Would you please take a moment to describe how you haul your horse(s) and carriage?

[Reynard Ridge]

A brief three sentences will do - I already manage the Wee Spotted and his easy entry cart with some small degree of aplomb. :lol: (In case anyone cares, Coco is 11.3h, so he goes "upfront" in the people door area in my gooseneck. The easy entry cart goes in the stalls where the horses usually go)

I am working on the second installment of the $700 Pony series (two makes a series, right??) and for the sake of verisimilitude and am looking for a few different descriptions of how people who drive convey their conveyances.

Thanks! Ellen

[Renae]

In the bed of a pickup with a bumber pull horse trailer.

On the roof of the horse trailer if it is a 5th wheel and the carriages are light enough to get on top, and small enough to fit under underpasses once on top.

In the back of a stock trailer or head-to-head triler with the horses in the front stalls.

On their own trailer being pulled by a seperate vehicle.

[Reynard Ridge]

In the bed of a pickup with a bumber pull horse trailer.

Which necessitates unhitching to retrieve the conveyance, one assumes? (Fabulous and perfect answer by the way - thanks, Renae!)

[goodhors]

We have seen some other unique and special ways of hauling vehicles over the years, beyond Renae's most commonly used methods.

These would include the trailer with a towing receiver under the back door floor. Horse was loaded, then platform or hook set-up is inserted into reciever and cart is loaded with shafts straight up, on the back-end of trailer. These carts could be very light show carts like Jeralds or large two-wheel Meadowbrook or Road Carts. I think size loaded would be governed by shaft lenth. Large horse or draft shafts would be too tall above roof, catch on stuff. Best used by a strong person, since cart needs to be lifted, then tied firmly to trailer.

A couple trailers had the horse stalls on the front of long floor frame. Stalls were stock sided behind bumper hitch, with open platform behind over axles, for carriages. Horses walked up ramp, down the open section of plank floor, into stallls. Then vehicles were loaded and tied down behind horses. Saw it with several CDE Pairs, Commercial horses for Weddings, Drafts. They had hauled for great distances, everything fit well, no problems. Trailer was a lighter load with no high sides or roof for better milage.

One very tall trailer had "stacked" carriages to manage space. They had a winch to hoist the upper carriage on frame, which locked into brackets for hauling. It worked, just scary to watch going in. Both were 4-wheeler vehicles.

We have done the "Gypsy Look" ourselves. Squashing 2 four-wheel carriages, all our stuff, on behind two horses in tie stalls, a narrow stock trailer. It was "really different" as one observer put it. They were the originators of the Gypsy label as well.

Need breeds creativity, working with what truck and trailer you have. Can make for some different methods of getting to the show or activity.

[Sithly]

I was eyeballing my friend's trailer yesterday and wondering how in the heck one would get a carriage up there. How do you guys do it? Ramps? Winches? Good old-fashioned heave-ho?

[War Admiral]

Wouldn't you just know HRH Avery and his accoutrements must be chauffeured in royal style? :rolleyes:

To get it all to a show in one trip, we hire a six-horse head-to-head pulled by a stonkin' big dually truck.

HRH, who is 17.2 and not by any means as light of bone as the initials "TB" might imply, gets 2 of the front stalls, facing backward. Next to HRH go HRH's three tack trunks, HRH's bedding, and HRH's hay. The 3 back stalls have moving dividers, which we remove. We then roll HRH's Two-Wheeled Traveling Snack Bar (as he prefers to think of it, given the propensity of cookies and karotten to pop out of the spares kit at pleasing and convenient times) up the back ramp and into the trailer backwards, with the shafts poking out the back windows. Tie it all down tight & we're good to go.

I've tried moving it all in smaller rigs but you HAVE to make two trips. Or even three, if you're trying to move it all with a two-horse.

[SLW]

Equine #1, stands 35" tall and goes in the first slant of my 2 horse slant load GN. Removeable rear tack is, well removed, so that #1's cart can go in that space (propped up against the divider) and Equine #2, all 32" of him, gets the eeny teeny bit of space left against the rump wall. His cart, with proportionally shorter shafts, goes in the bed of the truck, well, what space is left once the GN is hooked up.

I've often said if I could find the air valve and un-inflate the mini's they could fit in the glove box, under the duct tape and assorted other jewels in there. :)

[Trakehner]

Best way...horse goes in the van, the carriages are put on a flatbed trailer behind. Makes for a long and slow wagon train and you don't make too many friends going down the road.

Small stuff way...using a stock trailer, horse goes in first, close the calf-gate, if it's a cart, the shafts go out back; if it's a marathon carriage, it usually fits in with the shafts off. In an emergency, the horse can go through the front door as long as I've a stick of butter to grease his sides.

[horseyfolks]

Using the big Gooseneck Trailer to go to a show the horses go up the side ramp and then into rear facing stalls in the nose of the trailer. Two carriages (Marathon and Presentation), and the Honda ATV load sideways into the trailer via the rear ramp. Hay, tack boxes and all the rest load up the side ramp into the middle of the trailer between the ATV and the side ramp. If trail driving 2 horses in the nose, one horse in a portable stall in the rear, and 3 carriages load sideways in the middle of the trailer. If someone else is hauling carriages and gear the trailer has portable stalls to haul eight horses.

Using the 2 horse, slant, bumper pull trailer, the carriage goes up a set of portable ramps into the bed of the truck. The trailer is hitched and the horse goes in the front stall, close the divider and tack and other stuff goes in the rear stall.

Don

[Donkaloosa]

The most unusual way I've ever seen was the rig that had an open-top, plywood-sided horse trailer with two Haflingers in it. Their cart was loaded above them. It looked rather, uh, redneck, to say the least, but the horses were fine with it.

Donk

[LostFarmer]

In a stock goose neck I put the cart on ramps and the shafts in the over shot. Hay and tack around the cart and the horses in the rear in case they need removed in a hurry. This allows to pack the trailer the night before and the pony the morning we leave. LF

[Drive NJ]

Many moons ago, we had a 2 Horse Bumper pull, pulled by a HUGE engine Cougar with air load shocks (yes, back in the day when cars pulled trailers). Cart rolls up to vehicle and is lifted onto a sawhorse while wheels are removed. Body of cart slid onto VERY well padded trunk of car, shafts on luggage carriers on roof and wheels strapped on top of vehicle. Could get that sucker onto of off of the car in less than 10 minutes.

We then moved up to a pick-up with rack in front stake holes to keep shafts off roof of truck. Ramps to get cart into truck bed.

Nowadays we have a longer trailer. Horses in back over wheels, cart of small wagonette in front - as per LF to allow easy egress for horses and to pack ahead of time.

[horseyfolks]

Drive NJ I wish you still had a picture of that somewhere! You are living proof that "Where theres a will theres a way!"....

I do remember when cars could pull trailers. I have pictures somewhere of my Mom, Dad, Sister, and I standing next to a turquoise and white, 1955 Buick Roadmaster (a huge car) pulling a 1950s style Camper Trailer in the parking lot of an A&W Root Beer stand somewhere in NJ. The Buick even had fender skirts and wide white walls!

Don

[Reynard Ridge]

It is almost a shame that all of this terrific fodder is going to compress into two sentences - but I just love the ingenuity. I have always been a fan of driving, have been to a number of driving events, but never gave a second thought to the logistics involved. It does boggle the mind.

[Drive NJ]

Horseyfolks... And it was MOM's car :D So you can imagine how well padded it was.

Forgot to mention the other famous NJ driving to show arrangement - George Millar was famous for his get to show turnout. He had a huge old multi-horse stock trailer that he'd pile his student's horses in. All the carriages went on a long flatbed carefully fitted in one way and another - not far off a car transport with layers of vehicles and trunks - talk about wild looking.

[horseyfolks]

RR, here is an interesting take on this discussion... The lady who owns this rig lives in Alberta, Canada and drove down to take part in the Gayla Bluegrass CDE near Lexington, Kentucky. I thought her son in law (who built this for her) was pretty resourceful.....

http://www.floridafatboy.com/Gayla07/roof_1.jpg

http://www.floridafatboy.com/Gayla07/roof_2.jpg

http://www.floridafatboy.com/Gayla07/roof_3.jpg

http://www.floridafatboy.com/Gayla07/roof_4.jpg

Once again, "Where theres a will theres a way".

Don

[ZELLA]

I have a 20' on the floor stock trailer, originally configured as a 4-horse slant w/ dressing room. The front two slant dividers are removed, and the trailer was modified so that the dressing room wall will swing and stay fixed in an open position.

For CDE:
Dressing room door open, 2-wheel cart in front with shafts forward in the gooseneck area.
Marathon carriage in next, back in first with shafts removed, and cocked at a specific angle. (My trailer isn't wide enough for it to go sideways.)
ATV in next, angled sideways and parallel to last stall's slant divider.
Pony goes in the back slant stall.
Once we're at the show, dressing room door can be closed for more private changing of clothes or camping.

For pleasure drive:
Dressing room door closed. Cart goes in facing backwards with shafts resting on ratchet ties near ceiling.
Pony again goes in the back slant stall.

[Drive NJ]

Sithly - You asked how to get cart/carriage onto back of pick-up. We use ramps and either people power or with winch. We typically used people power. Ramps were 2 x 6 wood with bent metal end that fits onto tailgate / now are aluminum, ladder like that fold in half for storage.

RR added joy of loading into truck is getting in/out to tie down. For short, no longer young types you need a 2-3 step ladder for ease of entry/egress

[Simon Saddlechariot Mulholland]

I just pick up the saddlechariot and put it in the back of my Subaru Legacy Estate.
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Haulingsaddlechariot
Simon

[Cartfall]

In my stock trailer (16 foot), I can carry one carriage or cart, one small ATV and one Arabian 14.2 or so.

There is nothing between the horse and the tethered equipment.

Full trailer but it works.

[Sithly]

I figured you'd just use ramps to get a cart into the back of a pickup. But what about the top of the trailer? Over the years, I've seen several two-wheeled carts riding down the freeway on top of horse trailers. How do they do that? I was looking at my friend's trailer and thinking that if we used ramps, we could probably get the carriage about halfway up before we wouldn't be able to reach it anymore, lol! I suppose you could have a couple strong people on the roof to pull it up the rest of the way?

[HackneyHorseDriver]

I currently have a BP stock trailer. Carriages goes in first and horse in back. If taking two horses they go in first and then the carriage and one in the bed of the truck.

Our friends have a most wonderful set up. 25' plus steel gooseneck trailer with three straight load stalls on the end with a solid wall that closes them off from the inside of the trailer. Thus no hay chaff in the carriages or stuff. Very large side ramp which carriages are loaded usually a two wheel and four wheel. Under the hay manager there is open space that folding furniture is stored when the interior is not set up. Has air/heat,small frig, bed in goose, and the largest and longest closet full of show clothes, grooms clothes, hats, and driving appointments. When carriages are unloaded the interior furniture is set up and they can live and show in comfort.

Denise

[kearleydk]

For mor than 2 horses I use the Lost Farmer method. See above post.

One or 2 horses I have a very nice C&C straight load that has a bit of extra room in front of the horses. Carriage goes up side ramp into that space and fits like the trailer was custom make for it. Ahead of the carriage space is a pretty good size tack room with a little AC unit stuck in the front wall to keep mildew off tack when parked and to keep me cool if I sleep up on the goose neck.

What I didn't see anybody say, but I look super carefully: always go goose neck and get the biggest truck you can.

I just this afternoon tried to dissuade a friend from attempting a journey pulling a bumper pull with a 4 cyl pickup. INSANITY!!!! Wrap yourself, your kids and your horses in a much steel as you can. Never set up a situation where the tail (the trailer) wags the dog (tow vehicle)

See me at National Drive. I'll certainly be in the running for the ugliest trailer award. However that ugly old trailer has all new axles, brakes, and tires and will be be pulled by a 11/2 ton truck.
Dick

[Cielo Azure]

28' EBY 7.6' high and 8' wide stock trailer (ruffneck) with a GMC dually 4WD 3500 tows 17,000, gets 21 MPG. With that, I get one show cart, 5 drafts and all the crap we can toss up into the cart and gooseneck (grin).

If we are going to use the hitch wagon, that requires a flatbed trailer and another truck (right now, we one have one truck...so, cart showing only for this season). Yep. That is a sight. One big trailer with drafts and one with "equipment." Seems like the horses should be pulling it all, doesn't it?

umph. At the Nationals, I was asked to do a u-turn by the fair management to get in to a tight spot. I did. The wheelbarrow (behind the rear window and before the gooseneck) put pressure on the rear window of the truck. Wham! It was raining safety glass. Kids didn't like that one bit! Lesson learned. Don't pile stuff up too close to the gooseneck in the back of the truck. Duh. I already knew that! There are only so many lessons a husband can learn form his wife though, before she learns to keep her mouth shut and let him learn the "hard" way. Whoops -Did I just write that?

[49'er]

I have a 8' wide 6 horse slant with a ramp at the back and the side. It is 28 feet on the floor with a 4x8 dressing room. I can easily haul one horse, one atv, one marathon vehicle, and one presentation vehicle. Of course I need a dually that gets 9 miles to the gallon pulling it. I am now moving down to a 20' gooseneck stocktrailer and will haul one horse. one 4 wheel carriage and one 4 wheel atv. And trade both car and truck in on a 3/4 ton pickup. I am going to be sticking mostly to Florida in my Medicare age and not traveling up and down the east coast. So I am downsizing but I think I can still get the job done.

[Emryss]

In a minivan. Horse(s) go behind the passenger seats. Cart goes on a rack attached to the hitch.

Adorable blonde child is my niece. Trained the minis all by her lonesome. Wins the ribbons all by her lonesome. Mom drives the kit and kaboodle.

I suppose you could try duct tape...

[Thomas_1]

There's an extensive posting about transporting here:

http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?p=2397641&highlight=winch#post2397641

[cabz]

my horse on either farm trailer or trailer I have hired. The 2 wheeled cart is put loaded on a trailer that my husband built especially for the purpose. A box was built that is under the cart to carry all the "stuff". This is pulled by a Toyota Echo hatchback. Other words a very small cart. In the car is clothes and what ever could not or did not want in the box on the trailer. Before the box was finished, the car was VERY full. I mostly do only one day shows, but this proved very good going to the Metamora show in July.

Happy driving to everyone

Cynthia

[horseyfolks]

Thomas, I have a question for you along the lines of this discussion. I seem to remember that during a similar discussion on trailers and how folks haul their stuff that you said you wouldn't or couldn't haul the larger trailers (35 - 40 feet) that some of us pull here.

I have wanted to ask you why that was but I kept forgetting to do so. Are the larger trailers against the Law? If so is it a local law or country wide? Why would they be against the law? Maybe it is just a personal choice to not use them... I have seen pictures of large semi trailer trucks being used commercially all over Europe. Are they allowed because they are commercial use?

When using your horse trucks (boxs) can you pull a trailer behind the truck? Are there length or weight limits?

Don

[Thomas_1]

^ You have to have a different driving licence and it takes quite a lot of time and money to get one and so not viable for me as I just don't need one.

And I can and have towed a trailer behind the truck. And by gosh, our legislation is REALLY complicated. So much so that if enquiring at the Ministry of Transport its entirely possible to get 4 different answers from 4 different people on the same day!!!

[nickers]

For a recent trip to a 2 day CDE, my friend and I managed the following with two pickups and a 20 foot bumperpull stock trailer:

ATV in my pickup
Marathon vehicle in her pickup
Large horse size two-wheel cart in front of V nose of stock trailer
Pony size road cart in next - the carts are loaded with their shafts up to the ceiling, so basically "piggy-backing" each other - trailer is 8 foot high and 8 foot wide.
Then, all hay, shavings harness etc packed around and under the carts and in the open space in front of the horse area, which has a stall divider. Load the horse and the pony in the back. Unloading is interesting, as my pony doesn't back out the step-up, so I lead him forward and do a U-turn in front of the stall divider and out the other stall.

[olehossgal]

I drive VSEs, both single and pairs. My set-up is PERFECT for my situation! I have a 14' stock combo BP trailer with a 'center'(it's more like a 3/5, 2/5 gate, 3/5 in the front - common thing in any 'standard' stock trailer), with full width swinging rear gate, and step-up, and a '99 F-250 SuperDuty SuperCab, short box.
With singles: I can put one or two carts in the front of the trailer, and one-three minis in the back. If just one cart is in the front, the gate really doesn't need to be in place; if two carts, then it is put in, for a solid barrier between horses and vehicles(which are strapped in place.)I can put any of my three pair vehicles-a back to back trap, a Glinkowski marathon vehicle, and a buckboard-in the front of the trailer, using a set of wooden ramps I built--and then the pair in the back, behind the gate. I can put harness bags, equipment tubs, and all sorts of stuff in the saddle compartment under the feed bunkers up front, in the pickup bed, and/or in the extended cab area. Hay, shavings,feeders, etc. go in the back of the truck(hay in HD lawn bags). On a recent trip w/ a friend, she was afraid my(larger) mare would beat up on her gelding, so we hauled the carts in the bed of the truck, and one mini in the front, and one in the back, of the trailer(they 'rattled' around like marbles!) Both carts are metal/naugahyde, and pretty rain-proof!
I have camped in this rig for three days, with my 'big' horse, on the Pony Express Ride I have attended several times! Slept in the extended cab, on a bedroll on top of a 4" mattress--quite comfy, really! Of course, all other basics were provided by the ride sponsor.
The only change I would make would be perhaps to have gotten a 6' wide trailer instead of an 'old-fashioned' 5' wide one! Even so, my set-up works very well for me in my circumstances!

Margo

[Ashemont]

Well having decided that driving is our thing we bit the bullet and got the bigger trailer - upgraded from a 4-horse slant GN with extended dressing room to a wider 4-horse head to head GN with rear and side ramps - total length = 41 feet! But we have a fairly new Dodge 3500 dually which hubby just upgraded with all sorts of stuff so it doesn't even know the trailer is back there and gets decent fuel mileage :)

We have the horse and pony facing the rear in the front stalls. They can be loaded from the side or the rear (if we put the carriages on last). The two carriages go in the back of the trailer (horse partitions removed). The golf cart and scooter plus hay, etc. then goes in the middle.

We just added a/c, heat and electrical outlets to the large dressing/tack room. An awning goes on tomorrow with a TV antenna, and then we'll add a bulkhead door through to the horse compartment on the pony's side. We've got a porta-potti and large water tank and the trailer came with nice, high, LARGE hooks to hang the harnesses. It's just perfect for us :D :yes: Check it out at The National Drive - we'll be happy to show it off ;) and hubby would LOVE discussing all the gadgets he's added to his truck!

[pricestory]

18' stock trailer, gooseneck. Carriage, either marathon or cart goes in first. Cart shafts go in the gooseneck, then pony. If to a CDE, I can move the inside gates back and put the ATV between the carriage and the pony. Plenty of room for everything else around whatever is in the front. That way I can pack everything the night before, throw the pony on in the morning and leave.

[myblackmorgan]

Okay, I am reading through all these fabulous ideas about how to transport a cart and horse. I am middle-aged, 5'2", horse is 14.3hh, truck is a Ford F150, and I will most likey NOT have help.

Being a newbie and just now studying-up, these are the choices I am leaning towards so far (with many thanks to the COTH forums!):

1) a stock trailer- preferrably around 12' (I understand that longer trailers are easy to manage but I have to watch weight) and bumper pull

[49'er]

You should be fine with that. But..., if you have a 2 wheel cart, you would probably have to pout the horse in first and the cart last with the shafts sticking out over the back door. It would be nice to have an escape door for the horse up front. Also a low divider so the horse, if in too small a space, could ride backwards with his head and neck over the bar. I used to haul a 16 hand horse and a 4 wheel marathon vehicle in a 12 foot stock trailer with just a bar separating. Worked fine and I wish I had kept that trailer for just putzing around town.

[myblackmorgan]

Okay, I am reading through all these fabulous ideas about how to transport a cart and horse. I am middle-aged, 5'2", horse is 14.3hh, truck is a Ford F150, and I will most likey NOT have help.

Being a newbie and just now studying-up, this is what I am leaning towards so far (with many thanks to the COTH forums!):

1) Eazy Ryder Cart (if I can get my hands on/afford one); cob size.

2) a stock trailer- preferrably around 12' (I understand that longer trailers are easy to manage but I have to watch weight); bumper pull.

3) Horse in front, slant load (he's little); cart in back with shafts sticking out the back slats complete with red hazard flags (better than hassling with removable shafts all by myself?)

4) I assume a stock trailer and a ramp are mutually exlusive, so would have to use portable ramps and hope they fit in the back as well.


So - opinions/ possible pitfalls, please:

Both on cart (I am recovering from a broken pelvis and need something with suspension and that one person can handle. I also understand it is better to start out with a 2-wheeled vs. 4-wheeled).

And on trailer/transport idea...

I don't think I could manage hauling the cart up ramps into the back of the truck. Plus that necessitates unhitching the trailer or getting a hitch that sways sideways. A Brenderup is the most palatable trailer for this, but try buying one new (ouch!) or finding one used (that's not already sold!).

Thanks!

[Thomas_1]

3) Horse in front, slant load (he's little); cart in back with shafts sticking out the back slats complete with red hazard flags (better than hassling with removable shafts all by myself?) You would need a front unload facility if you're loading your horse on first.

However I personally wouldn't want the horse at the front. I'd prefer the carriage in first and then the horse.

Is it legal to tow something with shafts sticking out? It wouldn't be here.

4) I assume a stock trailer and a ramp are mutually exlusive, so would have to use portable ramps and hope they fit in the back as well. If you're by yourself, then I'd suggest you make sure that it has a drop down tailgate door that forms the ramp.

Both on cart (I am recovering from a broken pelvis and need something with suspension and that one person can handle. I also understand it is better to start out with a 2-wheeled vs. 4-wheeled). 2 wheel trap or gig type with springs rather than the suspension block mountings which can be quite a hard ride though much better for cross country work.

I don't think I could manage hauling the cart up ramps into the back of the truck. Get a winch fitted inside the trailer and use that to pull the carriage in. I've an electric winch so you merely stand and press a button, but you can also get wind in winches. There's more bad backs from manually hauling carriages in than anything else I know of in driving. However because you intend to put your horse on the front this will be difficult.

[BuddyRoo]

Back of truck with padding--manpower used to lift. Small child (me at time) did the lifting scooting in the truck bed.

Or, on top of trailer. First put in back of truck, then lifted (more manpower--only more dangerous--on ladders) moved to top of trailer and attached with post-factory installed "luggage rack".

[pricestory]

I like having the cart/carriage in first. If it is a gooseneck, the shafts can go into the gooseneck. That way, the horse is over the wheels and next to the door and you don't have to unload the vehicle to get to him.
I have a winch but only use it with the 4 wheeler. I can pull the cart in without it but the 4-wheeler is just enough heaiver that it is difficult.
You can get a ramp added to any stock trailer but I have board ramps with ends from Lowes. Walmart has really nice, lighter weight aluminum ones but they cost more.
About the ride, in a 4 wheeler, you feel the road but not the horse. In a 2 wheeler, you feel the road and the horses gaits. But if you are just starting, it is easier to stay out of trouble with a 2 wheeler.

[Uncle Fester]

With a regular ball hitch my 2 horse bumper pull can be turned enough, jacknifed if you will, to allow the unloading of the carriage from the bed without having to unhitch.

The easiest and less costly way to get my 400 pound carriage in the bed of the truck is with ramps and an electric winch.

Tractor supply sells the winch for ATVs for about $50, rated at 1500 lbs. I bolted the winch onto 4x4 posts which I secure easily to the front on the bed and can be easily removed to have my bed open for other farm duties.

To power the winch and avoid the expense of wiring it to the truck battery I used a portable, rechargable battery (Costco--$40) meant for jump starting cars. The charged battery easily lasts for a weekend of use.

[goodhors]

Okay, I am reading through all these fabulous ideas about how to transport a cart and horse. I am middle-aged, 5'2", horse is 14.3hh, truck is a Ford F150, and I will most likey NOT have help.

Being a newbie and just now studying-up, this is what I am leaning towards so far (with many thanks to the COTH forums!):

1) Eazy Ryder Cart (if I can get my hands on/afford one); cob size.

2) a stock trailer- preferrably around 12' (I understand that longer trailers are easy to manage but I have to watch weight); bumper pull.

3) Horse in front, slant load (he's little); cart in back with shafts sticking out the back slats complete with red hazard flags (better than hassling with removable shafts all by myself?)

4) I assume a stock trailer and a ramp are mutually exlusive, so would have to use portable ramps and hope they fit in the back as well.


So - opinions/ possible pitfalls, please:

Both on cart (I am recovering from a broken pelvis and need something with suspension and that one person can handle. I also understand it is better to start out with a 2-wheeled vs. 4-wheeled).

And on trailer/transport idea...

I don't think I could manage hauling the cart up ramps into the back of the truck. Plus that necessitates unhitching the trailer or getting a hitch that sways sideways. A Brenderup is the most palatable trailer for this, but try buying one new (ouch!) or finding one used (that's not already sold!).

Thanks!

While shopping, you will want to ask about options. Like a wider front escape door to put horse in and out with. A ramp addition. Some places to put load bars anchored in the walls. If you are shopping used trailers, maybe a local welding shop could do some work for you. Adding a ramp, several tie rings inside and out, to tie or hang things from, cover the slats for rain or dressing inside. I would check for a 14' trailer, you will be really glad for the space.

Get a load equalizing trailer hitch if a bumper pull. The sway-bars are a huge aid in trailer control, making truck weight on both ends even out. Sure don't want a light front end to steer with! Plus helps stabilize the rig with wind gusts as semis pass you.

Husband added our ramp, he is really handy. He used Merhow springs, ordered thru our local trailer dealer. Ramp is 4ft long to ground, hung off the back edge of trailer. Folds up over the wide door, clips up with spring loaded pins. Springs help some, but any ramp is heavy. We still prefer having the ramp, has come in extremely handy for many other uses, like loading the tractor! Our little Ford 8N fits right inside the trailer. Having a stock trailer comes in very handy for many purposes you would never expect. We put plywood sides under the slats, have mats. Reduces the trailer noise quite a bit for the horses. Make sure your mats can't work out under the back door, to get lost. We had that happen to a friend, she had just purchased them. She didn't even make it home with them!! We have pretty cheap trailer, so wood covers a lot of rough spots in the welding, smooth inside for horses. Painted it a light inside color, horses love to get inside.

We feel the horses ride better in the "hammock" area between the truck and trailer axles. Some is the larger stalls, they can step forward or back, not rubbing on the sides. We have thick floor mats under them, with sawdust or shavings, ALWAYS. Mats are very slippery once horse relieves himself, without bedding to absorb. They seem less tired upon arrival riding suspended, even on longer trips..

Realistically, you should consider where to put a winch. At your size, the weight of cart, angle of height you will raise cart to load, I would bet you can't get a wood cart loaded alone. I had a REALLY hard time loading our wooden Roadcart into the trailer alone. I am taller than you, have pretty good muscles, no past injuries. Luckily I had a kid home, 3yr old who put blocks behind wheel on ramp. So I could catch my breath,move back to get another grip and HAUL on cart again, move a couple inches. Took forever, even with extra power of being angry!! Just was too even a balance, my weight against the cart and ramp angle. Somehow I haven't had to load alone again, because I probably would have to get very creative about it. Roadcart is our lightest vehicle, the others would be impossible. We do have a winch in the bigger trailer, saves on all our bodies! But I wouldn't be taking that trailer by myself, too big.

Keep us posted and keep asking questions as they arise.

[PiesMom]

We feel the horses ride better in the "hammock" area between the truck and trailer axles. .

Further to this comment by Goodhors and other folk mentioning they like their horses to ride over the wheels;

I am also researching how I shall get to drives and shows and whatnot and am trying to decide what is safer/more comfy for the horse and also safer for me as the truck driver! I had decided to buy a gooseneck trailer with a side ramp and plan to have my very chunky little 15.1hh mare ride loose up front with access via a wide side ramp (+ escape door on the other side too).Then a solid partition and the rear 9' or so for carriage/cart and hay, tack trunk etc. etc. And more storage in the nose behind an expanded metal screen (so mare doesn't chew her way through her harness whilst en route!:lol:)

So when I presented this idea to my engineer DH we got in to quite the discussion as to the physics of the whole thing. At first he thought I should have the mare ride over the axles. But on further thought he decided the mare (non static weight) would be better riding up front, "hammock-like" between the rear axle of the truck and the trailer's axle (so long as tongue weight doesn't get too high). He thought the ride would be a little softer for her and there would be less risk of the more heavily weighted rear end of the trailer acting as a sling shot should we have to brake really hard.

With the side ramp I could load my cart or carriage and other stuff in the back the night before, and the mare up the side ramp the morning of travel.

Please would those folk who prefer to ride the horse over the axle/in back offer to me their thoughts and let me know if I am making an unwise decision for the good of my chunky little mare :). Am I missing something important??

Cheers!

[BabyGoose]

I'm one that loads my horse in the front, cart in the back. I feel the weight is better hauled in the hammock area, especially with a goosneck since the hitch weight is over the wheels of the truck. Not sure about a bumper pull but I would think it would be the same as long as you are within the load range of your vehicle and have a good hitch.

And if you are hauling a horse alone with out the cart, do you haul the horse up front or still in the back? Most horses I see in stock trailers are loaded in the front compartment.

Now I can see the point of loading cart first to have easier access to horse. But most average sized horses can be unloaded through the escape door on a stock in an emergency.

I still think your best bet is a stock with the horse in front, cart loaded in back. You can make or buy some ramps to help load the cart into the trailer. Easier than loading into the back of the truck.

I have an Eazy Ryder cart and they are VERY smooth riding carts. And the shafts are very easy to remove and put back on. I get everything adjusted right with my shafts, then use a sharpie or marker pen of some kind and mark the right adjustment for the shafts. Super easy to put back on in the right spot that way. Then you don't have to mess with putting the shafts out the back of the trailer.