Horse Trailer Features

Horse trailer design can be improved and this list of good and bad features will help you spot those that can be fixed on your own trailer to ensure safe travel for your horses.

It would be beneficial if more horse trailer manufacturers would seek the advice of experienced horsemen who have travelled and trained many horses to trailer load. They will have seen and heard of many accidents and injuries caused by poor trailer design.

I have yet to see a trailer that has no design faults from the horse’s point of view. That’s not to say they are bad trailers – the construction is often top quality, but as with most things to do with horses, the human’s needs are put first and the safety of the horse suffers.
There are probably many more features that I have not included here on both the safe and unsafe lists so if you can alert me in order to help others, please do.

Good Features

This is a better place to have a head divider – it stops the horses from getting their heads caught behind the centre roof support. Also having no divider in front of the chest bar enables the horse to balance better by moving its head and neck more freely.

Window bars with narrow spacing can stop a horse from putting its head or hoof through the front window if panicked or thrown forward in an accident.

Good position of the spare tire so a rope can’t get caught under it, and filled in A-Frame towbar stops a horse putting a leg through if it tries to pass between the car and trailer.

A ‘Break-away’ attachment activates the trailer brakes if the trailer detaches from the vehicle.

A gas strut to hold the front door open is essential to stop the door from blowing shut and scaring or injuring a horse who may be looking out.

This type of door latch folds away and stops the rope or halter from being caught on it.

Even rubber covered ramps can be slippery when wet so rubber strips help. The extra length of this ramp gives it a nice, gentle slope.

Having Tie-up points at the back makes more sense than tying horses separately on the sides where they can’t see each other and may worry. This ramp latch is relatively safe if kept folded down close to the trailer side.

Good features to look for in a safe trailer/float:

• Enough overall room for the horses you are towing

• Enough roof height for the horses you are towing

• Brakes that work – electric or over-ride

• Heavy duty (light truck) tyres

• Solid, sound flooring, preferably 2 layers of which one is steel

• Strong welding & construction techniques

• Rust protection underneath & around the front

• Good ventilation – especially in hot climates

• Removable dividers – head, chest, centre

• A way to fix the centre divider open

• Height adjustable chest bar

• Centre pole guard

• Smooth edges on mudguards/fenders

• Safely located tie-up points so rope can’t get caught

• Rear latches that a horse can’t get hooked on

• Removeable rump bars that open wide enough

• Fixed rubber matting on the floor and ramp

• Guard/bars over large windows

• Multiple tie-up points inside – recessed near head position

• A place to hang a feed bucket and tie a hay bag inside

• Padding on chest bar, centre divider and sides

• Padded roof supports so the roof doesn’t rattle

• Filled in A-frame towbar

• A strut to keep the front door open

• Recessed latch on the front door

• Covered light fixtures

• Break-away wire to activate brakes

• Rear upper door or tarp for dust or rain that can be kept open while travelling in hot weather.

• A light interior colour (white) is preferred by horses and makes the float look more spacious.
• An interior light for night travelling also helps when checking on the horses.
• A wireless camera can also help to keep an eye on how they are travelling.

 Undesirable/Un-safe Features

• Full-length solid centre divider – doesn’t allow horses to spread their legs for balance.
• ‘Stallion’ or head divider – also stops the horse from using its head and neck for balance. Better positioned tie-up points (to the side) can keep horses from bothering each other.
• Spare tyre mounted near tie-up point – the lead rope can get hooked under it and cause a horse to pull back. (eg. below)

• Places a horse can get a leg/hoof caught such as in the A-frame towbar, near the lights at the back or near the mudguards.
• Fixed dividers & chest bars – how do you release them if a horse falls?
• Centre Divider rear post – horse rushing out can catch a leg.
• Open A-frame tow bar – if the horse tries to pass between the trailer and vehicle, it can trap and break a leg.
• Rear upper doors that can’t be removed/kept open – dangerous to keep closed in the heat and maybe too claustrophobic for some horses.
• Protruding chest bar adjustment – easy to injure a shoulder on this if you turn a sharp corner (eg. photo below).