Which Horse Trailer is Better?

[Equest94]

So, we are interested in getting a horse trailer. We're trying to be a bit more practical...we want a [used] all aluminum 2-Horse bumper pull (ideally a step-up, slant load; but that doesn't matter too much).

I don't know a lot about horse trailers. I personally towed a few different brands, I showed out of others, but I never owned one of my own and before spending all this money, I want more unbiased input on which is the better brand.

Well, so far our search took us to Ohio (we live in Western, NY), we're looking for something with lower prices than are in this area (NY is so over priced)... anyways... so far we came across a 2007 Exiss Sport ES 20B and a 2007 Sundowner 727. I heard pros and cons on both brands (I hear Exisses are great from people who have that brand, I hear Sundowners are great from people who have those. I hear Exisses are cheap and therefore cheaply made, and I heard Sundowners lie about being ALL aluminum and therefore have rust issues and problems with corroding wires. ???)... both are selling for roughly the same price...

[AND YES if I become more serious in buying one of these, I would drive down and see it in person...not any of this "we'll deliver" - I want it to be inspected!]


So...Which is better? So far I have heard back from the man selling the Sundowner...I really like that one, but I'm a bit worried about the cons I hear [for both brands

].


Any help/advice/input would be appreciated.

Thanks in Advance!

 

[ninjapoodles]

No input on the brands, but just wanted to say that I agree with you 100% about both the slant-load AND the step-up aspects. I joke that Misha (my elder statesman Arabian) designed my trailer 18 years ago. It has all the features that HE likes.

 

[KierBri]

i'd disagree on the slant load. bigger horses don't fit. period. and i'm not talking tall, the short and stout have issues. also don't like the slant issue, there's uneven load on the legs. worst of all, most slants only (if at all) have an er door on the first stall only. this means you have to go around somebody in a tight space , then climb over or under a divider to get to somebody. i've used many different slants, two and three horse, different brands, lots of different horses, good loaders bad loaders (never load a bad loader last on a slant, they invariabley try to straighten up a step or two fall off the back and freak, but the owner always insists the good loader must go on first) i would never own one.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
I'd never have anything else--good thing they make several kinds, huh?

The way my trailer is designed, the partition is removable if need be, and the back tack compartment is built so that it can be swung ALL the way out. So any size horse can easily turn completely around and go back out head-first, if they like, and a person can EASILY fit in there, or go to the front esc door if they need to get to the #1 horse. I've hauled everything from Shetlands to warmbloods in mine, as well as mares with nursing foals. Outside of maybe a huge draft, I can't imagine a horse "not fitting." If I had a need for more than a 2-horse, I'd have more "escape" doors as needed. The big farms I worked for only used slant-loads, and even with 9 horses at a time on, we never had problems. Like you, I've seen plenty of loading wrecks...but most involved ramps. I HATE ramps, would never have one on my trailer. I also find green horses much more willing to get into a slant-load, particularly if it has open windows or modified stock sides toward the top, than into a side-by-side.

My deal-breaker, if I was choosing a side-by-side would be width of stalls, particularly base-width. I've had a horse stressed so badly by a too-narrow straight stall that he colicked and went down in the trailer and nearly died there because we couldn't get him out. He simply didn't have room to spread his feet out and "brace" himself to balance well. The stalls were narrow, and the partitions between the stalls went to the floor. Bad design.

 

[Bi0sC0mp]

i am myself never had any dealing with either of them brands of trailers.. but the featherlite in my book is a realy good trailer worth the money..

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

We have a two horse adam trailer that we bought about seven years ago (maybe less). It's been a good trailer, but my dad wants to get a fifth wheel with something we can turn into a sleeping area. Anyways, we have a ramp, but I've dealt with step up trailers too. I can't say I really like one or the other better, but it could be an issue for individual horses. I also like the straight load trailers, but my dad is leaning towards slants. I have no idea why. Straight load just seems so much safer.

The adam we have has very little rust, pulls wonderfully, floor is great...but other than that I can't really tell you about other brands. We used to have a stock trailer with a partition, and that was wonderful too, but cold for the horses in the winter.

LOL, want to buy our adam?? I think we were asking like $3800 for it, but that was a few years ago. My dad may have lowered the price by now.

Anyways, good luck finding a trailer that fits your needs! It certainly is tough to find something just right, and safe for your horses too. So many people try to sell garbage trailers that have rotting floors and rusted everything!

 

[ILoveJoe]

I have a friend that has a three horse step up, slant load bumper pull trailer by Shadow. They picked it up at either Quarter Horse Congress of Equine Affair in Columbus Ohio. It has a very roomy tack area in the front. It was pretty reasonably priced as well.
Both Exiss and Sundowner are good trailers and I would take either one.

 

[michickenwrangler]

My boyfriend used to be a welder and when we were looking at horse trailers a few years back, he noted that Featherlite trailers didn't have quality welds. He liked the welds on a Lakota a lot better.

 

[CarriBrown]

I have a Trails West slant load that I just love. I don't know if they make a 100% aluminum trailer, though. The only thing I would change about my trailer is the fact that there is no escape door on it. I don't like walking the first horse in, then getting around it to get out. If you have a bad loader, you could get pinned in there very easily.
I had a four horse gooseneck straight load and that escape door was really nice to have. Not sure I've ever seen a door like that on a two horse.

 

[helmstead]

I don't like slants AT ALL. If you have a horse go down...what a mess. Slants are no better than solid mangers in my book. I suppose with a two horse...it wouldn't be SUCH a big deal...but still. And we've had lots of oversized horses, from super tall TBs to Percherons, wide stock horses...and they don't all fit in slants.

Exiss trailers are very popular in my area. I have no personal experience with aluminums. The best trailer I've ever owned personally was a Calico 2H. Great welds, paint, and very horse friendly. Easy to remove center divider and very open interior.