one horse get stung by a bee and have a fit. I would have been smashed in a slant load. What about in an accident? I know of a horse that had their neck broke in a slant load because the trailer got hit on the (head) side. Doubt that would have happened in a straight load or stock trailer.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

AnitaAnne said:


> I'm most surprised by the comments about a "little two horse" trailer. My two horse is 7' tall inside, and will fit draft horses with room to spare.


Totally agree. If you're comparing a 40 year old 2-horse straight load to a modern slant, yeah there were some tiny little trailers out there. But modern straight loads are enormous. I hauled my big guy together with a giant mustang mare and both of them had plenty of room in every way. You absolutely can not buy a slant load today with as much room per horse as the new straight loads.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

AnitaAnne said:


> I used to think a slant load would be good so I could carry all three of my horses at one time. Then a few years ago went on a trail ride with a friend and loaded my two with her one in her slant load. I hated it.
> 
> Both my horses clipped their legs on the step up but fortunately had leg wraps on so were ok. My 15h Arab/paint cross was too big for the last stall! We had to put my short-backed RMHA gelding in the last stall. There was no room to get out of the way if the horse got spooked or anything. Then unloading, oh my! I was scared my RMHA gelding would take one step to the side and fall out! No way could he back up, had to turn him and lead him out.


Of course, keep in mind that there are different sizes of horse trailers out there, including slants. Possible that your friend has a smaller-type trailer? What size of horses does she have?

Sounds like your horses clipped their legs on the step up because they weren't used to it? (I'm assuming, based on your post, that you have a ramp.) In the same sense, sounds like backing off was different for them, again, because they were not used to backing off with a step (instead of a ramp). 

**On a side note, I've seen some nasty injuries due to a ramp where horses step off the side of it, slip on the ramp (if it is wet) , and one where the horse actually got his foot stuck where the ramp attaches to the back of the trailer .... horrid. Of course, accidents can happen with anything. But I prefer NOT to have a ramp.

I have a 7-foot wide Exiss 3-horse slant load. Red is about 15.2 and 1,250 pounds. Shotgun is still growing and currently about 15.3 and probably around 1,200. (I have the definition of beefy Quarter Horses!!) They fit fine in my trailer and haul great. I rodeo and we haul a lot. I've also hauled with friends where their slant load had ramps. And sometimes I use my parents stock trailer for running to the vet or farrier. My horses haul great, regardless of the trailer, because I've put in the time, training, experience, and exposure for them. 

Of course, if you prefer a straight load, more power to ya. Use what works. But sounds like your bad experience wasn't so much due to the trailer, but perhaps your horses were not prepared for the change in hauling. IMO



Joel Reiter said:


> You absolutely can not buy a slant load today with as much room per horse as the new straight loads.


I would believe that to be incorrect. 

Just glancing at Exiss, for example. Comparing their non-LQ straight load to a non-LQ slant load, both of them are *equal *stall *width* at 40" for each horse. Plus, that back slant spot is going to be wider on the back half of it (if you have a rear tack) and wider throughout if there is no rear tack. However, I will say that the straight load did have more ceiling height by 8 inches ..... unless you were looking at a LQ model that is 8 feet in width (rather than 7), then the straight load only "wins" by a mere 2 inches. 

So by dimensions, straights loads really are no bigger than slant loads except with ceiling height. Quite honestly, for most horses, 7' height is plenty.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

I said "You absolutely can not buy a slant load today with as much room per horse as the new straight loads." and Brittany disagreed.



beau159 said:


> I would believe that to be incorrect.
> 
> Just glancing at Exiss, for example. Comparing their non-LQ straight load to a non-LQ slant load, both of them are *equal *stall *width* at 40" for each horse. Plus, that back slant spot is going to be wider on the back half of it (if you have a rear tack) and wider throughout if there is no rear tack. However, I will say that the straight load did have more ceiling height by 8 inches ..... unless you were looking at a LQ model that is 8 feet in width (rather than 7), then the straight load only "wins" by a mere 2 inches.
> 
> So by dimensions, straights loads really are no bigger than slant loads except with ceiling height. Quite honestly, for most horses, 7' height is plenty.


Brittany, I love your trailer loading sticky. You are the go-to person on this site for teaching a horse to load. Let me see if I can explain what I said about the size of slants vs. straights.

You can buy a big slant load. Featherlite offers their model 9551 in a two-horse slant for big horses. It's 7'6" wide and 7'6" tall. The stall width is listed as 50". But here are the two facts that fuzz it up.

First, on a slant trailer, the width is not width of the stall, it's the distance between the two points where the dividers attach to the wall. So the dividers swing on hinges 50" apart, but when they're in place diagonally, the actual width of the resulting is stall is much less than 50". Probably plenty of width for any horse, just not as wide as it sounds.

Second, and here's the limitation of a slant -- the stalls absolutely can't be made very long. In three US states, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, the maximum trailer width is 8'. Most of the rest are 8' 6". But manufacturers build to the minimum, so 8' is the widest trailer you can get. And an 8' wide trailer means having the wheels inside the floor plan. Even a 7' 6" wide trailer has the wheels partly taking up floor space. So even when your dividers are angled at 45 degrees, it's simply not physically possible to make the stall space very long.

On a straight load, you can have a chest bar with 3', 5', or even 7' in front of it (if there's no tack room). The horse can lean against that chest bar and stretch its neck way out and down in front of it, and have a sense of space. On a slant that's just not possible. And on a 7' wide straight load, you have an actual 40" stall width.

Another way to compare is to look at the floor plan of a slant vs. a straight and compare the actual square footage allotted to the horses. That diagonal wall makes a giant tack room in the slants, but actual space for the horses is a smaller percentage of the floor of the trailer.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Some of the older UK ramps had a gap between the end of the ramp and the trailer that was wide enough for a horse to get its hoof stuck but the newer one's I've had didn't
The whole slipping off the side thing isn't a valid reason to not have one as a horse can just as easily fall off a step up trailer - and if you have a front unload you minimize that risk by a lot
As we don't have 'step ups' in the UK I've spent my entire horse life leading horses up and down ramps and never had a 'slipping' accident - and in the hunting season we'd often be loading horses in wet and muddy conditions


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

Horses seem to find ways to hurt themselves no matter what we do, so that's not my issue for ramps vs. step-ups. Just from a pure mechanical engineering standpoint, I hate the idea of adding hundreds of pounds of unnecessary weight to the trailer.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I don't know what the weight difference is between a ramp and the standard doors you have on a step up which are pretty sturdy - obviously a front ramp would add some as on rear load/unload you would only have a panel or maybe a small access door


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

Here's an interesting thread on the challenge of hauling big horses in a slant trailer. The photos are of Mesa, the giant mustang mare I hauled in that Featherlite straight load.

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-trailers/stall-length-larger-horses-advice-needed-596762/


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