# Hauling Miniatures in a "Big" horse trailer



## Barnmother

So those of you that use a full size horse trailer to haul your miniatures how do you do it? Aren't the dividers high enough they can go underneath? Do you tie? Do you leave more than one loose in the back?


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## Reble

Barnmother said:


> So those of you that use a full size horse trailer to haul your miniatures how do you do it? Aren't the dividers high enough they can go underneath? Do you tie? Do you leave more than one loose in the back?



We redid ours, and took out the front panel and top

to make it completely open

Also removed the divider.

Like an open stock trailer.

We can put our show cart up in the front standing with shafts to ceiling.

and have hooks in each corner to haul 4 minis

We feel best to have them tied and do not leave the ties too long.

We find they all like to travel side ways does not matter how we put them in, they turn themselves to be side by side.

I guess they feel more stable that way..


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## ThreeCFarm

I had dividers custom made for my big horse 2 horse slant load trailer. I just take out the big horse divider and put the mini dividers in when needed. I can also have the big horse divider in and 1 mini divider at the same time, so I can haul 1 mini and 1 big horse together, while still keeping them completely separated. We tie our horses.


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## starkadator

I bolted plywood to the middle partition. It extends all the way to the floor. I can haul 2 minis (one on each side) or 1 mini and 1 big horse, or 2 big horses. When I transported my weanling home, I did not tie him. He faced the rear of the trailer and did not move. If I haul him with another horse I will have to tie him because he is a brat right now and no doubt he would harrass the other horse.


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## LindaL

We recently bought a full size trailer that has 2 slant dividers. The previous owner had minis and they put boards bolted onto the dividers so the horses could not get underneath. I have attached a pic.

I have also attached a pic of what we plan to do to our trailer to make it customized for the Minis. We will change a few things, but have the same basic idea.

I always tie my horses.


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## Nathan Luszcz

I turn them loose (singly) in an open stock trailer.


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## Performancemini

We, presently, have a 14' stock trailer. We usually tie; arranging the horses in order of compatibility. They ride sideways or on their on "slant". We do have one A who seems to want to ride facing forward and kept getting under one or the other's ropes; so he is now the last horse loaded-so there's no where to go (he doesn't seem to want to face rearwards). The trailer has a center divider gate. We will sometime use it and haul with one or two loose. If two in the same compartment; it is ones that are throughly compatible-like our 19 and 20 year olds who have been together since they were yearlings and were team-mates in harness. We hope to buy either a 16' stock or something a bit fancier in the future.


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## Carolyn R

I have sixteen foot stock trailer with a full solid center devider. If two get along, I allow them to go in one compartment, if I am in question, they ride separate. I leave them loose, even if I was using a break away halter or a safety snap, I would still prefer to leave them loose. Equipment can and does malfunction.


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## valshingle

I purposely bought a full size horse trailer because I also have big horses (17 hd+). I got the optional stud dividers that hang below the regular dividers. I do wish I had regular mini dividers, I could fit more minis in it. But I imagine my minis enjoy the big horse stalls.


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## targetsmom

I don't have any photos of the inside but we have a 2 horse Warmblood size bumper pull with dressing room from when we had big horses. We had a piece added to the center divider so it reached the floor, and a piece put in front of the passenger side to essentially make a long rectangular "box" for a mini (or more). Then we had 3 metal dividers made (check the saleboard for vendors) that attach to the RIGHT side of the trailer and the floor. We can also replace the chest piece on the left side with a stall screen. With all these parts we have plenty of options:

1. We can still carry 2 big horses side by side, with the mini partitions removed

2. We can carry one big horse on the left side and up to 2 minis in a slant configuration (and tied) on the right. Or one mini loose on the right side in the long narrow "box".

3. We can remove the center divider and put in all 3 dividers to carry 4 minis sideways.

4. We can remove all the partitions and the center divider and have a big box stall for carrying a mare and foal or any horse(s) loose - or tied.

Unless we are carrying big horses, there is room in the original manger area for hay, shavings, buckets, supplies, AND a show cart standing up. And everything else goes in the dressing room.


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## Suzie

We have an older two horse trailer we "converted" into a 4 horse mini hauler. Because we have a big horse too, we wanted to retain the big horse trailer for him. I went to a local welder/fabricator- his work was slow due to the economy- and had him create 3 stall dividers for my trailer. I drew out the designs I wanted on paper and he and I came up with the perfect solution. He installed a bar on the side (top and bottom) made drop slots and made my dividers. They latch on the opposite side of the trailer with a drop down (and fold up) bar he designed. I was thinking chain and latch, but he decided on a metal bar which is actually more sturdy. Cost was about $350. He used steel mesh for the divider fillers. I bought spray paint and painted them. I made bumpers from vinyl covered luan wood (light and sturdy) to attach. We normally carry only 3 horses, so we use 2 dividers and one big space for mare/foal combo. When not needed, they lift out and store flat on the side of the trailer bay.

With a little bit of time invested in searching around, you can do this economically. They are all totally removable, study and swing to the side for storage in the trailer too. We still have plenty of space in nose of the trailer for hay and stuff.

We looked for a bigger, factory built trailer but after about a year of looking, we could not find anything we liked better than what we had for pulling. So we just modified.


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## Flying minis

We are doing the same as Suzie - making all my dividers full length - I can then have any configuration of my big horse, little horses, and carts (my carts will fit in a slant stall in my trailer). My big horse cart goes on a rack on top of the trailer. My slants are extra wide, so I can actually put 2 minis in each slant stall, and can put 3 in the back if I collapse and fold my rear tack compartment. So I can carry 2 mini carts, 1 big horse cart, my saddlebred, and 5 minis all in a 4 horse slant (but it is extra tall, extra wide, and has a 6 foot short wall mid-tack, so I can put all my tack in there).


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## rimmerpaints

Yes we tie our minis but my hubby did some additions to our trailer to do this and be comfortable for our minis. He welding a latch lower to there levels to tie them in to there spot and our trailer is a slant and the dividers were way to high up(the minis can walk under the dividers) so he made another panel that attached to the slant divider so it keeps my minis more secure also. The attachment can be removed when pulling my big horses also. Im just scared having them loose in the trailer so we came up with this and it works great!


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## Becky Horat

My husband attached a rubber stall mat (not the real thick ones) to our center swinging dividers in our trailer. They hang almost down to the floor. We can still haul the big horses as well as the minis. We got the idea from a friend of ours that has used it for years with no problems. She hauls big horses and little ones too. So far so good.


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## HGFarm

I never haul horses without tying them- I know two people who have had fatal accidents for the horse. If they had been tied, neither one would have happened. I also have dividers that go to the floor, and just haul them like the big ones.


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## wingnut

We have a 19' stock trailer with a single middle divider (giving us two halves: front/back). When taking my two girls to our club's shows the last two years, we put them together loose in the back area. The one time we took 3 horses to a show, we put the 3rd in the front area by herself. Again, all are loose, not tied. I chose this method based on opinions I read here and what I saw done by other club members at our shows.

P.S. I also think in terms of personality and compatibility. The two I routinely hauled to these shows the last two years were well matched.


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## Barnmother

Mine all live together so compatability is not a problem. I am however looking into some miniature horse divders that can go into my exisiting trailer. I think I should be able to get four in there slantwise. I would really love to have dividers and haul them tied, but I can't see anyway to do that without the dividers and trailer modifications. Thanks for all the ideas and comments, please keep them coming,


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## JennyB

We have a goose and never, ever tie them. The dividers come out with the ponies and go back in for the horses...cattle don't need dividers!...I love the way some of you have the slanted small dividers though. If we hauled a lot we might think about that! Right now we only haul if we need to, like going to the vet or such. Maybe we will show next year locally 






 

Blessings,

Jenny


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## Nathan Luszcz

so minis = cattle?


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## Flying minis

You will get many opinions on whether or not to tie - what I will say is it depends on your trailer, your horses, how far you're going, etc. and in the end has to be what YOU and YOUR HORSES are comfortable with.

I always tie. My husband has been a horse transporter for nearly 10 years now, and both of us have had horses (and hauled them) all of our lives - I agree with him that horses will get in more trouble loose than if they are tied correctly. He has hauled literally thousands of horses, so I tend to go by his advice. Having said that, always tie appropriate to the height of the animal, use quick release knots, and ropes that will release the knots, even if the horse is down and keeping tension on the rope.

Others will say they never tie - again, I think you will need to determine what you are comfortable with. My preference and experience is that it is safer to tie.


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## Katiean

I have a 2 horse bumper pull trailer. It has a ramp and my horses are such babies that I have to let the ramp down or they won't load. Anyway. I load one side at a time. I put one mare in and tie her. Then I put my stallion in the same side facing back wards and tie him. I then close that door. Then the other side I load one mare facing front and tie and one facing back and tie her. My horses all get along quite well and have never had a problem with them kicking each other or any other problem.


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## Barnmother

Flying minis said:


> You will get many opinions on whether or not to tie - what I will say is it depends on your trailer, your horses, how far you're going, etc. and in the end has to be what YOU and YOUR HORSES are comfortable with.
> 
> I always tie. My husband has been a horse transporter for nearly 10 years now, and both of us have had horses (and hauled them) all of our lives - I agree with him that horses will get in more trouble loose than if they are tied correctly. He has hauled literally thousands of horses, so I tend to go by his advice. Having said that, always tie appropriate to the height of the animal, use quick release knots, and ropes that will release the knots, even if the horse is down and keeping tension on the rope.
> 
> Others will say they never tie - again, I think you will need to determine what you are comfortable with. My preference and experience is that it is safer to tie.




When we purchased the minis and brought them home we didn't tie them because there wasn't a place to safely do so, they traveled fine. (We also still had big horses, which we promptly sold.) But we are going to be heading off to some shows and traveling longer distances.

We have always tied our big horses but to tie the little ones we would have to make trailer modifications.

I think we are leaning towards doing just that and if we ever go to sell the trailer we will make them something that can be removed. I also would prefer to haul them all with dividers between them so we are trying to work on a plan for that also.

All these tips and ideas really do help.


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## flicka_sugar

I have several trailers. But my most used one, for hauling as I haul horses around the country, is a 4 horse head to head. I took out the breast bars and had foal doors added. So even if I put a mini in the miffle and have big horses in the mail stalls, or mini in the main stalls, it keeps them in safely where they shoud be and they can't get under anybodies legs.


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## Bob Rivers

I’m a first-timer hauling a miniature horse. My mini doesn’t like to be stalled if he cannot see outside the barn stall. I have stallion stall dividers in my trailer. The mini cannot see outside the trailer, has anyone tried a platform to raise their mini up so they can use the full size drop-down windows? Is this as crazy as it sounds???


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## Marsha Cassada

Bob Rivers said:


> I’m a first-timer hauling a miniature horse. My mini doesn’t like to be stalled if he cannot see outside the barn stall. I have stallion stall dividers in my trailer. The mini cannot see outside the trailer, has anyone tried a platform to raise their mini up so they can use the full size drop-down windows? Is this as crazy as it sounds???


I have an open stock trailer and my horses are used to traveling in it, seeing out. I sold a horse who traveled to AZ in a big horse trailer. The buyer told me that every time they stopped, the little horse would climb up on the bale of hay so he could look out the windows. She was thinking of having a lower window cut into the trailer for him! Fabricating a platform would be a feat, keeping in stabilized while in transit, and if he could get a foot caught anywhere it could be bad. 
Maybe your little guy could just learn to deal with it; try some short trailer rides at first with maybe a hay bag to keep him occupied.


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## Bob Rivers

I just had the trailer built, I should of had his trailer window lowered, just wasn’t sure how it would have looked.


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## Marsha Cassada

Bob Rivers said:


> I just had the trailer built, I should of had his trailer window lowered, just wasn’t sure how it would have looked.


A lower window would have been a conversation starter! 
Maybe another, smaller window, and if it is closed it wouldn't be very noticeable. If you ever sold the trailer with the custom window, the new buyers would be saying "what the heck?!"
Hope your little guy adjusts. 
My neighbors just moved. They have 5 biggies an a little. The guy fabricated a little stall that fit in the back of his pickup for the little one. I saw them as they drove off, and the little guy was in the stall, with his head up over the cab. Plenty of fresh air and a view. Luckily he had on a good fly mask. I will be curious to hear how he traveled 200+ miles...


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## Bob Rivers

Thanks


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## Marsha Cassada

Just got a video of the little guy in the custom stall in the back of the pickup. His ears were up, nose into the wind. She said he seemed to enjoy the whole trip. So, maybe they really do want to see what's outside the trailer. I wouldn't have transported a horse like that, but sometimes one has to do what one has to do.


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## Marsha Cassada

Okay, not exactly a solution for your trailer, but might work for the stall.


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## Martin Ridgway

Marsha Cassada said:


> Okay, not exactly a solution for your trailer, but might work for the stall.View attachment 42008


I think that could work just fine in the trailer. As long as it was built sturdy enough and was either tight enough to the sides to not move around or was bolted in place or you used wedges to keep it tight and from moving. If I was doing it, I would use square steel tubing and weld up the frame, but you'd either need to be handy with a welder or know someone that is. I would either cover it with at least 3/4 plywood (not particle or chip board) preferably pressure treated for longevity or either pressure treated 5/4 X6 deck boards or a synthetic like Trex (all of these various ideas are budget based, Trex or equivalent being most expensive.) Then I would either paint it with good gloss paint for easy hosing and add non skid additive or sand (preferably course) for traction. You could also use epoxy garage floor coating (again adding either sand or the non-skid additive) or get either room on, spray on or professionally done bedliner, like rino lining, linex (I don't recommend it) Rustoleum, etc. All of these options come in colors, some tinted to your desired color or color matched to trailer. 

The "extra window" would actually be a great idea, wouldn't look terrible, especially if you get a matching one from trailer manufacturer and either do a good clean install or have it professionally done. The thing about that is that then when you do sell it, it can be advertised as a "Custom horse trailer for minis AND/or full sized horses." Which greatly improves your attraction to all buyers, especially someone like me that has fullsized horses, donkeys and minis. That would definitely peak my attention! In fact, I'm going to order a new window (actually a couple) for my trailer as soon as I post this. I currently just allow my minis to "roam around" in my full sized, 3 horse bumper pull, which they do well with, but my mare really doesn't like not being able to see out, so she'll occasionaly rear up and look out when I stop.

Marsha, if you can, will you post the video of the mini in the back of pickup truck? I'd love to see it.

I've actually been considering either modifying my service dog, Angus', trailer that I pull behind my motorcycle for my minis or building a new one. He loves it and I'm sure they would too! If I knew how to post a picture, I would post one of the trailer behind the Harley with the 100 pound and 125 pound service dogs riding in it. Being that it has pulled those 2 and my friends 125 pound pitbull/American bulldog at same time, I should be able to tow my minis, one at a time, of course!


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## Martin Ridgway

When I was talking about paint, bedliner, "room on" was supposed to be "roll on." 

I also meant to mention that if you're a good carpenter or know one, you could build a platform out of wood, but it would have to be pretty sturdy. You could also bolt square tubing or angle iron to walls of trailer and put plywood on top for easy conversion from minis to full sized. I personally like and will be adding lower windows in mine. Thanks for the idea, Bob Rivers.


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## Marsha Cassada




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