Horse Trailer Guide: Types, Weights, Costs and What Your Truck Can Tow

By Gayle Woods Editors Updated 7 min read

A horse trailer is often the biggest purchase after the horse itself, and the wrong one can be dangerous. A trailer that's too heavy for your truck is hard to stop and easy to lose control of. One that's too small for your horse makes every trip stressful. This guide covers how to choose a trailer that fits your horse, your truck and your budget.

Bumper pull or gooseneck

The first choice is how the trailer hitches to your truck.

Bumper pull trailers, also called tag-alongs, attach to a ball hitch at the back of the vehicle.

  • Cheaper to buy.
  • Can be towed by many full-size SUVs and half-ton pickups, if the weight allows.
  • Keep your truck bed free.
  • Less stable than a gooseneck, especially in wind and when large trucks pass.
  • Usually limited to two or three horses.

Gooseneck trailers attach to a ball mounted in the truck bed, over or just ahead of the rear axle.

  • Much more stable to tow, with a tighter turning radius.
  • Carry more horses, and often a dressing room or living quarters in the neck.
  • Require a pickup with a gooseneck hitch installed in the bed.
  • Cost more and weigh more.

For one or two horses and occasional short trips, a bumper pull is fine. For three or more horses, long trips or regular hauling, most people prefer a gooseneck.

Straight load, slant load and stock trailers

Straight load trailers carry horses side by side, facing forward, each in its own stall with a divider. They're common in two-horse bumper pulls. Many have a ramp at the back. Horses usually back out.

Slant load trailers place horses at an angle, one behind another. They fit more horses in a shorter trailer, and many horses can be turned around and led out forward. Stalls can be short for tall horses, so check stall length.

Stock trailers are open boxes with slatted sides, sometimes with a center gate. They're simple, roomy and popular for ranch work, and many horses travel calmly in them because they can choose how to stand. They offer less weather protection.

Many horses prefer to stand at an angle facing slightly backward when they travel, which is why stock trailers and roomy slants often suit them well.

Step-up or ramp

A step-up trailer has a floor about 12 to 18 inches above the ground, and the horse steps up and in. A ramp gives a sloped walkway. Some horses load more easily with one than the other. Ramps are heavy to lift and can be slippery when wet; step-ups require horses to step down carefully when backing out.

Size and inside height

Your horse should be able to stand with its head in a natural position and room to spare.

  • Inside height: at least 7 feet for most horses up to about 16 hands. For horses over about 16.2 hands and big warmbloods, look for 7 1/2 feet.
  • Width: a standard trailer is about 6 to 7 feet wide inside. Extra-wide models give more room to turn.
  • Stall length: taller horses need longer stalls. Measure your horse from nose to tail, and stand in the trailer to picture it.

Draft horses and very large warmbloods often need a trailer built for their size. See how to measure a horse.

Steel or aluminum

Steel Aluminum
Price Lower Higher
Weight Heavier Lighter, by several hundred pounds or more
Rust and corrosion Rusts if not maintained Doesn't rust; can corrode where it meets steel
Strength and repairs Strong; easy to weld Strong; needs specialized welding
Resale Lower Holds value better

Many trailers mix the two, such as an aluminum skin over a steel frame. The lighter weight of aluminum can let you tow a larger trailer with the same truck.

How much does a horse trailer weigh?

Empty weights vary by build, but typical ranges look like this:

Trailer Typical empty weight
2-horse bumper pull, aluminum 2,000–2,800 lb
2-horse bumper pull, steel 2,400–3,500 lb
3-horse gooseneck slant, aluminum 3,500–5,000 lb
3-horse gooseneck slant, steel 4,500–6,500 lb
4-horse gooseneck with living quarters 8,000–14,000 lb

The number that matters is the loaded weight. Add:

  • The trailer's empty weight
  • About 1,000 to 1,200 pounds per average horse, more for big horses
  • Tack, hay, feed and water: often 300 to 800 pounds
  • In a living quarters trailer, water tanks, generator fuel and supplies

Example: a 2,800-pound two-horse bumper pull with two 1,150-pound horses and 400 pounds of gear weighs about 5,500 pounds loaded.

Matching the trailer to your truck

Check these numbers in your owner's manual or on the sticker inside the driver's door:

  • Towing capacity: the most weight your truck is rated to tow. It must be higher than the loaded trailer weight, ideally with some margin.
  • Payload: the weight the truck itself can carry, including passengers, cargo and the downward force from the trailer. That force is the tongue weight, about 10 to 15 percent of the trailer's weight for a bumper pull, or the pin weight, about 15 to 25 percent for a gooseneck.
  • GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating): the most the truck can weigh with everything in it.
  • GCWR (gross combined weight rating): the most the truck and loaded trailer can weigh together.

In our example, the 5,500-pound bumper pull puts roughly 550 to 825 pounds on the hitch. A half-ton pickup can usually handle that, but payload fills up fast with passengers and gear. Goosenecks and larger trailers usually call for a three-quarter-ton or one-ton truck.

Don't forget:

  • A brake controller in the truck, which runs the trailer's electric brakes. See trailer brake controllers.
  • A breakaway system, which applies the trailer brakes if it comes unhitched.
  • The right hitch, rated for your weight, at the correct height so the trailer rides level.

What a horse trailer costs

  • New two-horse bumper pull: roughly $8,000 to $25,000, depending on materials and features.
  • New three- or four-horse gooseneck: roughly $20,000 to $60,000.
  • Living quarters trailers: $50,000 to well over $200,000.
  • Used trailers cost much less, but inspect them carefully.

Inspecting a trailer, new or used

  • Floor. This is the most important check. Wood floors rot, often under the mats, and horses have gone through them on the highway. Lift the mats, look underneath, and probe the boards. Aluminum floors can corrode, especially from urine. Clean and dry the floor regularly.
  • Frame and hitch. Look for rust, cracks and bad welds.
  • Tires. Check tread, cracks and the date code on the sidewall. Replace trailer tires every five to six years, even if they look fine. See trailer tires.
  • Wheel bearings and brakes. Have them serviced every year.
  • Lights and wiring.
  • Doors, dividers and latches. Everything should close and latch securely, with no sharp edges.
  • Ventilation. Roof vents and windows that open keep horses cool. Drop-down windows should have bars or screens, and horses shouldn't ride with their heads out.

Useful extras

  • A trailer camera lets you watch your horses while you drive.
  • Trailer ties with a quick-release snap or panic snap.
  • Rubber mats and good bedding for long trips.
  • A spare tire, jack and lug wrench that fit the trailer, plus a ramp-style tire changer.
  • A first aid kit for horses and people. See horse vital signs and first aid.

Before your first long trip, read our guide to hauling horses long distance.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions