Posted 2010-10-14 12:50 PM (#125771) Subject: Step up trailer to high....
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Arizona
Hi sure hope someone can give me some advice. My horses love riding in the trailer and load and unload with no trouble in my 2 horse slant, step up bumper pull which is 11" off the ground...my trouble started when I bought a 3 horse slant load gooseneck Logan 2000 (year) the step up is 18" off the ground! My horses jump into it, but backing out they panic some cause they can't find the ground..is 18" normal for a Logan, or what is the nomal height for a step up on a gooseneck? I know I can move the hitch coupler to lower the back of the trailer, but don't want unlevel the trailer to much. Also someone said the trailer could have been blocked to raise the height of the trailer, how can you tell if it's been blocked up on the axel? Can the blocks be removed? Thanks for the help....
Posted 2010-10-15 9:29 AM (#125794 - in reply to #125771) Subject: RE: Step up trailer to high....
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
Yes that is a normal height. In fact I really doubt that you have any blocks to remove. Usually when blocked you are at 20-21" of step up.
My horses deal with it just fine. I give them a second or two to find the ground and out they go. This is more of something new for your horses. They have become acustomed to 11" step and just need to learn that sometime it will be 18"
I've had several logan trailers, And I actually wish I the money and time to get them blocked a little higher. It helps on the forest service and BLM roads.
Posted 2010-10-16 12:30 AM (#125819 - in reply to #125771) Subject: RE: Step up trailer to high....
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Arizona
Hey thanks guys...I feel better about it now. You're right the trailer was not blocked..and has original axels...so quess the mares will learn. Thanks again.
Posted 2010-10-16 11:21 AM (#125827 - in reply to #125771) Subject: RE: Step up trailer to high....
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
I just went out and measured mine. It's 16" not 18".
Most of the time, I let my horses turn around and walk out forward. The trailer has plenty of room for them to turn in ( no mangers) so it's not a big deal turning them around inside the trailer. I do ask them to back out every so often, Just so they don't forget. Because the day will come when I load them in a friends trailer and they have no choice but to back out.
If your trailer has a rear tack or mangers, it's difficult and possibly unsafe to let them turn inside the trailer. You will have to look at the size of your horses and decide.
Posted 2010-10-16 1:09 PM (#125834 - in reply to #125771) Subject: RE: Step up trailer to high....
Member
Posts: 22
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
I have a new Logan and it's 16" off the ground. I had a ramp installed at the factory, which is OK but almost too steep due to the trailer high off the ground.
Can you let the horses turn around and walk out? 18" is very high to ask them to back out. Think about it...would you ask your horse to back down an 18" step on the trail?
Posted 2010-10-16 3:37 PM (#125848 - in reply to #125834) Subject: RE: Step up trailer to high....
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by watermarkfarm on 2010-10-16 2:09 PM
I have a new Logan and it's 16" off the ground. I had a ramp installed at the factory, which is OK but almost too steep due to the trailer high off the ground.Can you let the horses turn around and walk out? 18" is very high to ask them to back out. Think about it...would you ask your horse to back down an 18" step on the trail? Good luck!
Posted 2010-10-17 10:26 AM (#125886 - in reply to #125771) Subject: RE: Step up trailer to high....
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Lynnville, Tn
Will your horse not step over a 18 inch log or you do you go around. I think that is a bad habit to start letting turn the horse around in the trailer to get it to unload. Once you start this they will always want to do this and could be bad if they ever get loose in a slant load. You train you horse to load and unload into any trailer with or with out a ramp. I train my horse to load and unload by there self, I walk them up to the trailer take off the lead rope and they load up and when I get ready to unload them I open the back door and when I unhook them they back out and what for a lead rope. If they try to turn around on my 3 horse slant I stop them and hook them back up until the back out. I have both a with a ramp and without.
Posted 2010-10-17 10:38 PM (#125914 - in reply to #125771) Subject: RE: Step up trailer to high....
Elite Veteran
Posts: 714 Location: Minnesota
Just a little suggestion. If you can find a small rise in the terrain to bring your trailer height closer to the ground it will help.
Just a quick story, the first time my horse had to unload from a stock trailer I tried to lead her out. She wouldn't! I had to get in the trailer and back her out. She will go over or down just about anything when I'm on her back.
Posted 2015-04-13 12:35 PM (#163145 - in reply to #125771) Subject: RE: Step up trailer to high....
New User
Posts: 1
Location: NE Kansas, Kansas
I just found out I can lower my trailer step up height, currently at 18", by changing my tires from 235/75R15 to a 225/75R15 or a 205/75R15. My goal is to get the step up to around 11"-12" but no more than 14". My tire guy said that the reason my trailer is so high is because it has light duty truck tires on it and that a change to trailer tires would lower the step up and he is going to check to see if we can also lower the gooseneck to keep it level. But in any case, the new tires will lower the trailer and be better able to distribute the load because trailer tires wrap around the rim in a way that will not wear them down when they make turns since their turn is different than the truck pulling it. I am so excited because new trailers are expensive and ramps cost about $1500 to have made. I just got back from a show where my horse rode in a friends ramp load and she did not load any easier onto the ramp. It didn't seem as sturdy as just stepping up into the trailer and she liked it no less backing out. Not to mention it takes two people to lift those ramps back up and they are super heavy. I know this post is late but I wanted to add this in case someone else was searching on answers to this problem as I was.
Posted 2015-04-15 6:55 AM (#163162 - in reply to #125771) Subject: RE: Step up trailer to high....
Regular
Posts: 78
My full width ramp (on an 8' wide trailer) has springs on it and is easy for me to lift by myself. It has absolutely made a huge difference in my horses ease of loading and unloading. My old trailer had 3" blocked axles and was ridiculously high. The older arthritic horses, baby horses, and injured horses absolutely had a hard time loading and unloading. Love my ramp!
Step up trailer to high....
Will your horse not step over a 18 inch log or you do you go around. I think that is a bad habit to start letting turn the horse around in the trailer to get it to unload. Once you start this they will always want to do this and could be bad if they ever get loose in a slant load. You train you horse to load and unload into any trailer with or with out a ramp. I train my horse to load and unload by there self, I walk them up to the trailer take off the lead rope and they load up and when I get ready to unload them I open the back door and when I unhook them they back out and what for a lead rope. If they try to turn around on my 3 horse slant I stop them and hook them back up until the back out. I have both a with a ramp and without.