[Maude]

I am looking at 2+1 trailers and am confused by the stud gates/doors in front of the 2 straight load stalls. It seems like it would make it difficult to walk a horse up the side ramp and turn it around and back it into one of the rear stalls. The gates make that area in front of the rear stalls almost too small. Is there some secret to this? I have a lovely 2 horse straight load GN w/DR, but want to load/unload from the side and have the extra room. Any information from any of you who have a 2+1 with or without the stud gates would be much appreciated. I would worry that my horse might see the open space in front of her w/o the stud doors and come over the breast bar. She's a climber and so athletic she could probably jump over the breast bar w/o a problem...

[mvp]

I think you do need stud gates for the reason you say. And some trailers have just one large gate, not two small ones.

In any case, I think most folks plan to load from the back. If you do want to load from the side, I think you can, though it will be tight. What you are asking for isn't a whole lot different from loading a head-to-head trailer. If you are unsure, measure the center space in one of those and in your trailer. You have to ask your horse to fold up a bit, but they can!

[2ndyrgal]

Have a rear ramp as well as a side ramp. I can't imagine turning one around and trying to back it in, but the stud doors do go flush against either the far wall or the far stall.

I wouldn't buy one without a rear ramp. Walk on rear, walk off side. Easy.

[ponygirl]

I have a 2+1 with a box stall divider door. My trailer is configured so the horses are riding backwards. I walk them up the side ramp and into eaCh stall. The divider door is flush against the wall unless I want to use it (make box stalls).

I have also configured it so they can ride facing forward. I've never had an issue with a horse thinking about jumping over the chest bar b/c they have hay in front of them. I could also close the divider door if I was worried and it would not impact their ride.

[Blume Farm]

I have a 2+1 but without those stud gates. It just has breast bars. I bought it used and this is how it came to me. It has both rear and side ramps. We always load from the side ramp and then back the horses into their stalls. We do it this way because the side ramp is 1) not as heavy which is great when it is just me, 2) safer when we are loading/ unloading on the side of a road which we do when we go trail riding at the park reserve...obviously the side ramp is open to the opposite side of the road , 3) when it is raining we groom and tack up in the +1 area as there is a door to the dressing room. Used it this way this past weekend and it is a fabulous benefit. 4) When I get home the side ramp opens directly to the barn and just makes things easier. My horses are 16.2+/- and we can load/ unload fine via the side ramp.

I LOVE my 2+1 and will never have another configuration. My dream trailer is a 2+1 with midtack that has a door into the horse compartment and basic LQ. I just can't seem to find that configuration. Maybe because adding the LQ would make the trailer so long??

[Fancy That]

I think a 2 + 1 is also my dream (next) trailer but I have a QUESTION:

- people always say to load the heaviest/biggest horse in FRONT (on any trailer) so more weight is in front and "bearing down" on the coupler I guess?

But in most 2 +1 trailers - noone really uses the front "plus 1/box/extra stall" - so in essence it's like having a trailer with horses only loaded in the most REAR/BACK stalls.

Can someone educate me? Sounds like it's okay to have empty stall in the FRONT? and all the weight in the BACK? Even though I've had folks tell me otherwise?

[Bluey]

Maybe they set the axles further back in the 2+1, since there is where most of the weight may be?

That would take care of where the horse's weight is most of the time.

[Fancy That]

^^ Hmmm....well if it's having the most weight over the axles....then why does everyone say to always have the front loaded/heaviest.

Most trailers have the axles at the rear, compared to the front. Now I'm confused. I just had a friend question me for putting a lighter horse in the smaller front stall and a bigger horse in the bigger rear stall (current slant load)

Anyways - I really would love a 2 +1, but this is the one question I have.....(since most folks keep the front stall empty/nearly empty)

[suz]

i have a (for sale btw) custom hawk gooseneck with rear and side ramps which can be made into two box stalls. the one time i loaded my mare in the front box i did not like the way the rig handled at all.
i haul her always now in the rear box. she prefers to be loose and stands with her head facing the road just traveled. i put a pile of hay in front of her and she's very comfortable and travels quite happily that way.
when i had a normal straight load bumper pull she hated it with a passion and it was always a fight to get her on and keep her in. she'd come off sweating and irritated. thankfully this trailer has really changed her opinion of going places.
hth,s.

[airhorse]

Anyways - I really would love a 2 +1, but this is the one question I have.....(since most folks keep the front stall empty/nearly empty)

Our 2+1 puts 2,000 lbs on the truck empty, so I really don't think loading the front or rear stalls first is going to matter much. The axles are under the rear stalls, we load them first, but have also had just a single horse in the front stall. Really could not tell the difference.

[CA ASB]

I have a 2+1 and always use the 1 as a box (it can be configured as a slant). It is fondly known as "the princess suite" and is for my mare. If she *has* to go in the back, she regards that as punishment. Little does she realize that when we configure it as two box stalls that the back one is actually bigger - but she's the smaller one . But she almost always goes loose in the front box, even when I'm only hauling one. I've even opened the whole thing up and over-nighted her in the entire trailer.

[Bluey]

i have a (for sale btw) custom hawk gooseneck with rear and side ramps which can be made into two box stalls. the one time i loaded my mare in the front box i did not like the way the rig handled at all.
i haul her always now in the rear box. she prefers to be loose and stands with her head facing the road just traveled. i put a pile of hay in front of her and she's very comfortable and travels quite happily that way.
when i had a normal straight load bumper pull she hated it with a passion and it was always a fight to get her on and keep her in. she'd come off sweating and irritated. thankfully this trailer has really changed her opinion of going places.
hth,s.

I agree, the old plain two horse trailers made many horses twitchy.
Any more, we even took our haul-in race horses to the track for their races in our stock trailer, that they very definitively preferred.
That was before GN, all then were bumper pulls or vans.
Horses did great in vans, to load or haul.

[Fancy That]

Good to hear. I actually didn't think it was a big deal when I hauled my friend in my big steel GN 3H slant Turnbow with the heavier/bigger horse in back (he got to have 2 stalls), and the smaller her horse in front.

But she made a big deal out of it and was concerned .....stating that you always want the heavier horse in "front".

Maybe she was mistaken? Or maybe that is just a consideration for small bumper pulls? I don't know.

Anyways - I was just thinking about that because these 2+1s probably always have more weight in "back" (considering alot of folks leave the front part fairly empty)

Thanks! OP, sorry to hijack!

[Amwrider]

I think a 2 + 1 is also my dream (next) trailer but I have a QUESTION:

- people always say to load the heaviest/biggest horse in FRONT (on any trailer) so more weight is in front and "bearing down" on the coupler I guess?

But in most 2 +1 trailers - noone really uses the front "plus 1/box/extra stall" - so in essence it's like having a trailer with horses only loaded in the most REAR/BACK stalls.

Can someone educate me? Sounds like it's okay to have empty stall in the FRONT? and all the weight in the BACK? Even though I've had folks tell me otherwise?

I think the problem with not having much weight in the front of the trailer is that if the weight is all in the rear, the trailer is more likely to sway back and forth.

[airhorse]

I think this is much more of an issue on bumper pull rigs as they have a much lower percentage of their weight on the tongue.

[judybigredpony]

I just had 2 diffrent venders draw up plans for a 2+1 although I want a bumper pull..they are not meant to be loaded into the stalls from the side ram. You need more room than a traditional 2+1. You can do it but the side ramp needs to be more forward and the +1 a true box with a straight short wall not a slant wall the most 2+1's come configured with.
The front +1 horse should not be the largest..the largest horse ships in the left hand straight stall. As to axels in a BP they can an do move the axle forward to take weight off the tongue. For GN its not such an issue because the weight is in the tow vehicle bed and more evenly distributed.
Not all 2+1's are made to same configuration and size, they vary greatly as I learned from manufacturer to manufacturer.
You do need the Gates unless your +1 horse doesn't mind having the others potentially bite him...they are there for a reason

[Fancy That]

I like Turnbows' 2+1 - it has a true box/front stall (not a slant)
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...26-56-27AM.jpg

[Jleegriffith]

I have a Hawk 2+1 and I do all my loading from the side ramp I do have a back ramp with doors but I have only used that about 3x over 3-4yrs. I load some big tb's and have no issues using the side ramp. I walk them in and do a circle and then back them up into the slots and then close the stud gate. You absolutely need the stud gate as it does wonders for keeping horses from jumping the chest bar and also from biting the horse in front in the box stall.

[ponygirl]

I have a 2010 Balanced Ride 2+1. I have loaded a very large 17.3 hand AHS mare via side load sans problems. I don't have to back mine into their respective stalls though as I have mine configured to ride backwards. They walk up the side ramp and out the back doors down the ramp there. If I put a 3rd horse in the trailer in the front, the divider doors prevent anyone from tasting a hide. I have had nervous haulers absolutely LOVE riding in my trailer. I really do think the backwards ride is the reason. If I have them loose in the boxes they ride facing backwards on their own accord.

[Fancy That]

Ponygirl - I've always wondered if horses prefer to ride backwards! Sounds like they do, even if they are loaded from the side, behind them....they still like facing the back of the trailer? (if left to their own devices)

I think I'd want that option for my next trailer