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Dream Achieved! My Very FIRST Trailer

3K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  kewpalace 
#1 ·
As long as I've been a horse owner, I've wanted a horse trailer. As a pony club kid, going to mounted meeting meant having to bum rides or ride a lesson horse on site. My parents, not being horse people, and while comfortably well off middle-class folks never wanted to have a truck or a trailer, so I always made do.

As I got older, and started driving, I got more determined to get a trailer, but the lack of a hauling vehicle always stopped me. Eventually, I did get a vehicle that could pull a trailer, but the trailer I liked for the purpose was like finding a unicorn. Something was always NQR (usually the price) but I had patience. And I squirreled my money away, bit by bit.

My reasons for getting a trailer have mainly been for the purpose of hauling offsite to go trail riding. We've only had to evacuate once for a fire, which was years ago, but having a trailer for emergencies would be great. Unlike where my friend boards where she can ride off and immediately hook up with 5+ miles of trails, there's nothing like that where I board. And I don't want to ride on the road due to no shoulder and people who drive way too fast.

So obviously, to pursue my dreams, to explore the world and to find my happy place on the trails, I need a trailer. I have thus far been able to trail ride due to the kindness and generosity of others, and I am exceedingly grateful, but sometimes I feel like I don't want to be too beholden to them, nor get too dependent upon their kindness and expect too much.

I had been hoping to get one through a friend of a friend, but sadly, it fell through. It would have been a great trailer, the trailer of my dreams, at just the right price. But I never got to go see it, never got contacted back. But maybe it was meant to happen that way. A few days ago, I found a trailer online. Very close by. So my dad and I drove up to see it. Mainly because I wanted him to start looking at trailers and get an idea for what I was looking for since this one was a bit out of my budget. But when we got up there, and my dad could see why I liked the trailer, he chipped in (rather significantly) and I found myself the owner of my very first trailer.

I'm so excited! Our world has opened up. I get to go pick it up on Friday as the trailer requires a hitching mount with no drop and I had to order it online. But I got the paperwork and it's paid for. So excited!!
 

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#4 ·
Thank you all! I woke up this morning and the feeling was "WOW, I own a trailer!"

I am very excited about being able to reciprocate to my friends who have hauled us in the past by giving them rides in return. And to extend the same kindness that has been given to me for friends who do not have trailers.

So much to look forward to. Going on rides with our riding club, maybe finally going to a dressage schooling show, getting to do a play day I've always wanted to do. Finally achieving that 9 year dream of a Limited Distance endurance ride.

I am so grateful for the opportunity that has been given to me, and that I've worked towards.
 
#10 ·
That is great. And as a dad, I think you better give him two hugs.
A little word of advise, do help friends without trailers, but be careful not to be taken advantage of.
Good friends are great and last forever. Keep them close.
A friend of mine uses him trailer to help haul friend's horses all of the time. He really loves to travel together to shows and rides. It works out great until time to buy gas or clean the trailer out. I have 3 trailers and would let any friend use one. And even use my truck. But if they use it, they need to bring it back clean. If they use the truck, bring it back with the same amount of gas.
Good luck and enjoy!
 
#15 ·
No kidding, it was like searching for a unicorn! I searched for months and months ( it it really has been years since I was looking even before the trailers were no longer being imported). First I'd see a couple for sale on the east coast, no way to ship them aaaaaaallll the way across the country (at least not cheaply) and then a few would pop up here, mainly Solos, but at asking prices that were pretty high and hard to justify buying and not waiting for some miraculous chance that a 2-horse would pop up. And then I'd see a few 2 horse Royals or Prestiges, but more than a half day's drive away that sold pretty fast.

A test of patience, really. But it paid off. :loveshower:
 
#17 ·
Thanks Avna, I'm not too far south of you (it's only what 3 ... 4 hours drive. Someday I might head up thatta way for horse camping or something. Now that I have pony wheels'n'all.

I have always been very impressed since I saw my first Brenderup at a trade show or something, and knew since it was unlikely that I'd ever get a huuuuge truck for hauling that a B'up was gonna be my dream trailer. And then I met someone with a Prestige and my horse loves riding in her trailer (then again, he's non discriminatory anyway as long as he gets food in the trailer) and that was an added benefit.

I love the Baron. It's so roomy and doesn't look that much bigger than a friend's old Circle J, but I love the open front and I've been used to keeping gear in the car (although the HB does have storage space up front) so the tack room is pretty awesome, but wasn't a deal breaker for me.

Took the Brenderup out yesterday for a spin (empty of course) and had a very easy time hitching up. I even managed to back it into its parking place at the barn, even if it took 25 minutes (in my defense it was my first time doing that ever so I just took things very slow and got out a lot to check my angles). I learned how to drive and haul, in theory, as a precaution in case whoever owned the trailer was unable to drive while we were out and needed someone to get the rig and horses home, but I haven't had a lot of practice. Taking advantage of that now and the Brenderup is a great vehicle to get that with.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I totally lucked into mine -- my friend told me there was a Brenderup parked in the driveway of her neighbor that wasn't being used. Her neighbor is an animal hoarder who has spent all her money on her animals and now is just trying to stay on her property without being foreclosed on. So she was strapped for cash. In any case the trailer had been used once or twice when she bought it nine years previous and then just stood there ever since. We got an excellent deal on it. Needed new tires of course and a few other things. It had lichen growing all over it! But that scrubbed right off, yay for fiberglass.

No, nothing can be done about the animal hoarding, sadly. She is sort of taking care of them all still.
@CaliforniaDreaming you should think about attending the Lake San Antonio Poker Ride that Monterey Bay Equestrians holds in April. I think it's April. I'll be there! It's a great place for a beginning horse camper -- they feed you, there's a huge equestrian facility with permanent pens, rodeo arena . . . it's a very popular bring-the-whole-family kind of thing. I don't know how close you are to it (I'm like 3 hours north).
 
#19 ·
@Avna ... Wow! You did luck out on your B'up. Right place, right time amIrite? :D

I was originally hoping to get a Royal through a friend of a friend, but that didn't pan out, so I'm not disappointed at all to have gotten the Baron. It's so roomy, my dad was joking, it makes a great place to sleep in if he ever ends up in the doghouse with my mom. ;) The folks I got my Baron from bought it to help out their godmother who needed the money, but they're a working cattle ranch and had no need for it so they decided to sell it, right when I was trailer shopping. It's been maintained beautifully.

I'll check out that poker ride you mentioned. It sounds like loads of fun, and might even be around spring break for me.
 
#22 ·
Congrats! When I first got a horse I didn't have a trailer and didn't see the need for one. And at that time I didn't NEED one either. But as I got to doing more on my horses, I finally bit the bullet and got a tiny 2H straight load bumper pull. Wow, I didn't realize what freedom meant until then, LOL! I graduated up to a 2H slant w/dressing room since then (now thinking of a small 2h gooseneck LQ) which I use A LOT! I could not even imagine being without one now!

Looking forward to updates on your adventures!! Be sure to get pix and let us know how you like hauling your new trailer!
 
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