Safety and strength are the focus of trailer companies’ improvements today.

You’re ready to make some changes concerning your showing or horse-traveling activities–perhaps you’re scaling down a bit, trailering less horses to fewer and closer events so you don’t need that six-horse trailer with the plush living quarters anymore. Or maybe you’re stepping up and are ready to commit a few extra bucks toward a trailer that provides you with the amenities that make hauling and traveling with your horses easier, more pleasant, and more comfortable. What can you expect to see in the new models?

Because the horse trailer industry is a rather small segment of the automotive/recreational industry, slim sales and profits at both the manufacturing and dealer levels leave little money for research and development, states Tom Scheve, CEO of EquiInternational Inc. (which owns Equi Spirit Trailers). Consequently, the introduction of new models and new features occurs more slowly, and on a smaller scale, than what occurs in the auto industry.

“Horse trailer manufacturers tend to stay focused on improving production, maintaining equipment and workers, and maintaining dealer relationships rather than investing in many new design changes or innovative new features,” Scheve notes. “But where things are changing, they’re changing for the better.”

Scheve, who co-wrote The Complete Guide To Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing a Horse Trailer with his wife, Neva, says, “Crowded roads, more intelligent buyers, more expensive horses, and family safety have demanded that more manufacturers pay attention to safety,” he points out. “The Internet has provided an incredible medium to research and learn about horse trailers. It’s dawning on many manufacturers that they need to offer new safety features and designs if they want to grab their share of the market