Our goal, is to provide the information necessary, for you, to make sound decisions on trailer purchases, and maintenance.
By Ryan Kent, owner, RMK Trailer Sales
Over the years, and a lifetime of being involved in the equine industry, I have seen countless articles, and well written articles, on training, and showing, and riding, in just about every area of the horse industry you can think of. All this has resulted in positive information for the equine enthusiast, from the weekend trail rider, who enjoys scenic rides with friends, to the hard core show person, determined to make their mark in the discipline of their choice, including Western or English style of riding and showing. Maybe you show a Clydesdale team with big wagons, or right down to the mini ponies pulling carts, maybe, you have that good old mule, that will ride on the side of a mountain, that is as sturdy as an oak. You might pull out to races to run your investment, in the chance that horse makes it back for you.
From the weekender, to the hard core trainer, to the racer, to the show person, no matter your choice, equine travel is a reality. You are responsible for an animal, with a fight or flight instinct, to get them to and from a destination, off property, in a trailer. You may have a half ton pickup, an SUV, or up to a fully loaded dually, it doesn't matter, the bottom line is, if you want to go somewhere, you need a trailer.
What I haven't seen a lot of information on for the equestrian, is the trailer itself.
What does a trailer mean? In reality, it's a necessity, whether you own one or haul customers horses, or put your horse into someone else's trailer, your using one.
Our goal, is to provide the information necessary, for you, to make sound decisions on trailer purchases, and maintenance. Whether you buy new or used, whether you buy from us or other dealers, you are responsible for what you decide to spend your money on. The dealers job is to sell trailers. The customers job is to find the trailer that suits their budget, and is safe to haul. New does not mean quality, new, just means new. Used is not bad, it just means previously used.
Truck rating, and weight distribution are also important. Before you purchase a vehicle, what kind of trailer do you need? I'll let you in on a secret, truck sales staff don't always provide the best information.
Sometimes, you need to choose what your doing ahead of time, to make an informed decision on a vehicle purchase.
Our goal in this article is to inform you on many aspects of the trailer industry. From truck ratings, to trailer specs, to budget, there are so many options to choose. What is best, for your needs?
In this column, we will address these concerns and hopefully help you decide what trailer works for you, and your horse. We will choose a topic each article to discuss, as best we can, to help make you confident in your purchasing. I have loaded horse onto just about every trailer you can think of.
We will discuss topics such as, budget, steel vs aluminum, frames, axles, frame thickness, slants vs straights, tire rating, MTO rules, maintenance, and care. We have a whole list of topics to discuss, that will cause your dealer to love you, or hate you, based on real time experience.
Our goal is that you are well informed. What I have seen, is that many people are insecure about finding a trailer. And that's ok. That means your conscience of the responsibility a trailer has. The trailer, loading and hauling, Should be the least of your worries. It's should be simple and fun in a way, that you don't bat an eye at it. Your horse feels your stress. They feel the fly on their back. A 1000 lb, plus, animal, can sense your nervousness.
"Why are they worried" they think, at a 6am load time.
You can be the best rider in the world, but if you can't confidently load them, why would they trust you? Hauling should be the least stress of your day. Your horse should jump on, with confidence, telling you, "let's go"
And this column is here to help. You have it in you to be confident in trailering, we just want to give you the tools and knowledge to assist you.
If your confident in your rig, you'll be confident where you travel.
