The Truth Behind Horse Trailer Myths
People who own horses and travel all around to shows and fairs and other events tend to get together with others who share their passion and talk. It is often during these discussions about the best breed of horses, the best horse trailers, and the best equipment, that opinions somehow get elevated to pure fact. While opinions always contain some fact, often they get blown way out of proportion, and you end up with myths and half-truths that people simply accept as the whole truth. Let’s look at a few of the myths that are circulating around the horse world about horse trailers and get all the facts.
It’s Easier to Get Horses Loaded into Slant Load Trailers
One myth that has gained a lot of popularity amongst horse people is that horses tend to load easier into slant load horse trailers rather than straight load trailers. This half-truth has its origins in the 80s, when the very first slant load trailers were made. The whole purpose of a slant load trailer is to fit in more horses into a shorter trailer. If you wanted to haul four or more horses in a straight load trailer, the trailer would be extremely long. Horses also have a tendency to put themselves into a slant position while traveling in a trailer to avoid losing their balance. This led people to believe that this is the way horses preferred to ride.
Image credit: itmelo
People began to notice how easily the horses loaded into the trailer and just assumed that the animals were enjoying their trailer and the trip they went on. It wasn’t long before slant load trailers took the horse world by storm and ended up becoming the trailer every horse lover needed to have.
While these trailers can be helpful, it’s important to have all the facts and take them into consideration before deciding on a trailer.
One of the reasons this story is a myth and not completely true has a lot to do with the type of horses that were being hauled the first time these trailers were used. The types of horses hauled in these trailers were typically shorter, smaller horses, so they fit easily into the trailer and handle the smaller space. Once this trend got started, owners of larger horses wanted to jump on the bandwagon as well and get these types of trailers. The only problem was these larger horses didn’t fit well inside of the cramped trailers. With no room to move, the horse cannot get itself into position to maintain its balance. This could lead to serious injury, both physically and mentally, to your animal.
There have also not been any studies done to prove that horses like to stand at a slant when being hauled. To base that kind of information on one observation doesn’t provide enough evidence to prove that this is necessarily the case with horses.
It’s important to remember that you can’t decide to go with one certain type of trailer because everyone else is using it. You have to remember that the whole purpose of a horse trailer is to get your beloved horses from one place to another safely and without rattling their nerves. The horse’s needs should be top priority and should never be neglected. The needs a horse has changes from horse to horse, which means you need to test some things out and see what your horse likes. Make sure that your trailer is made for your type of horse. This will keep your horse healthy and happy while you take him place to place.