Horse Trailer Tow Question

The Critic

The Critic

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Aug 30, 2004
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Friend of mine purchased this horse trailer:

2 Horse Model - 11' x 6'10" - 4 Star Trailers

www.4startrailers.com www.4startrailers.com

They are new to towing. Their truck is a 2021 Ram 2500 6.4 4X4 with a factory trailer brake controller and tow mirrors. From a capabilities standpoint, the truck is borderline overkill - 4.10 gear ratio, 3124 lb payload rating, etc, so there should be no concerns there.

Do they need to purchase any additional equipment in order to safely tow this trailer (when loaded) for long distances?
 
A good jack, lug wrench, and spare tire to change trailer tires.
And a good tire pump.
Advise them to make sure trailer tires are filled to the max listed on the sidewall.
Build a schedule for how many miles are needed before wheel bearings need to be repacked.
 
Good advice. They should practice backing up around turns in a safe environment (like an empty parking lot) to get the hang of it before doing it "live".

Also, having pulled some heavy trailers, I don't think I'd call that truck overkill for a 6 or 7000lb trailer. More like adequate. Maybe even plenty adequate, but nothing like overkill.
 
The Critic said:
Do they need to purchase any additional equipment in order to safely tow this trailer (when loaded) for long distances?
Click to expand...

You said "loaded." With horses? Oh yes, then yes, without question, they do.

They need to get a weight distribution hitch. No debate. If anyone is giving you towing advice who has not actually towed their own horses, toss it out the window. Different level of worry, hassle, higher CG, handling characteristics. It's not at all like towing a static load. Towing horses or other livestock is vastly different.

It is not entirely required for "safety," but it enhances it. Dramatically. More importantly, it stabilizes the ride for the horses and vastly improves the ride for them, reduces their fatigue. It's night and day. I've towed horses thousands of miles and I would not tow my own horses, or others, without a weight distribution hitch more than 20 miles.

PM me about this if you want to talk about it. I would be very happy to help new "horse" haulers by sharing acquired experience. It's different, difficult, and, intimidating.
 
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What Oro said plus an anti-sway bar and a camera in the trailer to keep an eye on the horses. Brenderup were excellent trailers, but the company no longer makes them or is no longer in business. Lightweight trailers are dangerous and a poor investment. Sounds like this one was built by welders and not horsemen.
 
Pelican said:
Sounds like this one was built by welders and not horsemen.
Click to expand...

He/she said it better.

That's what I see in that website and what I was trying to convey. Pelican said it more succinctly. That's not the way it's done.
 
The Critic said:
Friend of mine purchased this horse trailer:

2 Horse Model - 11' x 6'10" - 4 Star Trailers

www.4startrailers.com www.4startrailers.com

They are new to towing. Their truck is a 2021 Ram 2500 6.4 4X4 with a factory trailer brake controller and tow mirrors. From a capabilities standpoint, the truck is borderline overkill - 4.10 gear ratio, 3124 lb payload rating, etc, so there should be no concerns there.

Do they need to purchase any additional equipment in order to safely tow this trailer (when loaded) for long distances?
Click to expand...
My mum had a 1988 2500 Suburban growing up to tow my sister horse and occasionally another. I believe she had some sort of sway bars with hitch additionally to take the dynamic shifting load as horses tend to move and step slightly shifting weight about as you go down the road. In short a dynamic load which is more stress on your towing setup.
 
Best advice is to stay away from horse people. They are all cracked, especially at the 4H level. I know this because both my daughters held on to this concept to spend money on horses into their adulthood. Heaven help them.

My grand daughter learning to jump (sorry for no good input to OP):
1624277919935.png
1624278745995.jpg
 
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The Critic said:
They are new to towing. Their truck is a 2021 Ram 2500 6.4 4X4 with a factory trailer brake controller and tow mirrors. From a capabilities standpoint, the truck is borderline overkill - 4.10 gear ratio, 3124 lb payload rating, etc, so there should be no concerns there.
Click to expand...
There are many different RAM 2500 trim levels which affect towing capacity. I'm not sure what this one is.

Oro_O said:
I put steel around horses I tow. This sounds bad.
Click to expand...
Aluminum horse trailers are a premium because it won't rust when a horse pees in it.
And just in general rust is less of a worry. I can't speak to this brand in particular, but some of the best are aluminum trailers.
I've heard stories of steel trailers corroding to the point where the floor falls out...some real horrendous stories.
 
We have a trailer similar to that. I use it to take my moms horse to the vet. Now she want's me to use it to take the horse from FL to TN and I am not to excited about that. I am seeing about transport.

IMO this type of trailer is good for short distance but if the horse spooks or moves to much I certainly feel it. I am not a horse person so YMMV
 
First, my condolences for having friends that have apparently just recently picked up horses as a hobby. It's terrible to lose friends that way. ;)

Please tell me they only have a single horse. @Oro_O and @Pelican nailed it with that trailer. I wouldn't like to put a single horse in there and I wouldn't put two horses in there under any circumstance. I see that the trailer comes with ribbed aluminum flooring... I hope they at least put some rubber mats down for the horse's sake.

doitmyself said:
Best advice is to stay away from horse people. They are all cracked, especially at the 4H level. I know this because both my daughters held on to this concept to spend money on horses into their adulthood. Heaven help them.
Click to expand...
I spent a decade managing estates in Virginia's horse hunt country and dealing with "horse women" is quite literally what got me out of the estate management field.
 
People used to own a horse for transportation, now you buy one and he needs very elaborate and expensive transportation.
 
mk378 said:
People used to own a horse for transportation, now you buy one and he needs very elaborate and expensive transportation.
Click to expand...
So, do people own cars for transportation or hobby?
doitmyself said:
Best advice is to stay away from horse people. They are all cracked, especially at the 4H level. I know this because both my daughters held on to this concept to spend money on horses into their adulthood. Heaven help them.
Click to expand...
JRed said:
I spent a decade managing estates in Virginia's horse hunt country and dealing with "horse women" is quite literally what got me out of the estate management field.
Click to expand...
Bunch of grumps on here.
OP didn't ask anyone's opinion on the joys of horse ownership...so not sure why you offered it.
 
JRed said:
Please tell me they only have a single horse. @Oro_O and @Pelican nailed it with that trailer. I wouldn't like to put a single horse in there and I wouldn't put two horses in there under any circumstance. I see that the trailer comes with ribbed aluminum flooring... I hope they at least put some rubber mats down for the horse's sake.


I spent a decade managing estates in Virginia's horse hunt country and dealing with "horse women" is quite literally what got me out of the estate management field.
Click to expand...
Had a few mares at a friend's farm in Middleburg a beautiful and lovely place!
I know what you mean about women & horses, there is a saying to describe a spoiled horse and that's "it's a woman's horse" it doesn't apply universally as there are some very knowledgeable horsewomen, as there is a term Horse people & Horsey people ;)
 
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Davejam said:
There are many different RAM 2500 trim levels which affect towing capacity. I'm not sure what this one is.


Aluminum horse trailers are a premium because it won't rust when a horse pees in it.
And just in general rust is less of a worry. I can't speak to this brand in particular, but some of the best are aluminum trailers.
I've heard stories of steel trailers corroding to the point where the floor falls out...some real horrendous stories.
Click to expand...
Aluminum corrodes, but it doesn't rust and therein lies the rub in as much as one must be knowledgeable to be able to assess the road or load-worthiness of the trailer.
 
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