Straight load vs. Slant load trailers?

Question

Someone told me that Straight load trailers put more stress on a horse's legs than a Slant load trailer. We are thinking about buying a trailer in the near future and i was wondering if this was true or not?

Answer 1

this has been a ongoing arguemnet between horsepeople for a long time. i currently have a two-horse slant load, and i wish i would have gotten a straight load. i'll break it down in a nifty little table. lol

straight:

-if you have to slam on your brakes, the horse isnt crammed into a corner (like in a slant)

-can be turned into a stock kind of trailer for smaller animals or a mare and foal

-most horses are easy to handle in a straight load

-when you load, you dont have to stay in the trailer with the horse like you would in a slant, you walk out the escape door

-if you take the divider out, it can be used to haul ATVs or golf carts

-only two horses hauled at a time

-horses must get along

-not a whole lot of room for tack

Slant...

-more horses in smaller area

-more room for tack and dressing room

-can turn horse in front around to walk out

-horses more likely to step on themselves if you slam on the brakes

-cant really control the horse if he wants to lay down

-horse gets slammed into corner at stops

-slant looks scarier to inexperienced loader

im sure there are more but i cant think of them. the ideal trailer would be the backward slant. they have two ramps; one out the side, one out the back. the horse walked in the front, and stands in the slants just like normal, only backward. when you want to unload them, you walk then out the back. i wish i would have gotten that, but they are rare, and more expensive.

Answer 2

slant loads are better in my opinion. because when you are trailering just one horse, it doesnt have to be in a certain spot, and it evens out the weight better. and slant loads are more roomy. and nice b/c a 3 horse slant load trailer can be the size of a two horse straight load.

idk i just really dont like straight loads

EDIT:

i agree strongly with Juliane.. i just couldnt put it into words. and she did

Answer 3

I prefer slants, I find horses load easier, and when given the choice (as in when in stock trailers) I notice horses stand at a slant or even backwards. Also I find some horses tend to balk at loading in a straight because of the confinement, horses I know who won't load in a straight will load in a slant. I have a 2 horse slant and I love it, I wouldn't trade it for any straight load trailer :) But thats my biased opinion :)

Heres what I found online:

When buying a horse trailer, there are many design choices. One decision that can be difficult to make is whether to buy a horse trailer with a slant load design or a straight load design. A slant load horse trailer enables you to load horses into slanted stalls (from left to right), making it more economical when hauling three horses. A straight load trailer has a traditional design in which the horses are led straight into the trailer from the back, facing forward.

Choosing a slant load or straight load trailer is really a matter of preference and practicality. You should research all the facts about horse trailers before making a purchase, and know what you'll need for your horses today and in the future. If you have two horses now, but plan to buy another horse soon, you might consider this when choosing a horse trailer.

Straight Load Horse Trailer - Pros and Cons

A straight load horse trailer features escape doors at the front, which allow you to exit the trailer easily after loading the horse. There's usually a ramp at the back for loading and unloading and one or two escape doors in the front. With some horse trailers, the escape doors are large enough for the horses to exit through them in case of an emergency. Another feature of the straight load trailer is its wheel wells are located outside the stalls.

Straight load horse trailers tend to work better for larger horses because they provide more space in the stalls.

A disadvantage of straight load trailers is they can be very big when you need one to haul more than two horses. This can cause additional strain on your hauling vehicle.

Slant Load Horse Trailers - Pros and Cons

Slant load horse trailers are convenient and economical when hauling two or three horses. With a slant load trailer, the stalls are slanted from right to left; thus, you can haul two or three horses without adding much to the length or width of the horse trailer. The wheel wells can be located in one of two places on a slant load trailer, so you can choose between a wide interior trailer with wheel wells in the stalls and a trailer with unobstructed stalls.

It has been proven that horses tend to ride at a slanted position naturally to maintain good balance, so the slanted stalls enable them to stand in a slanted position for the duration of the trip. Sometimes, however, the slant provided in the stalls might be too much for some horses, causing strain on them while riding. So, each horse owner should carefully consider this for their horse to determine if a slant load trailer is right for them.

Slant load horse trailers also have a few drawbacks. There's often a small tack area in the corner, but this usually forces the last horse to back out because there's not enough room to turn around. Another drawback is some slant load trailers are designed so it's impossible to unload the second and last horse without unloading the horse before it. This can be dangerous if there's an emergency.

When choosing between a straight load and slant load horse trailer, consider the size of your horses and how calm they are when loading and unloading. Bigger horses might be too cramped in a slant load trailer whereas smaller horses usually have plenty of room. If you have only one horse, you can still buy a slant load trailer made for two and remove the divider to provide more space for your horse. Or, you can buy a three-horse slant load trailer for two horses to give them more room to move and breathe.  

Answer 4

I prefer slants, for a number of reasons.

~Loading and unloading is easier.

~Horses can balance better--they lean into the dividers instead of having to balance themselves so they don't get as tired from the trip.

~If you slam on the breaks, the are pushed against the divider instead of head first over the manger.

~They generally come with decent sized tack rooms.

~If you get one without a rear-tack they are big enough to haul other things in them easily.  You can remove dividers and make them large and open.

~Horses are more willing to load into them because they don't feel so confined.

~Slants allow a horse to relax its head down and stretch its neck more than straights.

The only downside is that they don't have escape doors.  But then again if you teach your horses to load properly, that isn't really an issue.

I'd take a slant over a straight ANY DAY.  I had a 2 horse straight load and hated it.  Traded it in for a slant which is a million times better.

Answer 5

There has been a lot of different studies on how a horse likes to travel. Some people say that they like to travel backwards and other say they like slant.  If you leave a horse untied in a stock trailer they change positions many times.  So there is not really one that is better then the other.  I like slant loads because then the horses in the front can turn around and walk on head first instead of backing out.  Some horses have issues with backing on so this is a good feature.  

Answer 6

Definatly go with the straight load. I have used them for like ever and have no regrets doing so.

Hope this helps on your desision!

Answer 7

Between the two, I like slant load trailers better because it is easier for the horse to stand during transport.  However I favor stock trailers, because they seem to be the easiest on the horse...the horse can chose the best way to keep its balance, which oftentimes seems to be by riding backwards.  

Answer 8

I personally like the straight loads because you have direct and easy access to each horse.  So if a horse where to get in trouble you can get right to them without having to remove other horses.  I have never heard of a straight load trailer putting more stress on the horse's legs.  Straight load trailers you could give a horse a single stall or double so if they need to move around more they have the room or if they like a closer space you have that option.

Answer 9

If you watch horses riding in a stock trailer (not tied, standing freely) they typically choose to ride standing at a slant or backwards.  I haven't heard the argument about leg stress, but a slant does give a horse a more comfortable ride.  Or at least, horses prefer to ride that way.  I do have a straight load myself, but I would prefer a slant.  Another idea is the backward slant.  This seems to be the least stressful of all for a horse.  Think about it; if you do need to slam your brake suddenly, your horse's rump will take the brunt of it, an area that is much more suitable to taking that sort of concussion than the other end.  I believe that in a straight load, a horse is more likely to step on himself or the horse next to him (unless the partition goes all the way to the ground, which is generally unsafe and doesn't allow the horse to balance himself properly anyway so you shouldn't have one of those :)  ).  

Answer 10

This question is a really good one. I used to own three horses, and I had a slant-load. Before I had my slant-load i had a straight load trailer with a ramp. It was a whole lot easier with the straight-load, but when I got another horse, it was impossible to haul all of my horses, resulting in me getting a 3-horse sundowner trailer.

Pros of Straight Load:

More room for horse

Larger manger space (more space for water buckets, hay, and feed)

Easier to load horses

Divider was removable, adding space for mare and foal

Better for horses

Cons of Straight Load:

Less living space

Tack area/Saddle rack was in living space

Problems when horses refused to unload

Pros of Slant Load:

Easy to load/unload

Tack area in back of trailer

Abiltiy to put down side windows

Larger living space

More horses in a smaller space

Cons of Slant-Load:

Not as good for horses

Sometimes have to unload horses to get to one

Here is a website that compares the different types of horse trailers

http://equisearch.com/horses_care/farm_r...