A bumper pull horse trailer is designed to be attached to a hitched mounted behind vehicle. The hitch is actually attached to the frame of the towing vehicle with the ball of the hitch placed at about bumper level.
Bumper pulls are best suited to trailering with a max of two horses and shorter distances.
Also called tagalong, tag-along, pull behind, or tow behind.
See also gooseneck.
Rear tack area with an inner wall that can be collapsed as needed, making the rear opening wider.
The receptacle on the horse trailer for the hitch, or ball, on the towing vehicle. The coupler widens to accept the ball, then is tightened around the neck of the ball. The coupler must allow the ball to rotate freely in order to make turns, but must not be able to slip out of the coupler. More on this later. Keep an eye out for our article on hooking up and towing!
A horse trailer specially built to your specifications. Adds significantly to cost, and may affect resale negatively.
Usually refers to partitions between horses in a slant load horse trailer, but can be any partition between horses.
A dressing room is a compartment at the front of a horse trailer that is walled off from the horse area and may be used for changing clothes, as well as for storage. It may or may not have saddle racks.
The side of the horse trailer that is on the same side as the driver of the towing vehicle. Also referred to as “street side” of the trailer, meaning the traffic side.
Dutch doors are split in half horizontally so that upper and lower sections swing independently of each other. In horse trailers, dutch doors are usually found above ramps that are integrated into an opening.
Dutch doors are less expensive than the full door alternatives and can be good for additional ventilation when traveling but can be a hazard with a horse that doesn’t trailer well. (example)
Other style doors are full doors.
An enclosed horse trailer has a horse area with solid sides and some type of window at head and rump.
Tack storage in the front room (usually called dressing room) of a horse trailer.
A horse trailer with living quarters that has a generator or access to RV electrical hookup and can be used as a dwelling.
A gooseneck trailer is designed to be attached to a hitch mounted to the frame of truck in bed of towing vehicle. Gooseneck trailers have a coupler on the trailer and a hitch in the bed of the towing vehicle. (The 5th wheel hitch, A similar towing method, consists of a hitch on the trailer and a coupler in the bed of the towing vehicle.)
A horse area layout in which horses are loaded facing each other. A type of straight load trailer.
A steel ball mounted on a towing vehicle for use in attaching trailers. Horse trailers use either bumper hitches, which are attached to the rear frame of the towing vehicle, or gooseneck hitches, which are attached to the frame of pickup trucks through the bed. Pickup trucks can haul either bumper pull or gooseneck trailers. SUV-type towing vehicles can only haul bumper pulls. Ball sizes for bumper pull horse trailers are 2″ and 2-5/16″. Ball size for gooseneck horse trailers is 2-5/16″.
A horse trailer outfitted with equipment and features that allow cooking, sleeping and bathing. This term can mean both full living quarters and partial living quarters.
The longest side wall in a slant dressing room or living quarters.
Commonly used abbreviation for a horse trailer with living quarters.
A separate room or compartment located between the front room and the horse area. Reaches from one side of the trailer to the other. Many times referred to as a “mudroom” and used as a changing room, but may be outfitted with saddle racks, or used for storage. Midtacks may be “pie-shaped” or slanted, or straight walled, depending on the layout of the rest of the trailer. A custom built feature.
An Open Side/Stock Side/Stock Combo Horse Trailer has air spaces or slats in the horse area at about horse head level above solid sides, and usually having some type of tack storage or dressing area.
The side of the horse trailer that is on the same side as the passenger side of the towing vehicle. Also referred to as “curb side” of the trailer, meaning the non-traffic side.
The rear tack wall is permanently fixed in place and can not be moved.
Tack storage at the rear of the trailer, usually accessed through the rear doors or a dedicated side door.
Saddle racks that are not welded in place and can be removed.
The term shortwall or short wall, refers to shortest side wall in the dressing room in a slant load trailer. The opposite wall is called the longwall, or long wall.
The size of the dressing room is usually referred to in feet. The walls may be straight across and square or rectangular, or slanted, depending on the horse loading style. Since a shortwall is measured in feet, if it is significantly less than 1 foot it may be referred to as “0’ shortwall”.
TIP: As you are shopping if you see only the shortwall measurement you can figure the approximate length of the long wall by adding 5’ to the short wall measurement. Always keep in mind that all measurements are approximate. If you need an exact measurement, please let us know.
Side Tack is a midtack compartment big enough only for saddle storage. (Does not reach from side to side of the trailer.) A custom built feature.
A horse trailer in which horses are loaded with their head facing the side of the trailer, with their rumps facing the other side of the trailer.
Stock Trailer refers to a trailer designed specifically to haul untamed livestock.
A horse trailer in which horses are loading facing the front of the trailer.
Built-in saddle racks that swing out for added accessibility.
A horse trailer with some kind of partial living quarters. This term varies in meaning from trailer to trailer, so it is important to review features carefully. (DHMCO does not use the term weekender or weekend package.)
