Tips for buying a horse trailer

What should you consider when buying a horse box or trailer? It all depends on how many horses you'll be transporting and how often you'll be doing so, as well as how much you're willing to pay, writes Dr Mac.

- Dr Mac

If you're purchasing a horse box, trailer, or truck, your main consideration should be how many horses you need to transport and how often. Most popular is a two-horse trailer you can tow with a motor vehicle.

There are also long-distance carriers used for moving race horses, show jumpers and endurance horses, which often compete across the country. These are built like buses, with solid walls and individual stalls or stables inside. Some are very safe and luxurious, while others look like converted school buses.

BOX OR TRAILER?

In South Africa, any vehicle used to transport horses is generally called a horse box, which is a modified truck that can carry two or more horses. If it is designed to be pulled by a motor vehicle, it is registered as a 'horse trailer'.

You can easily purchase a new or second-hand horse trailer that holds just one horse, or one that holds two horses and a groom. Heavy-duty rubber floormats are important to prevent the horses from slipping.