Trailer Shopping! Oh my! Straights and slants and reversed...OH MY!! The 2 Horse Reverse Straight Load with Platform

     So, I am currently in the unique position where I can afford to buy a horse trailer, and can afford to get one I really want, and more importantly, that will last for 20-30 years to come. Thank heavens Chris is kind enough to patiently listen to me prattle on about this article says this or I found out that this kind of trailer does that, because it has been going on for weeks...
    Anyway, I've done a TON of research, and I want to do the best by my horse, as I can tell that he is good, but trailering is stressful for him. Tom and Kat Butler have been so kind and have given Dakota and I rides to some of the most wonderful places! Thank you Thank you!!! :)
     This has convinced me that I will be wanting to trailer everywhere once I have one! So, it's got to be good. I found the trailer company I like best, which is Hawk, as they seem to be well priced and look almost new even over time, as well as being strong and designed for safety. But, mine is going to be very different!! :) One of only 2 in the US at this time!! Now, you know you are curious...
     The whole thing that got me thinking about this is that one time, when Dakota was riding in Tom and Kat's 2 horse slant load, in the last stall, he was tied forward facing...and during the ride, somehow managed to untie himself and arrived backwards!! (To this day I have no idea how he accomplished this, it is pretty tight in that stall!) How odd!! And instead of being all cracked out coming out, he was calm. And then I began reading...and most long-distance hauling folks will tell you that most horses, when hauled loose, will turn around and ride backwards. And Dakota is always extra sweaty after trailering, even on a cool day. Why?? Hmm...more research...
     Have you ever heard of a horse falling or scrambling in a trailer? It is not that uncommon, and can cause life threatening injuries. A horse tied tight, who then falls, can easily break a neck. Scrambling can cause the horse to injure hooves and legs, like this horse from a farrier's blog, who is doing much better now, but nearly cause life-ending damage to her feet in transit;

WARNING, do not look at the article if you are squeamish - this horse is doing better now but initially, I cannot imagine the poor lady's horror of the initial scene from the trailer, which is at the bottom of the blog: http://hoofrecovery.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html
And the horse did this was during normal travelling!!

     Have you ever wondered why your horse doesn't want to get on a trailer? I used to be at an English show barn, and every show day, it would take someone's horse 2 hours to load. And it was not always the same horse. So why fight it so much? I mean, horses generally try to do what we ask...But ask your horse to climb into a dark, threatening cave, headfirst, and then experience this -
Well, this one short little video helped explain some of it: just click to start the vid-

http://www.balancedridetrailers.com/

     Did you see how hard it was for the horse to keep its balance? No wonder he looks stressed! Research revealed a study done on racehorses which showed that during trailering, a horse's heart rate is raised considerably, almost as if he is doing light-medium work (thus, one concludes, this is scary.stressful). Horses facing backward, though, have close to the same heart rate as they do at home, in the barn. Why? Well, 65% of the horse's weight is balanced in the chest/neck area of his body, and to compensate, he has to lean WAY back to protect himself from falling forward every time the trailer stops (unlike us, he has no idea when stopping will occur, and must stay braced). Many people allow a horse to ride loose in a stock trailer and find his own position, but this is not good if you a.) have two horses to trailer, or b) gives no support if the horse does slip, and will change the weight distribution in the trailer enough to cause driving problems. Europeans have some trailers where the horses face backwards, and I have not found a review yet where there were significant problems! So, are you wondering yet? Hawk makes Balanced Ride trailers, but they are a.) expensive, b.) heavy, c.) very long (over 20 ft), for what I am looking for right now. Are there any other options? YES!! I will also add, a horse should not be turned backward in a trailer which is not built for it - the axles are positioned in a different place and the suspension is different!!
     So, Risa from Balanced Ride is super nice, and after asking if she had any smaller options, she pointed me in this direction - for a reasonable price, she can customize her trailers like ones that have been made in New Zealand.
     I will tell a story...so, thirty or so years ago, there was this gentleman, who was an engineer and was currently working as a long-distance horse hauler. One day, in his trailer, the mare riding forward-facing inside sat back and broke the rump bar in the trailer. She then paniced and went wild, so much so that it threw the balance of the truck and trailer so badly that eventually, it caused both to overturn. By the time the vehicles stopped, they had barely missed going into a lake. After the accident, the gentleman came away thinking about everything that had happened. After watching the horse balance himself at rest naturally, he decided to create his own design of trailer. And thus, the Kiwi Safety Trailer was born.

http://www.hcbc.ca/_customelements/uploadedResources/ID237Cregier.pdf
http://www.equibalance.co.nz/upload/document_files/HorsePony1975.pdf

You must go look at the pics! The design was very unusual, but of the 20 original trailers, 14 still exist and none of these owners report injuries to either horse or handler. And after you get over the initial "what the heck???" reaction, it makes a great deal of sense to me. Not only is a horse better able to balance and relax while riding, but he is also easier to load because he can clearly SEE a route of escape and is reassured. The design still exists under a different name. Here is an example of how the horse is loaded with a platform on a modern 2 horse trailer. Or you can scroll to the bottom...

http://www.equibalance.co.nz/page_equi-balance-horse-trailers-brochure-page-2_240
  
     So, I'm getting a 2 horse straight rear-facing trailer with a ramp/platform and a dressing room. The cost is significantly less than the large, regular Balanced Ride Trailers ($12,900 for the light model - I only include that so others looking for something similar know where to go and the cost! Balanced Ride!!), and I can manage hauling it on my own, and the safety, to me, is worth it. The only other one in the US right now that I'm aware of is this one, from a professional hauler who had one custom made.
http://www.animaltransportation.com/equine.htm

There is a reverse slant option on several high-end and very expensive trailers, but this is the first one made that the average American might be able to afford!!! I should be ordering in about 3 weeks, and it should take 5 weeks to complete at the factory. Maybe it will be a new trend to help people trailer more safely!! :) I sure hope this works ;) Good thing Dakota and Chris put up with my foolish-ness!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

These pics are from the Equibalance Website, I dearly hope they don't mind if I use their pics and their amazing trailer idea! I wish they made trailers here in the U.S.!!