Horse Trailer Battle Royale: Gooseneck vs. Bumper Pull
There are a lot of different things to look at when choosing which horse trailer is the best to buy and use. It is important to remember to keep the safety of your horses as the number one concern when looking for a horse trailer. Keep in mind that horses for the most part are afraid of the dark and need lots of light and room to move. After safety, you may want to give some serious thought to either a gooseneck trailer or a bumper pull trailer.
We’ll start by taking a look at what exactly a bumper pull trailer is and what the pros and cons of using these trailers are. A bumper bull trailer is a horse trailer that is attached directly to the hitch of the vehicle being used to pull the trailer. Bumper pull trailers are sometimes referred to as “tag along” trailers. These types of trailers are generally a lot cheaper than other types of trailers, which is a major plus. Horse trailers with a bumper pull can also be pulled from almost any type of vehicle, which makes it very convenient for folks who don’t own a big pick-up truck to haul their horses around.
Image credit: Gun Show
Another huge plus to using bumper pull trailers is that they are a lot easier to turn than other types of trailers. This type of hitch allows the trailer to turn along the same path as the vehicle towing the trailer. These trailers are space savers also, as they don’t take up nearly as much storage space as a gooseneck trailer. This is a huge plus if you don’t have much room left in the barn and need a place to put your trailer. You also won’t have to worry about licensing issues since the total weight of the tow vehicle and the trailer is less than 10,000 pounds. This means you won’t have to have the trailer classified as “commercial.”
A gooseneck trailer is attached to the truck that’s hauling it by a ball and coupler mating. This is what makes these types of trailers more stable and prevents them from swaying or fish tailing. These trailers are also pretty spacious, which can be a life saver when you are going camping, because they have so much living space. The hitch for these trailers is a lot more secure than the hitch for bumper pull trailers, which means there is less of a chance of losing your load on the road.
While these gooseneck trailers seem to have a lot of pros, there are still a few cons to using these trailers. These types of trailers are usually huge and very expensive. You will definitely need to have a big vehicle in order to have enough power to pull the trailer. The hitching systems that come on these trailers are very expensive and can put a nice dent in your savings. It’s also a bit inconvenient to hook up, as you have to crawl around in the truck bed to get it attached properly to the towing vehicle.
There are good and bad things about both bumper pull and gooseneck trailers. There is no real right or wrong answer; it’s strictly up to the needs and the budget of the individual looking to buy the trailer. Make sure you shop around and look for the best prices you can find. You should be able to find the right trailer for you and your horse as long as you do the right research and keep the safety of your horse as a top priority.