When shopping for a new or used horse trailer it always helps if you can take someone along with you who has some experience with horse trailers. Find a mechanical type friend, print this article, and take them both along with you. The most important thing to check for is that the trailer is functional and safe!
I have found when looking for equipment such as a horse trailer, the best source of current information is usually the local horse trader type of newspaper. There are also many good horse arenas and stables which will usually have bulletin boards full of information on this. If nothing is posted, then ask around at the stables near you, because the folks in the horse community are always willing to share information and ideas with others, all you have to do is ask.
Also many areas like ours will have dealers who sell new horse trailers off their lot. Whichever direction you take, check out as many different trailers as you can before deciding on one. If you are interested in purchasing a Horse Trailer via a non-traditional route, I have seen some amazing deals on horse trailers taking place on eBay!
Once you know roughly what you are looking for, there are at least ten things you should check out when looking for a new or used Horse Trailer:
Tires should be in good shape, with no sidewall damage, and no odd wear patterns in the tread. Make sure the tires have the proper weight rating for the size load you intend to carry. There must be a good condition spare tire as well.
Fresh grease should show in bearing caps, it should make no noises or creaks when rolling on cold wheels. You must check all the suspension components to make sure they are mechanically sound.
Working brakes are a very important component on any moving equipment, especially on a horse trailer! You should inspect all the brake lines and make sure there are no leaks. I highly recommend you take it for a test drive to an open paved parking area where you can brake hard and see if they will stop correctly.
Wiring and lights must work in order to take any trailer on the road, make sure that there is a compatible plug which will connect to your vehicle. Check to see that wire insulation is not cracked or split.
I worked at a U-Haul dealer, and occasionally a customer would lose a trailer off his hitch while towing, because he did not make certain all the hardware was in place, and that it was working properly before he brought the trailer back to us. It was usually the guy who declined insurance. So checking for bad or missing hitch hardware is paramount to your safety.
All of the doors must latch securely and work easily, make sure that the windows are not cracked, and they slide or crank open and closed easily.
Check that the trailer is the right size for your horses. Some are not robust enough to handle cross country trips, so make sure it is designed for the type of transporting that you intend to do.
You may have to crawl under and look beneath the horse trailer to see that there is no heavy corrosion underneath, or on any critical surfaces. Flooring is highly susceptible to corrosion and rotting from horse urine, and if the trailer was poorly maintained you can have costly repair problems with the flooring. Strong and solid flooring is critical for the safety of your horses when they are being transported.
There are basically 3 materials used for the flooring of horse trailers, and you need to inspect each for and wear and tear before buying.
The first type you may run across has an aluminum floor with a rubber mat laid over it. The best way to inspect the flooring on any horse trailer is to lift the mat up as much as possible, and with a good light source, look for corrosion and other damage to the flooring, especially in the corners.
The second style widely used in horse trailers is a wood floor with a rubber mat placed on top. To inspect a wood horse trailer floor, lift up the rubber mat and check the boards for splitting, drying out, rotting and cracking using a bright light source.
Lastly, a relatively new building material called Rumber is used for some horse trailer floors, it is a man made material created from recycled tires and plastic, so it is very earth friendly! Rumber is extremely tough, and it is even being used on military equipment! Since it is impervious to water, it does not rot or crack, and is easy to clean. I have used this material on boat docks, and it is truly amazing. It has proven to be a very durable construction material and it easy to work with. It will probably cost you a bit more than wood or aluminum, but it will last a lot longer than either!
Replacement rubber mats can be costly, so if they are worn, you will have to replace these to protect your horses from accidental injuries.
Remember no matter how the horse trailer might look, you can always paint it. I used a small one as a construction trailer on a job in Texas, and it was a really well built piece of equipment. Once the job was finished we sold it to a gentleman who needed to haul two horses for exactly the same amount we had paid 8 months prior. It was in great shape because we cleaned it once a week, and there were never any liquids spilled onto the floor, plus we were in dry part of the country, so there was no corrosion.
If there is an on board fresh water system, there may be a water holding tank, an electric pump, possibly a water heater, and some batteries to power these systems. Check to see that it is all in good working order, these can add to your cost of ownership if you need to repair or replace any of them, so make sure all of these items are in good shape if they exist.
Some larger horse trailers have living quarters, and these usually come with some kind of heating system, which usually means propane tanks. Make sure these are in good shape and that the lines and any appliances are leak free and the controls all work reliably. There should be adequate space for storing your saddles and other tack. Many of these trailers will have a saddle rack built into them somewhere.
Make sure that you have a reliable towing vehicle which can handle the trailer weight when loaded, check that the trailer is not too big for your towing vehicle. If you do not have a towing package on your vehicle, you should consider upgrading or adding the required items to yours. This upgrade can enhance your horse trailer towing capability and may include a larger transmission cooler, add on electric engine fan, and larger tires and brakes.
Once you are ready to make a deal, remember that there are added costs to you in the form of Title to transfer, sale taxes to pay, and you will also need to get license plates for the trailer, so add some extra bucks for these necessities. It would be wise to check and see what these costs might be prior to making any deal on a new or used horse trailer.
Most important thing to research is safety, for you and your horses. Make sure you become familiar with the feel of your horse trailer before you take a trip with horses on board. Get advice from folks who have experience, and ask them to teach you all of the tricks which will help keep you and your cargo safe.
Put on your bargain shopper hat, get out there and hunt down a great deal on a safe reliable horse trailer!
To learn more about Rumber, please go to their website:
