I shopped for horse trailers for quite a while. Since I have too much month left at the end of the money (retired), I was looking for the best deal I could get. I found that a lot of people were asking near new prices for used horse/stock trailers. Why buy used for near new prices and get old tires and brakes??? I finally found a used 2 horse straight load for $800. and 4 new trailer wheels & tires @ $100. each at Tractor Supply. For $1200. I had a reasonably good trailer with new tires & wheels. I can pull it safely with my Sport Track or Ranger (4L V6) and still get pretty good mileage.

I have hauled several types of trailers and know having the proper equipment for the job is important. Also knowing how to use the equipment and setting things up has been comforting while driving with several thousands of pounds of weight behind me as I cruise down an interstate or very busy expressway.

HITCH-UP magazine http://hitchupmagazine.com/home.html really helps answering many questions while providing the latest information on equipment. The reviews between trucks, gas saving tips and places to go are an asset besides just be interesting.

The magazine is part of AIM Media featuring key notes, on the go gear, truck savvy, Trailer Clinic, Hauling tips, U.S. Rider Community and members benefits. The focus is directed around equestrians and share interesting places to ride, comforts of safety, handling and makes for not only enjoyable but a necessary reading when it comes to going on the road hauling your horse.

This summer has been hot across the nation which the magazine also covered several important recommendations from proper ventilation for your horses, tire pressure to having a tuned-up engine for better performance and cooler operation of any vehicle. Check out http://cde.frycomm.com/1I4c2ba0a454a34542.cde for some of these tips in HITCH-UP Magazine. AIM also is the publisher of many wonderful magazines including my favorite "American Cowboy."

When buying a horse trailer, often the first thing in mind is whether or not to buy new or used. For the handyman, a use trailer is often a great way to go. Most will turn too classified ads, some to auctions but CRAIGSLIST has become a very good network finding available Farm and Garden items listed in near by locations. They allow free advertising and users can post pictures.

However, buying anything used, the buyer needs to be able to inspect what they are purchasing. Not everyone knows what to look for. Horse trailers should have solid flooring, working lights, solid axles and springs, good tires and the proper ball hitch.

Other things to inspect are working hinges on doors, latches, ramps along with areas of concern inspecting for sharp edges which might cause later injury to live stock carried in the trailer.

Brakes are important too. Newer model trailers are equipped with electric brake systems which aid in preventing jack knife of the trailer improving handling. An electric trailer brake controller is a device that supplies power from the tow vehicle to the trailer's electric brakes. Many styles are available that differ from how they look, to the number of brakes they can power, but all of them can be divided up into two main groups, Proportional or Time Delayed.

A proportional (or pendulum) brake controller senses how quickly the tow vehicle is stopping and applies the same amount of braking power to the trailer. With a Time Delayed (or solid state) brake controller when you step on the vehicle brakes a predetermined amount of braking power is sent to the trailer and then there is a delay as the unit ramps up to full braking power.

Another area of concern is will I need to use an anti sway bars? There are hundreds of people pulling trailers today that simply use what they were given with their trailer, and have survived ok - but maybe with a few scares. Anti sway bars assist towing by removing the yaw of the pulling vehicle when towing. The trailer often moves from side forces (wind) that cause pressure on the hitch forcing the towing vehicle to pull or turn. This yawing motion is reduce or removed by the use of sway bars.

All of these areas are important factors when making that inspection of a trailer. Buying new, the dealer is supplying normally a well made item. Although after years of use, buyers need to take caution taking the time to inspect further pass surface rust or fainted paint. Buying use can often save hundreds if not thousands of dollars and if things merely show cosmetic needs but the equipment is in solid working order, I recommend saving the buck that can be applied to other desire needs. If buying through any avenue other than a dealer, make sure they have proper title. Some states do not require a title or plates, but most do. Check with your local Government agency to know what you will need. The importance is having safe legal equipment to care for your live stock.

If you are only hauling one or two horses, then a two horse should be adequate. "It's never a good idea to buy a trailer to haul horses for your friends, unless you don't mind losing the friendship" states Tom Scheve, Developer/Designer of EquiSpirit .

Tom's guide at EquiSpirit provides valuable information. He first starts off indicating that buying a trailer that holds more than two horses requires a heavy duty towing vehicle, so you will be spending more money not only for the trailer, but for the necessary truck to pull it. There are more vehicle choices for a tag-along trailer, which means there is also a better chance to pick the wrong one. (See Tow Vehicles in this issue.) Many people believe that a gooseneck trailer is safer than a tag-along, but that is not exactly true. If the tow vehicle is properly rated and equipped with the proper hitch, a tag-along two-horse trailer can be just as safe as a gooseneck. For more than two horses, a gooseneck is the better option.

Do you show or camp? If so, a dressing room or living quarters may be a necessity for you. Adding the extra length of a dressing room onto a two-horse trailer actually adds stability to the combined unit as long as the tow vehicle is properly rated.

Although it's fairly simple to figure out the human needs when shopping for a horse trailer, some careful consideration of the equine perspective of horse trailers may result in some unexpected conclusions.

From the horse's point of view, he doesn't belong in a trailer at all. Horses are creatures of the prairie. They are designed for life in the wild open spaces and because they are prey animals, they have a highly developed "flight or fight" response. When danger threatens, horses run away. That's how they have survived the last few million years. Feral horses who don't run away quickly enough or fast enough, end up as dinner. A small, closed up space like a trailer makes a horse claustrophobic because he feels he has no where to escape. To further complicate things for the domestic horse, evolution has taught members of the equine species to be wary of unsteady footing to protect them from falling into a tar pit or quicksand. The unsteady feel of a horse trailer is instinctually frightening for an inexperienced horse.

It's obvious we have to consider this flight response in all our training and handling of horses, but we should also think about these natural instincts when choosing a trailer in order to make traveling a pleasant experience for all involved.

Even though domestics horses learn to put their natural instincts aside and do what we ask, it may not be comfortable for them, and they can suffer stress in ways that we don't even notice. We may not realize that illness and injuries can be avoided by design features in a trailer that make trailering less stressful for the horse. Some trailering problems have become so commonplace that people just accept them as part of the process. Episodes of refusing to load, breaking halters, cutting legs, and even breaking the trailer itself are some of those acceptable risks that can be avoided. These problems and health risks like shipping fever, dehydration, colic, and even the acute stress of injury can be prevented by a stress free trailering experience and a well designed trailer.

Stress can be defined as an external stimulus that is beyond the control of the animal. When a living creature is exposed to stress the autonomic nervous system kicks in to physically prepare the animal the react to the stress. Heart rate elevates, adrenaline and epinephrine are secreted and other body functions, such as hormone levels, change to enable the animal to react. For horses, this is usually to run away to avoid the object of stress. Once the object of stress has been outrun or successfully fought, the system returns to normal and the horse is alive and well. However, if the horse cannot escape the object of stress over a long period of time, the health of the horse begins to suffer. The chronic stress can also have a negative impact by changing immune functions that predispose the horse to disease

What features are best to reduce stress for the horse? Enough room, light, ventilation, and safety in design.

The horse should have enough room and light to feel comfortable. A dark interior may cause him to balk when loading because horses' eyes do not adjust quickly to light changes, and walking from daylight into a small dark trailer can be frightening. Windows or slats, doors, and a light colored paint make the trailer seem more open and inviting. Height, width, and length should be proportionate to the size of the horse. All three are equally important. He should be able to use all four of his legs to keep his balance. This means that he should be able to spread his legs apart if he needs to, and to slide them forward or backward with freedom of choice. He must have enough headroom so that he doesn't feel cramped and so he can use his head and neck for balance. It is also very important for his health that he can lower is head and cough to expel hay dust and other contaminants from his respiratory tract.

This mention of the respiratory system leads to the next important criteria, ventilation. The environment inside the horse trailer is easily contaminated by dust and mold spores from hay and shavings, and noxious gasses from urine and manure. Studies have proven that when horses inhale contaminants and cannot lower the head to cough them out normally they are at greater risk for shipping fever. When the linings of the lungs are compromised, the lungs become susceptible to contagious infections.

Extreme temperatures, hot or cold, may also cause stress to the horse. Smart management techniques and a properly ventilated trailer can control the environment. Adequate windows or slats, and roof vents are necessary to provide good ventilation, even in cold weather. (Use a blanket to keep him warm, don't close up the trailer) Floors also aid in ventilation. Natural flooring material such as wood breathes and does not conduct heat up from the road like aluminum can do. The spaces between the planks provide airflow.

The fourth characteristic that must apply is safety in design. This means that the trailer should be safe for both the horse and handler. There should be no sharp edges or objects that could injure a horse. All latches, tie rings, breast bars, and dividers should be strong enough to withstand wear and tear from the largest, strongest horse that will be hauled in the trailer. Always keep in mind that horses are always capable of doing the unexpected.

The entrance of the trailer should be non-threatening to the horse, and the handler should be able to exit the trailer quickly, if need be, without the horse following. It should be possible to reach each horse separately in the case of emergency, and best if each individual horse can be removed without unloading the other horses to do it.

Dividers, posts, butt bars, and breast bars should operate freely and be easily removable by quick release in the case of emergency. Dividers should not restrict legroom. Ramps should be solid, low, and non-slippery, and long enough to provide a measure of safety from a kick to the head of the person who is leaning down to lift it. A good ramp is safer than a step up - not so much for loading, but for unloading. Step up trailers should have enough width to allow the horse to turn around to unload headfirst instead of backing out, especially if the trailer is high off the ground. A front unload ramp is an excellent addition to a step up trailer.

The floor and underbraces should be in perfect condition. There is no compromising on this point. All lights, brakes, and breakaway brake should be in working condition. The same applies for tires and suspension. The construction material should be strong enough to handle the size, weight, and strength of the horses and equipment being hauled in it, and to hold up as well as possible in a traffic accident.

A feature that should be included under Safety in Design is rubber torsion suspension. Unlike the familiar drop leaf or shackle spring suspension used on all horse trailers in the past, rubber torsion suspension increases the safety margin by its design. Neoprene cords run through the axle and absorb about 97% of the road shock from the floor of the trailer. By absorbing so much of the shock and vibration, rubber torsion greatly reduces the stress to the legs and hooves of the horse, which also reduces the stress of riding in a moving vehicle. As an added safety feature, if one tire goes flat, the trailer can ride on the remaining three wheels and the coupler until you can get off the road and onto a safer place to change the tire.

There are additional features that can greatly improve the well-being of the horse and handler such as removable hay bags, mats, screens, bar guards on the windows, removable or no rear center post, and water tanks. It goes without saying that the tow vehicle and the hitch should be adequate to haul the trailer and it's full load.

If we look at some of the common styles of horse trailers from the horse's point of view, it may look somewhat different than popular opinion dictates.

If you don't have a large budget, a well made stock type trailer is a good choice. This type trailer meets most of our criteria. It is open and airy. The horses can easily step up into the trailer and turn around to come walk out headfirst. (Backing out of a step up trailer is risky - unfortunately it's a common occurrence for horses to slip under the trailer when unloading)

The disadvantages of a stock trailer may be finding one with rubber torsion suspension, but they do exist and if you are buying new, you can order it as on option. Also, since most stock trailers are built for the livestock industry, quality construction and safety features for horses may be somewhat difficult to find. Most stock trailers are built to be tough and last for a long time, but appearance may suffer after a while.

It will cost more to buy a trailer that is built specifically for horses, but there are some advantages when it comes to safety features, construction, and appearance. Walk-through type trailers are a better choice than those with mangers for several reasons. Manger trailers force the horse to hold his head in a small area with his hay, and since he is restricted, he is unable to lower his head to cough out the contaminates from the hay dust. This isn't so much of problem for horses that are only in the trailer for a short time, but a walk through type is healthier for horses that are being hauled for longer trips. You can read more information http://www.equispirit.com/index.htm