How much does a horse trailer weigh – A risk factor for your consideration
We hope that you may be a proud owner of a horse. Or you may own a horse farm with several types of horses. Even though you are capable of providing them food, shelter, medication and other physical needs, there can be a gap of a method to transport your horses from one place to another. This is where you need a horse trailer. Considering all the facts that affect a horse trailer, you can find a good one. While taking all other factors aside, the weight of the horse trailer is very important, and this should be highly considered fact.
Because the weight of your horse trailer causes a major impact and stress on your tow vehicle. This causes steering, tires, wheels, and axles of your vehicle. So, before purchasing a horse trailer or hiring a horse trailer you must consider about on this fact as how much does a horse trailer weigh? That is why we are there to assist you on this and hope to give you the best solutions.
What is a horse trailer?
A horse trailer is also called as horse van is used as a transportation method of a horse. These have different types with different designs, which are capable of transporting one horse to several horses. They have differentiated by their sizes from small units to large accomplishing areas. Small units are pulled up by a pickup truck or even by an SUV, where the large units are pulled up by 1-ton dually-style pickups.
Reasons to buy a horse trailer
Hope you are planning to buy a horse trailer. When it is the right time to transport your horse, there are plenty of advantages to having a horse trailer. As an example; this is using not only for transportation. You can have a horse trailer with living quarters, which combines both transportation and accommodation. Also, except for horse transportation, you can use your horse trailer for some alternative purposes such as delivering parcels, or as a mobile office, as accommodation rooms for other animals, etc. So, let’s go through what are the other key advantages of owning a horse trailer.
Safety
One of the main duties of this is, transporting your horse with safety. They have specially designed to provide complete protection for your horse while transporting your horse from one place to another. To ensure that the horse is being transported with a good protection, you have to fulfill some precautions. This helps your horse to travel from one place to another without any injuries, damages but, with good relaxation. It is good if you can train your horse to enter and exit from the trailer, as this makes a very comfortable starting and ending of transportation.
And also, you have to provide hay by placing hay bags or placing hay directly on the floor. Even though you decide to tie up the horse, please avoid stretch cords, because this tends to injure the animal. And then injured animals can make damages humans also. So, the most recommended way to use is a breakaway rope, which will snap under the pressure. It is god that you can leave some slack in the rope so, the horse will have a good balance and a comfortable environment.
Loading
You have to find the right horse trailer to match your horse weight and size. There are some extra features in some trailers to offer you less trouble loading and unloading. Usually, the traditional setup trailers are good at loading but cause troubles when unloading. It is because those require a backward walking of the horse when unloading. This may cause your horse to get injured by slipping or falling.
This will be a bad experience for the horse, then in the rest of life, the horse can be very aggressive when it comes to transportation by trailer. This can be minimized by using a trailer with a non-slippery ramp. The slope of the ramp also important, as it should be gradual. Or else, you can go for a slant-load trailer, where the horse runs around inside of the trailer and walks out its head first.
Traveling
The environment of the horse should be friendly and comfortable for your horse, while it is transported. It is good if your trailer has high space and enough lightning. To improve the quality of the trailer, it should have smooth latches, rubber torsion suspensions and large air vents. Most of all the weight of the trailer and its weight distribution is very important to have a good stability and a good safety while traveling. You can also monitor the motions of the horse if you are having a trailer with a video monitoring system.
As we mentioned earlier, the main purpose of the horse trailer is to transport your horse with a safe environment. Therefore, the weight of the trailer plays a crucial role in the safety traveling of your horse. Therefore, the ultimate aim is to be a good combination of your truck and trailer. So, let’s discuss why your horse trailer weight is so important and some other tips to find its value.
Why is that weight of the horse trailer is that much important?
The horse trailer causes high stress on the tow vehicle. The heaviness of your trailer causes impacts on every part of the tow vehicle. It can be on steering, troubles on braking, snap an inadequate hitch and failures in wheels, tires, and axles too. Not only for the vehicle, but also for your horse can have damages when you are hauling horses on the road. So, that is why it’s so necessary for you to calculate and know the weight of the trailer.
When measuring the weight of your horse trailer, you have to consider both loaded value and unloaded value before matching with your tow vehicle. Because, a horse trailer which is fully loaded with horses, equipment, the type of material it is made of (steel, Aluminium or hybrid), hay and other materials are considerably heavier. The amount of weight that is on your tow vehicle while towing is called as tongue weight.
Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and towing capacity for the vehicle are two main factors for safe transportation. GVWR known as the weight rating the axles underneath the trailer are capable of towing. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) is how much weight you are towing. After measuring the total weight, if you got the value as very high you will have two options. First, you can use a weight-distribution system in order to redistribute the load or you can go for a new trailer or tow vehicle. You can weigh your horse trailer by a roadside weigh station and using a tongue weight calculator.
Why does the horse trailer weight matter?
The key point of this is for safety. This is too important to haul safely and to arrive safely. To have safety transportation, your trailer should be equipped with safety horse ties and your horse must wear appropriate shipping boots and safety halter. The weight of the trailer is a legal point. Because you must register your trailer by its size. You can not run a heavier trailer than the registered amount.
Common horse trailers types
Sundowner horse trailer
Sundowner is one of the leading horse trailer manufacturers and a recognized organization for being pioneering in innovating Aluminium trailers. With or without quarters. They have applied a method of how to create a transport trailer for creational and business use even. From 1976, around ten thousand sundowner trailers have manufactured to the Unites States and Canada. They have a high commitment to the changing world and manufacture a series of new designs in a positive and proactive manner to cater the customer needs.
They offer an endless array of models in Aluminium at affordable prices. According to their reviews, the hauling is more easy and enjoyable for Sundowner owners and to their horses. And they have a variety of sizes in horse trailers, from a small two-horse bumper to largest luxury quarters.
There are two main types of Sundowner horse trailers as Bumper Pull and Gooseneck. Therefore, the capacity and towing capability can be differed according to the Sundowner horse trailer weight.
Bumper Pull has the following various types.
Sportsman is an aluminum trailer, which is at a fair price and suitable for budget-conscious buyers. It is a slanted model bumper pull trailer type that can transport 2 or 3 horses.
Stockman special, Stockman sport, and Supersport bumper pull are suitable for 2 to 4 horses, all made out with aluminum to have versatile model among horse trailers.
Charter, Charter SE and Performer have designed for 2 horses, come with standard two large sliding windows in the horse area, a divider between the stalls and 7’ 6’’ tall.
Gooseneck has the following types.
Sportsman, Rancher Special and Supersport gooseneck have designed for 2 to 8 horses.
Charter and Charter TR SE have designed for 2 horses and they are 7’ 6’’ tall.
Transporter and Transporter RT are another 2 types designed for 4 horses
All have different features and different weights according to their usage patterns and the number of horses they are transporting. According to customers’ feedback, these types of trailers are good in quality, have excellent support from the manufacturer, easy to use and valuable for the money you spent.
Titan horse trailer
Titan is another brand of horse trailer manufacturing. This company is world-famous for livestock trailers, flatbeds, and inexpensive horse trailers. Over the years Titan has taken many other trailer companies too.
Avalanche (both Bumper hitch horse trailer and Gooseneck horse trailer) is the best-selling and most popular Titan horse trailer. It has simple stalls to fit for your horses, attractive bright paint and unique nose angles, torsion axles too. Other than this, there are several types of horse trailers by Titan. Titan horse trailer weight is differed according to its type. The most common types are, Royal Gooseneck horse trailer, Royal bumper hitch horse trailer, Primo bumper hitch horse trailer, Primo gooseneck horse trailer, and lightning bumper hitch aluminum horse trailer are the best products having a good horse trailer weight.
According to the feedback from satisfied customers, Titan horse trailers seems mildly more affordable with more options, they are spacious. And also, the customer care of Titan is very attractive to their buyers. If you are really interested in those horse trailers, feel free to log on to the official web site of Titan for more information.
Calico horse trailers
Calico trailers are very famous among the United States. They have a good quality assurance that the trailer you are purchasing is designed for superior reliability and also you can always depend on their service. Calico trailer weight also depends on the size and the capacity of the trailers they are manufacturing. There are several types of horse trailers with a variety of capacities. They are 2 horse slant, 2 horse slant bumper 6-8 wide,2 horse slant with drop-down window and graphics, 3 horse slant, 3 horse slant bumper, 4 horse slant load gooseneck, 3 horse slant goose bumper and 3 horse slant gooseneck with custom copper paint, etc.
According to customer reviews, Calico trailers have a good basic quality, fewer problems, and worth for the money you spent.
Gooseneck stock trailer
Gooseneck stock trailers are special looking horse trailers. They are manufactured by several companies in unites States such as Magnum Trailers, Trail West and Featherlite trailers, etc. Gooseneck stock trailer weight is fluctuated according to its purpose and the capacity as other horse trailers. Those trailers have innovated by continuously improving current designs. All companies are trying to meet your individual needs at a reasonable price. That is the reason behind that Gooseneck owners always saying that they are happy with the product.
Common weights of some horse trailers
Bumper pull horse trailer
Two horse trailer without a dress is weighed around 2400 lbs. Two horse trailer with a dressing room is weighed around 3200 lbs. Also, three horse trailer with a dressing room weighs about 4100 lbs.
Gooseneck horse trailer
Two horse gooseneck trailer weighs about 4600 lbs, whereas three horse gooseneck trailer is about 5300 lbs. And four-horse gooseneck trailer weighs about 6300 lbs.
Horse trailers with living quarters
The weight of two horse gooseneck is lying between 6300 lbs to 7300 lbs. three horse gooseneck is weighed about 7900 lbs to 8900 lbs.
Conclusion
Deciding to buy a horse trailer is a big task. And buying a quality horse trailer with a reasonable price is a great mission, where you are too lucky if you can accomplished it with flying colours. One horse trailer may be not suitable all your needs. With so many models and styles, there can be a confusion to buy a good one. Even if the trailer you satisfied with has a good value, capacity, good material used, attractive outer and inner design, there is another risk factor that you must pay your attention on.
That is, How much does a horse trailer weigh?. Because, the weight including the trailer, horse weight, inner equipment and materials weight are not sufficient for quality transportation of your horse. Because, all those weights influence a high stress on your tow vehicle. Therefore, it is up to you to consider on this high risk weight factor, before you lay your hands on a horse trailer.
