You’ve always had this dream of taking your horse on a cross country tour of America. Or maybe to a dude ranch, surfside retreat or someplace warm in the winter.

Whatever the destination, many horse owners find the wanderlust in them drives them to their next purchase—a trailer. But that’s a big purchase, maybe more expensive than your horse was, especially if you need to buy a tow vehicle as well.

Before you buy your horse trailer, you need to carefully think your needs through. Some things to consider:

• How many horses will you be hauling? Just yours and maybe your best bud’s?
• What is your budget? Maybe you’ll want a used trailer.
• Is its primarily use for travel adventures or competition? You might want groom’s quarters, tack room or a dressing room.
• How big is your horse? Trailers come in different shapes and sizes.

• Is it roomy enough for your horse? Check the headspace. If his ears are touching the roof, it’s too low.
• Does it get enough light inside and is there good ventilation?
• Does the design look sturdy and safe? Are there potentially dangerous elements to this trailer? Are there signs of wear? Does everything operate well, like the butt bars and the doors? Are the floorboards in good shape? Lights and brakes in working order? Safety chains? Tires? Hitch? Padding on stall sides and bars?
• Do you prefer slant or straight load?
• Is he restricted in movement? Restriction of his head may not be an issue for short trips, but for long hauls, he could be very uncomfortable.
• What about a stock trailer? This was the trailer of my old quarter horse’s preference. After a trailer accident with her previous owner where she fell under another horse and suffered several injuries, she balked at any trailer except the stock.
• Do you want to be able to not back your horse off the trailer? Stock and slant load allow you turn the horse around before offloading.
• How much can your tow vehicle tow? Full size SUVs can typically haul a 2-horse trailer, but for a gooseneck, you’ll need a full size pick up. Research your vehicle’s tow rating.
• Determine how much weight you’re pulling=roughly 1200 pounds per horse plus the weight of the trailer.
• Research the types of trailer construction and how they will suite your needs: steel or aluminum? Steel tends to be more affordable; however, aluminum is less subject to rust.
• Bumper pull or gooseneck? Goosenecks tend to be larger and weigh more, and they are more easy to maneuver; however, they take up the space in the flat bed of your towing truck.

Once you have purchased your trailer, ensure that you and your horse are comfortable with trailering before taking him on a long journey. Short test drives will help you get accustomed to checking your trailer, hooking it up and feeling how your horse’s behavior affects the responsiveness of trailer so that you and your horse can enjoy happy trails all over the United States for years to come!