New and Improved

A couple of weeks ago I took the truck and trailer on a road trip. No ponies came along for this adventure but it was still an eventful week. Big Bertha needed some TLC from Kiefer in TN so I took Bea with me and we spent the week in KY so she could spend some quality time with her grandparents.

Some of you might remember that about 2 years ago I traded in my 2+1 trailer to get a living quarters trailer. Best decision ever and I have basically no regrets. I would love to be able to order something with slightly larger LQ space… but not bad enough to go from a paid off horsemobile to having a trailer payment again.

Knowing that a new trailer isn’t in the cards for at least a few more years some improvements that have been on the to do list were finally made. The biggest being that I had Kiefer build me new airflow dividers and make the trailer a 3h straight load instead of a 2 giant stalls. In my head this would have looked more like 3 even stalls but the center stall ended up being quite a bit smaller. I don’t actually mind as my goal wasn’t so much to haul 3 horses but rather to more safely haul Lex. Lex can technically fit in the middle stall but its pretty tight so that will probably be reserved for emergencies if I ever have to haul 3.

3h straight and WERM flooring

In theory you’re supposed to be able to haul with the WERM flooring without shavings. Lex is total pig in the trailer so… when I attempted that it turned the trailer into a war zone. I learned that lesson the hard way yesterday. While I would love to be able to haul without shavings I don’t think that’s going to work with this horse.

little brat doesn’t like regular nets…

I think the little nugget has probably spent most of his life hauled in slant loads which has lead to some difficulties when loading and hauling. At first he just seemed confused. Now he is a brat and tries to run off the ramp when it comes time to load up. He also definitely knows he’s small and really likes to try to turn around when given even a smidgeon of extra space if the trailer stops moving. This has led to some rather anxiety inducing hauls for me where I was convinced he was going to spin around in the trailer while driving.

Hopefully with some time I can get him self loading into the trailer like a good boy… and traveling like less of a spaz versus the pony demon he currently tries to be. I feel bad for him as I don’t think he hauled solo very often before living with me… but I am NOT about to get him a companion animal so he’s gonna have to get over it.

I have always been a straight load fan but if these problems persist I might have to seriously consider giving up Bertha for a slant load. *boo hiss*
Do you all have a strong preference either way on slant vs straight loads? Anyone have experience with a bad traveler?

9 comments

  1. CobJockey says:

    Love your WERM! I’m letting my current floor rot out (eventually, it’s only 4 years old) and then doing Rumber. Hate mats! I’m no help on the loading thing, Connor went from rear facing in the 6H (which he loved) to front facing in my old 2H straight load (which he hated, and did all the same things your guy does) to my 1H slant, which he’s back to loving. Sometimes they just don’t like a particular configuration.

    • Equestrian At Hart says:

      Yeah, he seems like he might like riding backwards better but I am not building him a custom trailer. My trainer might haul him to our first real event so well see how he does in her trailer. Although she doesn’t have cameras and it would be with a friend so I don’t think I would be able to isolate if he’s just mad about being alone or if he hates the straight. He’s mostly fine if the trailer is moving but a total jerk when we stop.

      Are you still thinking about getting a small LQ?

  2. Carey says:

    For Cosmo I like slant loads. He will load in either fine, but if he has to back out, he just shoots out like a rocket. In the slant load he can be turned around and then walks out like a gentleman.

    • Equestrian At Hart says:

      I am told Lex still had to back out of the slants he previously rode in. But he definitely acts like that is fake news. Technically I can open all of my dividers and he could turn around but I really don’t want to get him in that habit.

      Yesterday I opened the stall next to him and was able to step up by his head to get him to calmly back out. Always something!

  3. Susan says:

    Someone once told me to avoid slant loads because if there was a emergency you would have to unload all the horses to get to the one in the front. That has always just kind of stuck with me as a very valid point. I am sure someone could make an equally logical point the other way, too… Hopefully Lex adjusts and you can keep what you have!

    • Equestrian At Hart says:

      That has always been why I prefer straight loads. You don’t have to unload every one if there’s a problem with one horse. Also no escape doors except the front stall always gets me. And I just feel like for long hauls they come off better in straights and seem more comfortable. I really do not want a slant load so I’m hoping I can get lex to ctfo.

    • Tara says:

      Not true on many slants. My last and current trailer have a door on the first stall so you could easily get the first horse out without unloading the others. Just not so easy to get it back in!

  4. Tara says:

    I have only owned one straight load, but I’ve had a couple stock/stock combos and multiple slant loads. I prefer the slant load and my second choice would be stock. I don’t like straight loads at all.
    I like how a slant hauls better because the weight of the horse(s) is more easily born by multiple axles. I don’t like loading a straight load bc your horse HAS to be a good/well behaved loader to allow you to fasten things and hook things and tie it up and all that. When I’m by myself and a horse (Coco) is being a pill about loading, I like the slant bc I can get her in and close the divider. Yes, I work with my horses and they all load fine, but sometimes they just need to get in and you need to GO. Like the time Coco had to go the vet at 3a to get her dead foal removed in 2 pieces. 🙁
    I like the use of space better in a slant, it just is more efficient. Lastly, I hate how long straight loads have to be for more than 2 horses.
    All my horses have enough space to turn and walk out from the first and sometimes the second stall (my biggest horse is about 16.2hh). I vary how I unload so they don’t develop bad habits.
    #teamslantload

    You will LOVE your WERM! It is so great!!!

    • Equestrian At Hart says:

      This is all good feedback. I think the biggest thing for me with a slant is having been stuck in one with a horse I really prefer having escape doors at each horses head. And it has been my experience that my horses seem more stiff coming out of slant after a long haul versus a straight.

      Your loading/unloading is very valid though. Lex has been pretty awful about loading (Dobby and Luna self loaded). So we are working on that so that I can get him in and do up the butt bars without having to run out and back to the butt of the trailer. The WERM so far is a hit. I wish I had just gotten black though bc the grey does look pretty yuck after a trip.

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