Can you swing the divider to the side? If so, that will give him more room and balance the trailer better..However just driving 1/2hr - if there are not too many corners you should be fine.

 

I can, yes, but I'm not sure I want to. I feel like he'd balance better and be safer just in his little stall. Plus he'd move around less, which would mean the trailer would move less.

WRT to balancing, I have a 25-gallon water tank on the driver's side of the trailer, which I calculate weighs 200 pounds full. Pony should weigh in the 700-800 pounds range. So if I put him on the driver's side, as people recommend, I would have 1000 pounds, say, on that side, and no weight on the other side. Whereas if I put him on the passenger's side, I'd have 200 pounds on one side and 800 pounds on the other side, so a 600-pound differential.

The trailer weights almost 4k pounds, so it may be that his weight relative to the trailer (20%) isn't significant enough to change things either way. I don't know.

 

While you're getting used to hauling, I would leave the divider alone. He's not going to move around enough to really mess up your haul, but why make even 1 more thing to think about? Just give him some hay and treats up in the front of the stall he'll be in and just go about your business.

 

Harley rides alone in the trailer with the divider in. I think it's probably easier for him to balance when he can lean on both sides. Letting horses move around sounds nice, but if you happen to brake quickly or turn a bit too sharply, I'd be worried they would lose their balance. Unlike us, they can't predict that you are going to be stopping at the light.

 

Letting horses move around sounds nice, but if you happen to brake quickly or turn a bit too sharply, I'd be worried they would lose their balance.

That's exactly what I'm starting to think -- better for them to be boxed in and supported.

 

We pulled a 2 horse trailer a lot with just one horse in it. Never did anything with the divider. We liked to load the horse on what would be the passenger side, away from oncoming traffic. All the horses we hauled could be hauled in either the 2 horse, or our 6 horse reverse slant. It pays to have them be able to load easily, and haul in both.
I would just leave the divider alone, and load and go.

 

I always left the divider in and put him on the drivers side. I learned to always put the weight on the drivers side so if you have 2 horses the bigger one goes on the drivers side. I have a slant load now but if I have on horse in the trailer, I still leave the dividers in and just put him in the front...

 

Hi AC
We load one critter, or the heaviest of two, on the drivers side in our straight load BP. I was told that since the crown of the road is higher in the middle, the trailer is more stable with the weight toward the center. Real science or myth? Couldn't say, but I really doubt there is very much difference. But if you need A Plan, that would be the one. I've never had the divider out; there are nice pads at torso level on both sides, and on the chest and butt bars. Gives them something to lean on if they need to. And I keep the rubber mats clean (as in "If/when they poop, clean it out." Do some horses not poop when you load them in a trailer?), so that they have good footing.
Sometimes I put my aftermarket "Backup Camera" (Where it would normally screw to the license plate bracket, I have installed some strong magnets. Stick it anywhere within wireless range. A very useful tool.) in the trailer to watch the horses while traveling. They appear to be quite relaxed, munching hay and looking out the side windows. I figure that means they're comfortable and relaxed in their mobile stall.

 

Hi AC
We load one critter, or the heaviest of two, on the drivers side in our straight load BP. I was told that since the crown of the road is higher in the middle, the trailer is more stable with the weight toward the center. Real science or myth? Couldn't say, but I really doubt there is very much difference.

Our country roads have a very exaggerated crown in some places. When I first got our trailer, I didn't know about putting a horse on the driver's side and hauled Harley on the passenger side. When we arrived, he was soaked in sweat from trying to keep his balance. It wasn't a hot day. On the passenger side, he was too slanted to stand easily. Lesson learned. When we arrived, my daughter's coach pointed this out to me and I never did it again. Harley also never showed up drenched with sweat after trailering again.

 

I was always told to load one horse behind the driver. If I loaded 2 horses ,the heavier horse went behind the driver.

 

Left the divider in place when hauling one horse and always on the driver's side. Not only because of the crown in the road but also because if you have the weight on the right side and your right side tires go off into a slanted ditch then the trailer will be more likely to flip.

 

By your own admission that you’re not a confident driver is all the more reason to keep the divider in, making the horse more stable.

As Others have commented, a single horse always rides on the outside for the reasons @JCnGrace stated. That safety method has been around since the beginning of time and is one of the old time things that does not need to change.

Please don’t over think in trying to make the horse more comfortable - you could end up killing both of you. Safety always comes first.

 

horse should be in the divider and over the axle if possible. We have a 3 horse slant and I haul 1 horse quite often. She rides in the center stall with both dividers up. If I left the back one open and she was shoved into it she could cut herself on the edge or hurt herself because the divider does not fold 100% flush against the trailer wall.

 

I have a two horse slant (Trails West). When hauling one horse, I typically move the divider to the wall so they have more room. But there are times when I will use the divider when only hauling one horse and that horse is if the front stall. It doesn't really matter - horses can find ways to get hurt regardless of what you do. However, I agree that since you are new to hauling, using the divider to keep your horse in one place is better for you while getting experience hauling. Also agree with NOT overthinking things. You'll soon get to a routine and comfort zone in your way to haul.

 

I always haul one horse on the drivers side with the divider in when I use our straight load. They're perfectly fine munching their hay for hours and I like that they have the divider for support. Our big trailer is a slant and we've hauled 8 hours before to ND and SD and they've been just fine in their slant divider spot as well. We also have a stock trailer and I much prefer them in a divider spot than loose in the stock trailer for longer rides because they don't move around as much (easier ride/drive) and they get into less trouble (no tangles/scrapes/etc).

 

I have never taken out my divider when hauling one horse. As mentioned, the horse goes on the driver's side. I feel like they use the divider to lean on and that it helps with their stability.