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Hauling horses... basic equipment advice needed.

2K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  albertaeventer 
#1 ·
So... we are in the market for a truck anyways, and now that I've re-engaged with riding and have a gorgeous Rocky Mountain Horse, I'd like to pull a two-horse trailer through WV mountains to the beautiful trails that abound.

Question: My horse is 15.2 and weighs no more than 950 lbs. I don't currently have a second horse, but let's just say that I did. I'll never show, and I'm not a "serious" rider... meaning, I might get out on trail every two weeks during the summer. Do I need a 3/4 ton truck, or can I get away with a Chevy 1500-series truck?
 
#3 ·
So... we are in the market for a truck anyways, and now that I've re-engaged with riding and have a gorgeous Rocky Mountain Horse, I'd like to pull a two-horse trailer through WV mountains to the beautiful trails that abound.

Question: My horse is 15.2 and weighs no more than 950 lbs. I don't currently have a second horse, but let's just say that I did. I'll never show, and I'm not a "serious" rider... meaning, I might get out on trail every two weeks during the summer. Do I need a 3/4 ton truck, or can I get away with a Chevy 1500-series truck?
If you get a half ton, make sure it has the towing package, it comes with things like a tranny cooler and overload springs. I personally would go with a 3/4 or a 1 ton, but thats just my personal preferrence.
 
#4 ·
Heeheehee...you only think you "might get out on a trail every two weeks", just wait until you have your own truck and trailer! You'll never be home anymore! :rofl:

And while now you only have one horse and don't haul often and you could get by with a little two horse and a half ton truck, I would suggest you go with a 3/4 ton and a little bigger trailer. And I would highly recommend making it a 4x4 as well.

My main reasoning, you are in some pretty serious "windy mountain roads" country. A heavier rig will hold the road better, control the motion of your trailer better, will handle the hill climbs and bottom of the hill stops much, much better, etc. And that 4 wheel drive is a life saver when you find a washed out road and need to do a bit of off-roading to get by or even just get turned around! :shock:

This is purely from personal experience. I started out my hauling career with a nearly new 1972, 2 wheel drive 1/2 ton Chevy and a W-W 2 horse steel trailer. I was in the cascade range of Oregon at the time, and my poor little truck had to work way harder than it should have, and there were a couple times I very nearly didn't get stopped before wrecking at the bottom of some really steep winding roads. Granted, I was new to hauling, and didn't plan ahead enough on those instances. Had I been paying attention there probably wouldn't have been a problem, but had I had a little heavier rig, there would have been no problem even NOT paying attention. :oops:

Although I live in pretty flat country now and haul with a heavy 1/2 ton van, factory set up to pull a trailer, because I inherited it, I still recommend a 3/4 ton to anyone who is in the process of buying a rig. There's just so much peace of mind to get in and feel safe in your rig.
 
#6 ·
I've been to WV in a half ton truck, no trailer. Lets just say, I wish I had a real truck!!

77 f150 I6, loaded with a weeks worth of camping gear and food. And beverages.
Uphill=no problem, downhill= trying to decide wether or not to bail or run into the high side of the hill.

That being said, if you buy locally, you may find that the trucks typically are already adapted to the local terrain.

And go crazy on trailer brakes! All working and working right! A two horse trailer can push a truck down a mountain no problem.
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#7 ·
I found a lot of patience served me well. I was borrowing a heavy 2 horse trailer to pull with my 01 F150 V6 standard cab. It was fine on the mostly flat roads here with one horse since I always drove conservatively in that set up. Leaving plenty of room between me and vehicles ahead of me.

I waited and watched for the best deal I could find and lucked up on an 02 Dodge ex. cab lwb dually. It has the strong Cummins 5.9l 24 valve engine with a built up auto tranny. It has 331,000 miles on it, but barely bump the key and it is purring like a brand new one. I also made a trade for that same heavy 2 horse trailer I was borrowing that has a dressing room in from and did I mention is heavy by it self then add 2 1000lb horses and I'm thankful for all that truck to pull and stop with little effort.

I know not everyone can afford bigger trucks, but how many can afford not to have a bigger truck? Be patient and search CL for deals or like me keep an eye on the local banks or credit unions for repos. They had my dually stickered at $6000, but I put in a written bid for less than half of that and got it. Yes, I got it for less than $3000.
 
#8 ·
I personally prefer slant loads or stock loads over straight loads because of some of the stories I've heard of horses swaying and tipping the trailers.

For our 3 horse slant load with living quarters, we used a Ford f-350, and eventually the huge ford diesel. Both did fine, just big trucks eat gas like crazy! Really not looking forward to buying my own truck and trailer...
 
#9 ·
Don't under truck yourself, ESPECIALLY if you're going to be pulling in the mountains.

First and foremost, a 3/4 ton truck, by birth, has a bigger braking system and a bigger radiator (which prevents over heating while pulling up long hills).

You're chances of finding a used 3/4 ton truck with a transmission cooling system for automatic transmissions, is much better than if you're hunting for a used half ton truck.

You might pay a few dollars more for license plates if your state's plates are based on the GVW rating, and you auto insurance may be a few pennies higher but I'd rather pay that than take a chance of breaking down, or losing my stopping power because I was under trucked - even if you are "just pulling a two-horse" :)

A 3/4 ton truck is heavier and will give you more stability - just do NOT buy a short bed - they are cute as can be but worthless for real work, IMHO:-| I'm not even sure a shortbed can be had in a 3/4 ton.

Lastly, since you are new to pulling a trailer, you are naturally going to lug the truck down because you will be overly cautious. Yet another reason to have get a 3/4 ton with a bigger radiator:D
 
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#10 ·
I wouldn't go with anything smaller than 3/4 ton in the mountains. I live in Kansas, and most of our roads are flat and straight, and I'm still cautious when pulling a small trailer with a half ton. You really want the stopping power a bigger truck will give you.

As far as trailers go, I really prefer the slant loads. The weight is more evenly distributed, and horses load more easily, IME.
 
#11 ·
IMO, as long as you're conscious about your truck's towing capabilities and are careful to select a trailer that will compliment your truck (i.e. not getting a 3 horse steel trailer with a Ranger) you will be fine.
I have a 1500 Chevy and just bought a 2 horse Featherlite aluminum trailer. It pulls like a dream!
 
#16 ·
Surfing the net about slant loads... why are they preferable? It seems like almost a regional thing. I grew up in New England where virtually everyone used front loads. I am only hauling one Rocky now... am reading about slants having issues with horses not able to lower their heads? Also, they're goosenecks by definition, so the truck is pricier than a bumper trailer, no? Enlighten me!
 
#19 ·
Surfing the net about slant loads... why are they preferable? It seems like almost a regional thing. I grew up in New England where virtually everyone used front loads. I am only hauling one Rocky now... am reading about slants having issues with horses not able to lower their heads? Also, they're goosenecks by definition, so the truck is pricier than a bumper trailer, no? Enlighten me!
Actually, there are lots of bumper-pull slant loads.

I like slants because the dividers swing away and open up a large inviting area for the horse to enter. The only horse that really has to go into a small cramped space is the last one on the trailer. And some people like to turn their horse around and let them come out head first to keep from having the hind legs slip underneath the trailer when stepping out backwards.

As far as the pros and cons of slant/straight/front loading, you will hear lots of opinions from all camps. Like everything else horse, it really depends on the individual.

For a couple years I pulled a 4 horse stock trailer hauling only 2 horses. We would put one horse in the front section and the other horse in the rear section and leave them loose. One horse positioned himself facing forward but angled crosswise. The other would turn around and face straight backwards. Other peoples horses we would haul would all figure out where they were the most comfortable and that's where they would stand every time. I never had any problems with any of mine when hauling in other peoples trailers either, they seemed to adjust within a few miles and settle down and chill.

Most importantly, find a trailer you like the "feel" of, that you can pull safely with your tow vehicle and that you can afford. Then teach your horse he can trust you to haul him safely in whatever you ask him to get into.
 
#18 ·
You're going to get opinions from all over about slant vs. straight, bumper vs. gooseneck, it really comes down to preference, IMO.
Slant loads are more welcoming for tough loaders, but (IMO) the horse can have a harder time balancing, because they're on a slant so they rely on walls/divider for support when accelerating/braking/turning. The problem I ran into with an angle haul is that my horse is quite long, so unless it was WB sized, we couldn't shut the divider.
Straight loads are generally less inviting for a horse to load up into because of the middle bar, but offer more room for a bigger horse length-wise. If you add a foot to the width of an angle haul, you're only truly adding a few inches diagonally for the horse's body; if you add a foot to the length/width of a straight haul, you're getting the full use of that extra space.
Goosenecks are considered to be more stable all in all, but if you're properly matching your truck and trailer, a bumper pull should be just as safe.
 
#20 ·
Grrrr. Forgot to address the bumper pull vs goose neck vs 5th wheel and the truck to pull each question.

Bumper pull, obviously as it says, attaches to the bumper of the tow vehicle. Bumper is a bit of a misnomer though. Many vehicles have "receiver hitches" installed that attach directly to the frame of the vehicle. They still pull "bumper pull" trailers.

I really hope that doesn't come off as condescending as it seems...some people truly don't know some simple things like that...:hide:

Now the g-neck/5th-wheel thing. Depending where you live, they are called different things...or sometimes the same thing...but they really are two distinct different hitching methods.

A goose neck trailer uses a hitching system where the "ball" is in the back of the truck, and the hitch mechanism is located on the trailer "neck". A 5th wheel trailer has a "king-pin" on the trailer and the hitch mechanism is located in the back of the truck. Both pull pretty much the same, the 5th wheel is easier to hookup if you have depth perception issues, but is more expensive, while the goose neck is fairly inexpensive and is much more common in the horse world.


The only price difference may come from installing a new hitching system for the g-neck/5th wheel, but other than that a truck is a truck is a truck in this particular case of bumper pull vs g-neck/5th wheel.

Now if you have a van or suburban or other such vehicle, obviously you are stuck with a bumper pull regardless.:D
 
#21 ·
I live in an Alpine region, you can't go anywhere unless you're hauling up a mountain. For years I hauled with gas engines, struggling up steep passes, gas pedal to the floor and going slooow, we now have a diesel 7.3 litre engine, what a difference. There is no comparison and I will never haul with chinzy gas engines again. OP, consider a diesel, you won't regret it.
 
#22 ·
I also like the 7.3 power stroke, though my experience with it is in the comercial format.

But I haul horses with a 454 Chevy and couldn't be happier with the power. I don't think I've ever had it on the floor, even up studebaker hill. And have out pulled a cummins.

I guess my point is, don't rule out the "right" gasser.
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#23 ·
We had a '06 F150 FX4 crew cab with the 5.4 L V8 and a towing package, and did lots of hauling with it. We mostly hauled 2 horses in a steel 14' southland trailer, and made lots of long trips and a few of those were fully loaded with 2 horses and gear through the mountains as well. I was *extremely* impressed with the truck overall, in the 7 years we had it we never had a single problem with it and never once felt like we didn't have enough truck or brakes or anything like that, even through the mountains when we were hauling for 12+ hours a day.

That said, if I was going to be making regular trips through the mountains, or there was possibility of hauling a third horse, I would definitely go with a 3/4 ton. For what you want to do, it sounds like a 1/2 ton would be sufficient, provided it has a towing package of course.
 
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