1. Access:  Every horse in a trailer deserves the right to be individually attended to and/or unloaded without disturbing other horses first.  In the typical 3-Horse slant-load, if the front horse has an emergency - two other panic stricken horses have to be unloaded before you can attend to the front horse.  We believe this is unacceptable.  Many other cases can be made for the benefit of being able to load and unload any horse in the trailer without disturbing the others... but none should be so compelling as an emergency.

2. Size:  The maximum exterior trailer width is limited by law to 102" (8'-6") for interstate highways and roads designated truck routes.  Most other state and rural roads have a 96" (8') maximum width limit, so most horse trailers are designed to be 96" or less wide, including fenders and other exterior protrusions. The longest trailer axle made is 102" with wheels & tires mounted.

   Since horses stand partially sideways in a slant load trailer, the wider the trailer is - the longer the stall can be.  Using the more expensive 102" axle, the widest possible interior dimensions (wall to wall) is about 96", but this is not the floor width since the trailer's wheel wells must protrude inside the trailer - which removes ~24" (~12" per wheel) of usable floor space... where your horse stands.    Once the wheel wells are taken into consideration, the TRUE total stall length of most slant loads is in the 84~90" (7' to 7'-6") range - and even the biggest slant-loads are in the 94~98" range (7'-10" to 8'-2"), most are less.  Even an 8' stall is tight for horses 15-hands or over.

   Note I said "True" stall length... several manufacturers practice an inventive form of specmanship when measuring their slant stalls... they measure along the diagonal from opposite corners high up on the wall.  This is a false and misleading measurement... your horse would have to cram its nose into one corner and its butt into the other (which can't be done because how pointed the corners are) to use these inflated dimensions. True stall dimensions are measured in the center of the stall, parallel to the dividers - where the horse will really stand.

   The smallest EquiSpirit trailer has a 10-foot total stall, 7' for the body and 3' for the head.  Others are 11-feet total with 4' for the head.  The XL and XXL options add even more room as needed for drafts and warmbloods.  Any horse will travel calmer and healthier when they have adequate room, especially to lower their heads to cough (required to clear their throat and sinuses of dust and hay breathed in while trailering).

3. Bottom Line:  We could build any style trailer we wanted.  There is no magic to building slant-load trailers.  However, we know that the trailers we do build are safer and better for both the horse and horse owner than many of the trailers currently available elsewhere.  Back to Top.

Q:  Do you sell "step-up" trailers?  I've had a bad experience with ramps.

Answer: We regret you had a bad experience and hope no one (human or horse) was injured.  However, we are confident you did not have that experience with one of our trailer ramps.  Our standard trailers are ramp-loads, and we have the best ramp in the industry.  We do also offer a step-up option which includes rubber-lined, full-height rear doors and a rubber leg protector (bumper) at the floor.  Please see the Optional Features page, "Body Features" sub-section, for pricing.  When looking at ramps, consider the following points:

1. Angle:  For a ramp to be safe and non-threatening to both horse and handler, it must have a shallow angle.  Trailers with short ramps or high floors tend to have ramps that are too steep.

2. Strength / Solidness:  Your horse expects the ground under his hooves to be solid.  If the ramp has too much flex (springiness), the horse will naturally be wary of walking on it.  Some might even refuse.  Our ramps are strong and solid, reinforced with steel framing beams both vertically and horizontally.

3. Balance:  If a ramp is large enough to produce a shallow loading angle and strong enough not to flex, it will be heavy.  Therefore, most have some form of springs to help balance or raise the ramp.  The ramp should be perfectly balanced... not spring loaded such that it can slip out of your hands and slam shut.  See the pictures in our Virtual Trailer Tour of the ramp's perfect unsupported balance. Our trailer ramps can be controlled by the most petite handler or an average 10-year old child... no musclemen needed!

4. Booby-Traps:  The ramp should be free of booby-traps that will eventually snare you or your horse.  These include: braces, hinges or springs mounted between the trailer and the ramp; large gaps between the ramp and the trailer; latches or handles protruding into the doorway, etc.

5. Surface:  By definition, the ramp is on an incline (ours happens to be the correct shallow angle), so if the ramp surface was slippery (e.g., mud, manure, water, etc.) the horse or handler could slip and be injured.  We use a special textured rubber mat on our ramps to provide a very slip resistant surface.  The mat compresses under the weight of the horse's hoof, providing excellent traction, even when muddy or wet.   Back to Top.

Q:  What about trailer brakes?  My friend says I don't need them.  How do they work?

Answer: Towing live horses without trailer brakes is like driving your car at night without brakes, headlights or seatbelts; sure it could be done - but it is dangerous, foolish, and probably illegal.  Don't do it!

To our knowledge, no new vehicles come equipped with Brake Controllers; they are after-market accessories sold and installed by most shops that install hitches.  Prices range from approximately $75 to $125 plus installation.  Most newer vehicles come "electric brake controller ready", which means they have the extra wiring, fuses, etc. necessary for safe and proper installation of the controller.  Installing and wiring the controller is typically not a job for the average person.  If not done correctly, the controller may be destroyed, the tow vehicle's electrical system damaged, and/or the trailer's brakes will not function.  We recommend professional installation and initial adjustment of the controller.  Fine-tuning most controllers is easy and required as you change towing conditions (i.e., adding / removing horses from the trailer).  Back to Top.

Q:  What is a "break-away" brake? Does it cost extra?

Answer: The break-away brake is a safety device that will activate the trailer's brake system in the event the trailer becomes separated from the tow vehicle while under tow.  Currently, 17 states require a break-away system on private / recreational horse trailers; all states require them on horse trailers used for (or legally considered) "commercial" purposes.  By law, it must activate the trailer's brakes for 15 minutes - which is a long time.

All our trailers come equipped with a break-away brake system at no extra cost.  The system is powered by a rechargeable battery housed inside the trailer (out of the weather - away from corrosive road salt, rain, etc.).  The system is triggered by a stainless steel cable that attaches from the break-away switch to somewhere on the tow vehicle - but NOT THE HITCH.  In the event that the tow hitch or ball were to fail and the trailer drop completely off the tow vehicle, the cable pulls the "safety pin" tripping the switch and activating the emergency brakes.   Back to Top.

Q:  Are safety chains really necessary?  How do I hook them up?

Answer: Forty-six states require safety chains on tag-along trailers and 29 of those states also require them on gooseneck trailers. The remaining states strongly recommend safety chains. The safety chains should be attached to the frame of the vehicle or to the frame-mounted hitch. They should be crossed underneath to catch the trailer in a sort of "cradle" if the trailer comes off the ball. The chains should not touch the ground and they should be long enough to allow the trailer to turn corners without pulling. Trailers do come off, especially if they have not been properly hitched or if equipment fails. Don't take a chance - use safety chains!   Back to Top.

Q:  What type of hitch do I need for my tag-along trailer?

Answer: A frame mounted Class III or Class IV receiver hitch is mandatory for safe hauling, and is the only hitch that is legal in all states.  This type of hitch is bolted or welded to the frame of the tow vehicle and has a square receiver for a slide in ball mount (called a draw-bar). The draw-bar itself can be purchased with the proper drop so the trailer travels absolutely level.  A trailer that is not level will not tow properly and may sway or wear the tires unevenly; there is also a likelihood that the trailer could pop off the ball. Our tag-along trailers require the top of the ball to be as close as possible to 17-1/2 inches off the ground when parked on a level surface.  Please see our Trailering Tips pages Getting Hitched? and More Hitching Help for additional information.  Back to Top.

Q:  Will your gooseneck trailer fit my truck?  How do I adjust / level the trailer?

Answer: Our gooseneck (GN) trailers will work with either short-bed or long-bed pick up trucks, unlike most of the others that require a long-bed.  What is the issue?  With most GN trailers, when mounted on a short-bed truck, you have very little clearance between the GN nose and the rear of the truck's cab.  When turning at a sharp angle to back into a parking place, the corner of GN nose "jack-knifes" into your cab - crushing the truck's window, cab, and damaging the trailer too.  Our trailer's wedge shaped aerodynamic nose prevents this from happening - and provides you with better fuel mileage and more stable towing.

Adjusting your GN trailer to correctly fit your truck for level towing is done via the 4 adjusting screws on the trailer's GN hitch coupler. This is not hard, although it seems like a lot of steps. Most truck & trailer owners can do this themselves - but if you are uncomfortable, your hitch shop should do it for little or no charge. Follow these steps to quickly and safely level your trailer:

1. Hitch your trailer to your truck on very level ground... preferably a parking lot, cement driveway, etc.

2. Using a carpenter's level (24~36" long), check the levelness of the trailer's frame. The bottom of the GN nose is a good place to check, it is at a convenient height and close to the adjustment point. Check multiple places on the frame to verify your readings.

3. If the trailer is not level, determine whether the trailer nose needs to be higher or lower.

4. Lower the trailer's jack stand and begin to take the trailer's weight off the truck by cranking down the jack. Do not unhitch the trailer - and do not lift the truck bed up with the trailer jack - simply support the trailer's weight on the jack while it is still hitched to your truck.

5. Loosen the 4 hex-head locking nuts (1-1/8" wrench or smooth jaw adjustable) on the adjusting bolts of the coupler. You must loosen the locking nuts before you can loosen the square-head bolts themselves. Once the locking nuts are loose, loosen the bolts (3/4" wrench or smooth jaw adjustable). These will be tight and require some muscle or mechanical leverage to loosen.

6. Raise or lower the trailer jack by turning the handle to level the trailer. Check to see that coupler sleeve is moving (adjusting) up or down. Check the trailer with the level.

7. Once the trailer is level, tighten the adjusting bolts first, then the locking nuts. Make sure these are all very tight!

8. Raise the jack stand - you are done. The ultimate goal in leveling the trailer is to have equal weight (load) on both rear axles & brakes. This happens when the trailer is level and produces the safest, most comfortable towing. Sometimes you can look at the trailer tires and see if they are even or not - most of the time a level helps.

WARNING: An optical illusion is created due to having the wheels near the rear of the trailer... then the bed under the GN nose. To most folks, a perfectly level (as verified by a carpenter's level on the frame) trailer looks nose high. Don't be fooled... use a level (or tape to measure the height above ground along the bottom frame of the trailer) to verify your levelness... not your eyeballs.  Back to Top.

Q:  Should I use shavings in my new trailer?

Answer:  This is a surprisingly "touchy subject". I do not recommend or endorse using shavings in our trailers at all... as they mostly defeat the effect of the rubber mats. The mats are designed (thickness and density) to allow the horse's hoof to compress and sink into the mat a small amount. This has the same effect as a tea cup in a saucer... it holds the hoof in place - even if the floor is wet. Shavings defeat this effect and actually make the trailer floor more slippery to the horse. Some customers want to use shavings around the horses' butt to help with clean up... but we recommend never using them under the legs.

Also - leaving shavings in your trailer will produced sticky condensation spots on the ceiling. Shavings always have some (and attract more) moisture... and some sap. Inside a closed trailer, this produces a green-house effect. In the heat, the shavings release moisture and some sap... when the evening comes, this condenses on the ceiling and later drips back to the shavings... which holds the moisture until the next day. This cycle goes over and over... leaving dark brown spots on your ceiling.

So, if you insist on using shavings, please only use them under the horses' butt, and always clean them out of the trailer after each use.  Back to Top.

Q:  Is financing available?

Answer: With acceptable credit - YES !  Please see the Purchasing Info page.  Back to Top.

Q:  Why is there a delivery charge?  What if I pick up the trailer myself?

Answer: Our trailers are made in Wisconsin.  Once completed and inspected (twice), they are towed by professional drivers to your door (or barn/stable).  This transportation service is not free.

Nothing is shipped or delivered "for free", if another trailer manufacturer doesn't specifically charge for freight from the factory to your pick-up point, they have simply added extra "padding" into their pricing structure.  We tell you what our freight fee is, and why it is there.  Back to Top.

Q:  What is your warranty policy?

Answer: Our warranty is very simple; for the total trailer - from nose to tail, frame to roof, we warrant it to be free from defects in material and labor for 3 years. The structure of the trailer (e.g., frame, doors, ramp, roof, siding, etc.) is warranted for 7 full years!  There are 4 exceptions:

We handle warranty issues in a simple and unique fashion.  Everything on a horse trailer can be fixed by an automotive, RV/Camper or trailer repair shop - it's either body work, frame work, painting, or simple mechanical (i.e., brakes, axles, hinges, etc.).  Therefore, we allow our customers to take their trailer to any shop in their local area.  We confirm with the shop the nature of the problem and what they will do to repair it, then we pay them directly over the telephone with a credit card.  In those cases where a shop does not accept credit cards or coordinating with all the required parties is difficult, we either mail a check to the shop or reimburse the customer directly.

Simple, effective, and customer friendly!  Back to Top.