Don’t load your horse onto the trailer before understanding exactly what he is getting into.

How a trailer is built (and maintained) influences the safety, comfort, and reliability it offers on the road, along with whether you and your horses arrive at your destination in one piece. Having all parts in working order can mean the difference between a good ride and a dangerous one.

Not Your Grandpa’s Trailer

Trailers are essentially wheeled containers (they’re called horseboxes in the British Isles) that move one or more horses from point A to point B. Modern horse trailers are usually larger, lighter, and possess more creature-comfort features than the typical two-horse straight-load bumper pull of several decades ago.

Over the years trailer manufacturers adopted innovations from other transportation sectors, such as the RV (recreational vehicle) and automotive worlds; one example is their use of materials such as fiberglass and aluminum to reduce trailer weight and the tendency to rust