Horse Trailer Dealers
What Do Horse Trailer Dealers Take Care Of?
The horse trailer dealer is someone who looks into all matters pertaining to such vehicles. Sounds simple? Not quite.
With the event of the Internet, a good many trailer dealers have become more visible on the Web. However, they have not left behind their physical presence, in the real world. Therefore, dealers and their branches exist in almost every area of the territory. Some dealers work as family businesses or small companies handling a certain town or area. Many however have spread out and are more the branches of a big umbrella company.
Typically, one approaches the horse trailer dealer when one is looking for a horse trailer. Find one, choose one, buy one. End of the matter, right? Not so simple yet again. A good dealer comes in handy at every point of this statement. The staff should actually sit down with the prospective client and listen to his needs. From here on, the best choice of a trailer can be tailored for the specific client. Available choices should then be brought up, within the needs, requirements, and means of the client. Once the choice has been settled, when it is time to buy, the dealer again comes in. Some offer trading facilities for trading in one trailer for another. Others act as intermediaries between someone who wants to sell a trailer and someone who wants to buy one. Or, if only one party is involved, namely the prospective buyer, the dealer should have financing options to present to him.
Some dealers deal exclusively for one brand. Others act as authorized dealers for several brands. This often provides more choice in the catalog. Others deal in new and used trailers. Often however, one sees that a dealer deals in mostly the latter kind, while at the same time being an authorized dealer or reseller for certain brands.
The horse trailer dealer however does not stop working when a client buys a trailer from him. He also steps in with the matter of spare parts, and acts as a general consultant and after-sales agent with a client.
Horse Trailer Mats
Providing Protection and Comfort for Your Horse with Horse Trailer Mats
Horse trailer mats are used to provide comfort to horses while inside a trailer. Since a horse trailer is used to securely and conveniently transport a horse from one location to another, mats are used to provide cushion to a horse while in transport. In addition, they insulate the flooring of the trailer to protect the horse from the cold weather.
There are a couple of designs of trailers that are available on the market. These trailers can hold anything from a single horse or more and are pulled by pick-up trucks to their destinations. The stock trailer design is the most popular because of window vents along the sides that keep the horse properly ventilated. One important thing to note is that part of the maintenance of the trailers will include the regular cleaning of its mats.
There are no standard procedures in cleaning horse trailer mats. Some trailer owners just hose the manure and urine out of the trailer mats for convenience. But hosing the mat alone while it still covers the entire floor of the trailer will lead to moisture and dampness that is conducive for mold and fungal growth. To ensure total cleaning is achieved, after hosing the manure and urine off the trailer, remove the mat for for further cleaning and complete drying. At the same time, fully wash the floor of the trailer, but just be sure to dry the floor of the trailer before replacing back the mat. Frequent cleaning of the floor and mats will lengthen the life of the horse trailer.
Because of the necessity of added cushion to the horse while in transport, rubber material is used for the mats. The rubber mat is also ribbed to add to its shock absorption. When installing rubber mats in trailers, be sure to securely insulate the roof of the trailers. During summer, hot temperatures and constant exposure to sunlight could disfigure the rubber mats. Screwing the rubber mats in place is also a good idea, since horses tend to plow their hooves to the floor every now and then. With the proper maintenance of horse trailer mats, a horse does not only have protection against the elements but also receives the needed comfort as well.
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Used Horse Trailers
Things to Think About When You Buy a Used Horse Trailer
A horse trailer shelters a horse during tranport from one location to another. Getting a horse trailer is very important part of securing your horse during road trips or state competition transfers. Brand new horse trailers may look good and flashy, but used horse trailers will do if your budget is limited. The life of a horse trailer will depend on the corrosion of the steel housing as well as any damage that previous occupants may have caused with its hooves. Depending on the damage, you may choose with care to know if a used horse trailer is a good buy or not.
Before buying a trailer, you must be sure that the material and insulation is still in tip-top shape. Considering the weight of a horse, the trailer’s material must be tested to remain strong, especially in times when a horse gets excited or startled. Your horse will be in grave danger if the trailer gives in during transport. It must be well-insulated too to keep the animal warm and comfortable at all times. This is most especially necessary for race horses; they shouldn’t get stressed before a game.
Even if you were buying a used trailer, it must have an insurance prior to the purchase. Make sure that the insurance policy is at its latest before you buy the used horse trailer. In the event that after only a few weeks of using the trailer, it needs to be fixed for some reason, you’ll be spared spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars for the repair.
Buying a used horse trailer is not difficult. In fact, there are websites on the Internet that offer discounted used horse trailers. A website, horsetrailerworld.com, displays its trailer specials, wherein pictures of used trailers are shown, its location and its negotiable sale price. It also has an auction corner for used trailers. Accordingly, there are websites that offer financing schemes for horse trailers. There is, for example, Southeast Financial, which offers financing and refinancing of horse trailer loans. People only need to surf the Internet for a little while to be able to scout for cheap yet sturdy horse trailers.
Are There Cheap Horse Trailers?
In a world where acquiring a brand new horse trailer might be a quest, decisions often come to down to the price of the vehicle. The purse is what is mostly the decisive factor. Despite many men saying that it is the woman who makes the decision, as in, if the exterior of the trailer is pleasant to the eye or not, money does do the talking. Many thus want to find cheap horse trailers.
Though it has to be admitted that almost everyone who owns a horse or more, will need at one point or another to make their animals travel, not everyone has the means to provide the best trailer out there in the market. Deals can be found with manufacturers and strategic dealers, but how often do such opportunities come along? Opportunities however abound on the trailer resale market.
However, before an owner decides to pursue his quest for cheap horse trailers, he should stop to ask himself the same questions which he would have asked were money not a decisive factor in his dealings. Considerations over his and his animals’ needs should come first. Would he really need all the customized additions or the accessories a trailer can come with? Will he need space just for his horse or also does he need a dressing room inside the trailer? Tack rooms and storage facilities might not be compromised on however.
Still, it might boil down to this – quality matters. Informed decisions have to be made before one looks into acquiring a horse trailer at a cheap price. Cheap it may be to the pocket, but will it seem so over the long haul when one finds the trailer does not suit one’s needs? Or worse, what if one finds he’d been driven by monetary gain over a deal, but only to end up with other woes plaguing the use of the trailer?
Compromise on quality is not to be the driving force behind acquiring cheap horse trailers. Acquiring a horse trailer should be viewed as an investment. Would you really choose to throw your money out of the window?
Two Horse Trailers
Two Horse Trailers Allow For Ease of Movement and Your Peace of Mind
Of every standard horse trailers available on the market, the line starts with two horse trailers. As the ‘baby’ of trailer lines, this type of trailers also fits the low budget and low requirement options.
Many a times, particulars need to travel with their horse. Be it to rodeos, fairs, or other events, these people might have need to bring only one or two animals with them. Traveling arrangements are however a must, whether for two horses or ten. This is where the two horse trailer comes in handy.
Often at the lowest spectrum of price ranges, this trailer is the low budget, affordable option. Small by horse trailer standards, and short behind the pulling vehicle, it can easily be pulled by a normal family truck, or proving more popular lately, by SUVs. Available more as bumper pull trailers which can be pulled by any vehicle with good pulling capacity, or as the gooseneck trailer which has to be hooked to the bed of a truck, the two horse trailer is touted as being easy to maneuver and efficient.
Two horse trailers come mostly as the straight load trailer. The rear door opens and the horses can be loaded and unloaded easily. On some models, the door can be closed behind the horse and the person leading the animal in can then exit through a side door. Slant load trailers also provide ease of movement in the two horse dimensions.
Made in aluminum, the exterior can be left shiny or finished with paint. Customized strips and graphics of the dealer brand or flagging the colors of the owner may further be placed on the trailer. The inside is designed to provide maximum comfort to the horses. Stalls vary between 36 to 42 inches. More and more, the 42 inch stalls are replacing the smaller ones. In some cases, the stall dividers can be removed to create one bigger stall. Windows allows for proper ventilation, and head room is respected for the animal’s ease. A dressing room can also be fitted into the trailer, allowing for better efficiency.
All in all, two horse trailers combine the best of trailer advantages and specifications for those with no huge travel requirements.
Four Horse Trailer
How Does One Choose A Four Horse Trailer?
Horse trailers are used to transport horses; them can be designed as a one, two, or four horse trailer. As the horse trailer gets longer, the pick-up truck towing it must get heavier. For example, for a trailer built for four horses, a 1-ton pick-up truck is required to be able to tow it.
A horse trailer houses the horse until they reach their destination. As such, they are built with comfort and protection in mind. Despite the popularity of stock horse trailers because of their air vents, a horse trailer must also be roomy enough so that the horses will have ample space to turn around if they want to. A limited head area will just irritate a horse during the trip and horse owners who enter their horse in competition do not want that.
A four horse trailer — aside from having enough space for each of the horses — must be built strategically such that each of the horses can be unloaded or loaded into the trailer without having to remove the others. The design is that there is a center aisle inside the trailer, so you can unload a horse while keeping the others in their ramps. Another design uses two loading or unloading access ramps so you can easily check on a horse in either side.
There are horse trailers built for four horses that have a special room for the caretaker. Inside this room, while also providing a place for the caretaker, is where all the food, accessories and paraphernalia for the horses are stored.
The design for such a trailer will entail extra accessories for road safety. Since its maximum weight is about 7,000 pounds, the trailer must use extra heavy duty tires, not only to absorb shock while on the road, but also to be able to withstand the collective weight of its passengers. At the same time, six turning signals as well as additional running lights are required along the body of the trailer for maximum visibility for other drivers. As long as all of these are observed, the horses in a four horse trailer should be well protected until it reaches its destination.
Horse Trailers
How Is One Horse Trailer Different From Another?
Horse trailers are vehicles used for the transportation of horses, especially when the animals have to make it from the stables to race events, rodeo shows, fairs, or else for veterinary visits or when being moved from one place to another.
The horse trailer is available from numerous dealers and companies that specialize in its design and manufacture. Vehicles are also traded in resale markets, or from peer to peer.
Usually in aluminum, these trailers used to be in steel. However, the lightweight and other maintenance-free properties of this metal have made aluminum more popular, to the point where it has become the prime material for building the horse trailer. Often, the exterior is painted, with customized designs or decorative strips representative of a dealer brand or in the colors flagged by the owner.
Horse trailers are available in two types. Bumper pull trailers need to be pulled by a heavy vehicle. SUVs are proving very popular for this task lately. Gooseneck trailers need to be attached to the bed of a truck. Between these two distinctions, numerous models and variations can be found. Another differentiation comes in the loading position, in straight load or slant load, where the door is on the side. The straight load trailer opens at the back.
Trailers are usually equipped with a tack room and sometimes a dressing room inside. In gooseneck trailers, the neck often provides storage space. Trailers’ sizes vary between carrying from 2 to 10 horses. Stalls vary between 36 to 42 inches, equipped with stall dividers. This feature is especially prone to be found in slant load trailers. Telescopic dividers can also be found in some models to delineate areas. The floor is often in reinforced aluminum, and the roof is often white, to ward off heat. The sides of the trailer can be extruded, depending on design.
Other customizable features can be added to standard horse trailers. In certain cases, a fully customized trailer can be ordered and built to the client’s specifications.
Living Quarters of Horse Trailers
Setting Up the Living Quarters of a Horse Trailer
The living quarter of horse trailers provides housing and comfort to the horse owner and caretaker. Horse trailers are used to transport competition horses from one place to another. The horses are well-protected inside their ramps, and so must its owners or caretakers, too. For a single or dual horse trailer, living quarters can be disregarded. For a four horse trailer, since an added load will not be much of a difference for the tow vehicle, a living quarter can be integrated to provide comfort and safety for people. The usual package for a living quarter includes bunkers, a kitchen and cooking area, a restroom and the regular appliances.
There are those people, however, who prefer to buy a trailer shell and build their own living quarters instead. In this case, the most important thing to design is the storage tank, the electrical source, the power generator, and the water pump. A lot of adaptors, chargers and inverters will also be needed here. There are sites available online such as phrannie.org and RV Surplus that gives very good advice on how to dress up a trailer. Most trailer living quarters nowadays have modern appliances such as TVs, DVDs, heaters, and airconditioning.
Comfort is an issue in the living quarters of a horse trailers. It should at least mimic the appearance of an ordinary household to make it cozy. Its insulation is different from the horse trailer itself. Instead of riveted insulation, the living quarter must have a heat-resistant and steel reinforced fiberglass roof that is tough, light weight, and flexible. It also has side walls with air spaces separating the inside from the outside wall. Sometimes, a styrofoam insulation is used instead.
The living quarters in horse trailers are usually designed to be compact. In general, cabinets are built around the room; and under them is the bunker or sofa bed. Likewise, the space beneath the bunker is used as cabinet space. Also, the toilet is small, just enough to sit on, but is not the usual size. It has a pedal flush instead of the regular flush mechanism. The living quarter of horse trailers is compact yet still comfortable for people.
What causes colic in horses
Colic in babies may just be an ordinary occurrence for their parents. After all, colic happens to almost everybody and after getting used to the screaming and the shouting and the crying, the illness will be as normal as eating and sleeping.
The same cannot be said of colic in horses. Yes. Horses also get colicky. In fact, this is considered as a nightmare for every horse-keeper because it can really become serious when not attended immediately. For while some horses respond to therapy and medical treatment, most will deteriorate even after being treated by a veterinarian.
Like babies when they get colicky, horses will also be screaming and crying. That will be all right if they do not add pacing and stamping, which could not only endanger other people who go near them but also themselves. Horses risk serious injury when they are at this kind of situation. Because of the pain, they do not know what they are doing, short of destroying the whole barn if they can.
What’s happening?
Colic is actually very common. In fact, every horse-lover, horse breeder and horse rider will have come across the term one way or the other. References would have been made in various equine books and digests. Colic is considered as an equine emergency because of the way horses react to the problem due to a painful abdomen. They can really get wild.
There are several types of colic in horses. The first one is the spasmodic colic or that which arises from excessive gas. This is the less severe type. The other one is the obstructive colic, which is often caused by obstructions in some parts of their body. This may be in the form of displacements or twists in their muscles.
It can also be caused by impactions in the intestines or in the large colons. Often, this will require treatment, either with oil and a medicine or in other more severe cases, fluid therapy. Another type of colic is caused by overeating while another type is caused by worms.
What can happen?
As mentioned above, colic in horses can get really serious. This is because they are not structured the way humans are. They are not also “wired” the way we are; so there are things that we can do that they cannot. Here are some of them.
Building it up
Since horses cannot cope with the pressure in their stomach. Unlike humans, they cannot vomit. The pressure will then be bottled up inside and build up as time pass. This will cause distention, which will require decompression.
Anatomically impossible Horses are built with small anatomical parts. There are narrow areas in their bodies , particularly in the digestive systems that can cause impactions and obstructions.
Backward movements
The processes in their digestive systems also have these backward movements, which can exacerbate the condition when an impaction occurs.
Blood thirsty
The road where their blood travels through is so long and narrow that impactions can occur. It also has a lot of twists and turns that it is not surprising that they are susceptible to obstructions. When this happens, the horse can die because blood flow will stop and supply of oxygen to the heart will cease.
Worm-sensitive
Horses are very sensitive to the bacteria that come into their bodies especially those that go into their intestines. The bacteria balance in their bodies is so sensitive that a change in their food or in the supplements that they take in can cause disruptions.
Grooming Horses
Apart from the horses clothing equestrians should also take care of their horses. After all, the performance of the horse has a major impact on the scores. No matter what sports the horse is going to participate he must be well prepared before the event. This entails not just proper but also grooming. Riders are not the only ones who should look their best but also the horse. There are many supplies out there for the horse. Riders have a wide array of choices for their horses.
One of the most important of these supplies is the grooming kit. This is an essential kit when grooming and preparing the horse. With it riders will be able to maintain their horse’s coat in good condition. This will also be a good time for them to check for any injuries, scratches and bruises on the horse. Grooming will also massage the horse and promote circulation.
Horse care
The grooming kit is made up of different combs and brushes to keep the horse clean. Each of these combs and brushes has a different purpose when cleaning the horse.
These are some of the basic brushes and combs in a grooming kit:
Dandy brush: These brushes are used to remove dirt on the surface of your horse’s coat. They are used in the less sensitive parts of the horse. This brush has long bristles.
Body Brush: These brushes can be either hard or soft depending on your need. They have leather back. It is used to remove grease and dusts from you’re horse’ coat. They can be used in the sensitive areas of your horse’s body.
Metal curry comb: This is not used on the horse but is rather used to clean the body brush when grooming. It removes dust and dirt from the brush so that you can use it again on the horse.
Rubber Curry Comb: They remove mud and loose hair from the mane and tail of your horse.
Water Brush: You are going to use water when washing or dampening your horse’s coat. This brush is used when applying water on your horse.
Mane comb: As the name suggests these are combs used on the main and tail of your horse. They come in plastic and metal. There are variations of these combs for different purposes. Short metal combs are used for pulling manes. Other special combs are used to cut the mane thinner.
Hoof pick: They are used for removing dirt and stones that are packed into your horse’s hooves. Dirt and stones usually collect on the underside of your horse’s hooves when you go riding or when he’s out there in the field. The hoof pick can be easily lost under your grooming kit so it’s advisable to type in a baline twine.
Cotton Sponge: Used for cleaning the eyes, nose and wounds of your horse.
Sweat scraper: Wipe away sweat from the horse or excessive water when washing.
Stale rubber: Used for doing the finishing touches on the horse. They are used for polishing the coat of the horse. Stake rubber or linen cloth can be used.
Grooming kit box: Last but not the least, is the kit box. It can be any container or bag with ample storage for the brushes. You can also use a canvas bag with a drawstring.