How a Horse Travels - Understanding Different Loading Styles

Horse trailers come in several different loading and shipping styles. Each style offers advantages and disadvantages to the owner and the horse. When purchasing a horse trailer it is important to consider which style best suits you and your horse.

Straight Load

This is the most common load style. In a straight load trailer, horses are brought in from the back and are tied side-by-side, facing the front of the trailer. There is usually a partition in the middle of the trailer, protecting the horses from banging into one another. Some straight loads have partitions to the ground, while others only have bars to separate the horses. You can also get partitions that separate the horses at the front of the trailer so that they cannot bite one another.

Because these are so common, most used trailers you will see for sale will be steel straight loads. Unfortunately, they may not be the best trailer for your needs. Studies on transporting horses have shown that facing straight ahead is in fact harder on a horse than traveling facing rearward or on an angle. Another disadvantage of straight loads is that most are designed to only allow horses to unload backwards, something many horses are uncomfortable with.

Slant Load

In recent years, the slant load trailer has become highly popular. Horses are loaded from the back of the trailer, and are squeezed into stalls with swinging dividers that hold them into a slant load position. Because of the angle at which the horses stand, there is usually a triangle-shaped cubby at the front of the trailer that is often converted into a tack room. There is also a space at the back that is not used, and may be converted into a small storage area. Many slant loads offer front unloading ramps so that the horses can get off more easily. This also makes it possible to take a horse off who was loaded at an earlier stage of the trip.

The slant load position is supposed to be far more comfortable to the horse when traveling. The increased space occupied by the horse in a slant load makes the trailer size larger than a straight load. If purchasing a steel trailer, this added length also needs to be considered as added weight. A three horse slant load is the same size as the average four horse straight load.

Head-to-Head

A common loading solution for show trailers, this configuration allows horses to be loaded so that half are facing to the front and half are facing to the back. The ramp is placed on the side of the trailer so that horses can walk straight on and off without difficulty. One big advantage of this style of trailer is that you can unload any one horse without disturbing the other horses, making it the perfect solution for horse shows.

The center space does add a bit of length, but can sometimes be used for an extra small horse or pony. The ramps are generally fairly steep, and need to have side panel to prevent a horse from falling off the side. Some horses are intimidated by this style of trailer at first, but most get used to it quite quickly.

Stock

Stock trailers are open concept. They are made up of one or more box stalls with a gate that splits the trailer in the middle. Horses can be tied so that they face forward, backward or are slant loaded. You can also ship horses loose in one of the box stalls.

Stock trailers are probably the most flexible trailers for shipping large numbers of horses. The do not offer the protection of dividers, but they do allow the horses to position themselves comfortably for the trip. They are also the safest way to ship mares and foals, or youngstock. Most stock trailers have rear step-ups, but some do come with ramps.