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 Expert
Posts: 1395
  
Location: Missouri | At some point, hopefully next year, my husband and I need to think about replacing our horse trailer. It's an older Chaparral that actually belongs to my mom and my aunt, and they've been letting me use it for several years as they don't ever use it. But for various reasons we really need to start saving for one of our own. We'd like an aluminum gooseneck w/ a dressing room.
I only have one horse right now, and I don't foresee myself having more than 2 in the next several years. I also don't really haul with anyone usually. I'm noticing that in most cases, similar trailers in a 2h are of course going to be less expensive than their 3h counterparts. So just curious what y'alls thoughts are? Anyone ever bought a 2h and wish they'd have gone with a 3h and why? Also, is it significantly harder to sell a 2h should we ever outgrow it? TIA! |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Get a 3 horse with a stud panel, the extra stall is great for storage. I have a 4 horse, I usually use the front stall for hay, etc. it is a pain when I haul all 4 of mine and I loose that storage space. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| I have a 2 horse. I would LOVE a 3 horse, so I'm saving up my money!
I would like the extra storage space of a 3 horse - I always end up with things that I don't necessarily want in my dressing room, but don't want to put in the back of the pickup; hay bales, dirty blankets, a bbq grill, etc. I like the idea of the extra stall to store things in (with a stud divider so things don't fly around).
Just my 2 cents.  |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | We went from a Pete Zanetti two horse straight load with a tack room the size of my bedroom to a Sooner 4 horse/stock combo. HATE the 4 horse. Not sure Hate is a strong enough word. A)its so darn big you cant' get it around the drive way so you have to jack knife turn it and the winter really makes that a challenge with out getting stuck B) this makes going to races from November to about March near impossible C) did mention I am not a fan of it? I have 3 horses, I'd gladly leave 1 home every trip to have my 2 horse trailer back. Nice trailer, got a great price, hate the darn thing.  |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | definitely go for a 3 horse. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 926
| I had a 4 horse LQ and then downsized to a 3 horse LQ as circumstances changed. It seemed I always had an extra hole, even with the 3 horse. I am pulling a 2 horse BP for now, but will be buying an LQ later this year, and I'm buying a 2h. As far as selling them, if they're nice like Platinum or 4 Star, they are scarce as hens teeth. They seem to either have a 6 or 8 ft SW or they have like a 18 ft SW, so the in between like 10 or so are not that plentiful, at least that's what I've found. I go looking every now and again to see if there's something out there I can't live without.
Good Luck. |
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Expert
Posts: 1395
Location: Missouri | Thanks for all the input so far!
For those that mentioned storage concerns, let me ask you....do you feel like a two horse would be 'okay' if you had mangers and a hay rack for extra storage? Just curious! For the next few years at least, I doubt I'll go to many, if any, barrel races that require me to stay overnight and need a ton of stuff, but as my kiddos get a little bigger that *may* change. But for the next 2-3 yrs, I doubt I'll travel more than 2 hrs max one way to races much and will probably just stick to the one day deals. But I don't want to save, and buy a trailer that doesn't work 5 years from now, you know?
I've been pulling a little 16ft stock trailer BP since I turned 16, so almost 10 yrs now, I'm almost afraid to get something too big or I'll be terrible at pulling it...although everyone tells me goosenecks are easier! |
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Expert
Posts: 1395
Location: Missouri | chicks2 - 2016-03-08 4:32 PM
I had a 4 horse LQ and then downsized to a 3 horse LQ as circumstances changed. It seemed I always had an extra hole, even with the 3 horse. I am pulling a 2 horse BP for now, but will be buying an LQ later this year, and I'm buying a 2h. As far as selling them, if they're nice like Platinum or 4 Star, they are scarce as hens teeth. They seem to either have a 6 or 8 ft SW or they have like a 18 ft SW, so the in between like 10 or so are not that plentiful, at least that's what I've found. I go looking every now and again to see if there's something out there I can't live without.
Good Luck.
I actually found a Cimarron with weekender not 30 miles away, 2h, that i SO wish I could scoop up! It's in the upper end of price range we'd be looking when we DO buy, which kind of prompted me to post this. Lol! |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | rodeomom3 - 2016-03-08 2:06 PM Get a 3 horse with a stud panel, the extra stall is great for storage. I have a 4 horse, I usually use the front stall for hay, etc. it is a pain when I haul all 4 of mine and I loose that storage space.
This. I only have 1 horse and when it's time for me to buy a trailer, I want a 3 Horse with an escape door. I'd occasionally haul with friends but the storage in the front is KEY!! |
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Member
Posts: 32
| I hauled a Chaparral 2 horse for several years. This past summer I stepped up into a 10ft shortwall 3 horse platinum. Mine has the stud divider and love the extra space. I usually haul one horse but if I take my son's pony then 2. Its nice to have space to put a cooler, bike, scooter, hay... Mine has managers and use those for cords, chairs, buckets, etc.... After having the space I don't see ever going back to a 2 horse. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | My parents have a 4 horse gooseneck and I have a 2 horse bumper pull. Even though I rarely want to haul more than 2 horses I wish I had three horse. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | 3 horse, you can always use the extra hole for hauling feed and hay, I have a 4 horse and love having the extra hole, comes in handy when going to a 3 day barrel race. |
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Expert
Posts: 1586
Location: west of East Texas | When I was trailer shopping I looked HARD for a 2H slant load and just couldn't find one. I ended up with a 3H and I really am thankful for it. I can't imagine ever going back to a 2H. That extra room has come in handy more times than I can count, whether it's hauling 'stuff' or just leaving a space between the two horses. My daughter just got a 2H to take to college and it just looks so tiny in there. She has one horse but rarely hauls alone and she's already talking about needing a 3H. Horses are like potato chips and you can't have just one! |
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 Duct Tape Can't Fix Stupid
Posts: 2749
Location: Warsaw,NY | I just bought a Loakota 3H w/LQ. i will only be hauling 1 horse. i have the stud panel in 1st stall to use as storage, i also have mangers. mayse sometimes i will haul with a friend to far away races. but u will love the extra storage and the resale of a 3h IMO is better than a 2h. U will prob rarely use a hayrack. I had one nce and used it once. Its a PIA to get the hay up there, then if its raining you cant put hay up there, unless u have a enclosed hayrack. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| I'll be the odd one out here. I have ALWAYS had 3H but I used to haul 2 horses and I used the front stall for storage. Now, I never haul more than 1 and personally, I just don't want the extra length. If my current trailer would ever sell, I will be looking for a 2H, I found one on here but can't do anything about it until mine sells. I am almost betting I will HAVE to buy a 3H because 2H are too hard to find, (I want a G/N with a living quarters). I am sure the resell is better on a 3H - but then, I had a TON of people who WOULD have been interested in mine if it was a 4H and sorry, I just don't need a 4-holer for ONE horse! |
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 Poor Cracker Girl
Posts: 12150
Location: Feeding mosquitos, FL | The extra length between a 2 and a 3 horse gooseneck is really minimal (unless you have a tiny driveway like run n rate!). The difference comes in how your dressing room is set up - some three horses are actually shorter than a two horse with a bigger dressing room.
I had a two horse with the tiniest dressing room in the world for years and only hauling one horse it was fine. I was always hunting more storage but it worked. Once I ended up with two horses going, it really got too little - especially for multi-day shows. The back seat of my truck would end up with more stuff in it than the horse trailer. Also, selling it was hard - tons of people said they really liked it but they wanted a three horse.
I bought a three horse in October and it was so nice to have that front stall for stuff (until I ended up with a THIRD horse going. Ugh. I have a problem.) I do have a hayrack on this trailer but it is a pain in the neck to get up there, especially carrying anything. I saw a trailer ad somewhere with a telescoping hay rack ladder that I really really want badly. |
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 Dog Resuce Agent
Posts: 3459
Location: southeast Texas | Three horse,
more air movement for horse.
extra storage in the front stall.
Hay mangers, not real safe climbing up and down.
8' wide, more room for horse to lower head while traveling especially if you have mangers.
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 Member
Posts: 6
Location: Indiana | I have a 4 horse and I love it! I haul and ride other people's horses plus my own and the extra storage in the stud stall is great to have. |
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Expert
Posts: 1395
Location: Missouri | Call me stupid but I honestly didn't think of the hay rack being a pain in the tail. I've never had one can't ya tell? You guys are bringing up some really good points, thanks! To the person who mentioned more air flow to the horse in a 3h, I honestly didn't think of that either.
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 Veteran
Posts: 260
Location: Oregon | When I was trading in my 3 horse keifer that was falling apart, I was looking at a 3 horse platinum. Loved it, however they had a 4 horse that was actually less expensive, had a few less bells and whistles than the 3 horse. I really didn't want a 4 horse, but decided to take a look anyway, and ended up buying the 4 horse. I actually really only haul 1-2 horses usually, once in a great while I'll haul 3 or 4, but not often. Let me tell you, I've never been happier! It didn't actually come with a stud panel, so I put a large piece of plywood against the front panel and works just as well as it is kindof locked in there due to the wheel wells being to the inside. LOVE having my extra storage stall. I keep hay, haybags, travel panels, shavings/pellets and pop up barrels all the time in there, and then pack extra stuff when I go to multi day races/camping/etc. I also have mangers for chairs/cords/hoses/buckets, etc. I do have a hay rack but all that ever goes up there is wheelbarrows (if needed) and my horse water tank. Hay is a pain to get up there and living in Western Oregon, we get a lot of rain, so I don't usually put hay up there. All in all, I'm super happy I went with a larger trailer than what I actually needed. One thing I never have to worry about is outgrowing this trailer! If I do end up outgrowing it, I have bigger problems than needing a bigger trailer!  |
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