Would you use a step up trailer

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coen

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I need to move my horse on saturday and the lady who usually takes us had has sold most of her stock this week and only has a step up trailer without a ramp.
Now I have never actually seen one myself and I am a little reluctant as he is usually so good to load I don't want to cause a problem.
How high is the step up generally?
Am I being ridiculous?
If anyone has any experience of them please let me know.
 
My trailer has an option as either a step up or a ramp and we had a bad loader once who would not go on the ramp but would happily step up.

It's not very high at all I'd say about a foot and is easy for them, if it was an elderly horse with bad joints I would think a ramp would be better but for a fit horse it's not a problem at all and hasn't put off any of my horses in the past when we used the step up. :)
 
my trailer has the option to be both and although the one and only time i used the step up option (just to play!) my horse was a bit confused at first, she loaded fine :)
 
Well that is good to know.
I am just a little worried that he would be put off by having to step directly into the trailer as although he loads very well he occasionally will play around for a couple of minutes by walking on and then walking backwards off, I don't want him to get a shock and fall off the back.
He also loads fine in a lorry.
 
He should be fine -my horses will load/unload in these with no problem. They are the norm in USA. A lot of the ones made in Europe (eg Fautras) are also the same.
 
Good well so far all the comments have been positive.
I may be worrying over nothing but when I googled them you see several horror stories about the horses back legs sliding under the trailer and skinning them ect.
Guess you will find horror stories about everything on the internet.
Must say I just had a look at the fautras and they look very smart. Not sure what make the lady has.
What do you all use?
 
I have a Bateson without a ramp (although there is one I can pull out, although I hardly ever do. Are you sure it doesn't have one?)

Never had any horse not go in it. I know one horse that won't go up a ramp but will walk into mine.

The step is only low and on mine is very padded and protected (more so than edges of ramps). If a horse tripped up it (which I don't think they would) I would say they would do less damage than if they fell off the side of a ramp.
 
If you can maybe check out your loading and unloading areas first you can probably back up to a spot where there's a slight rise in the ground and then it'll be a very small step up.



I've never used anything but a step up and everyone I know has them too
.... never any problems.
Good Luck:)
 
I have a fautras and have NEVER had anything not go it in, my mums old boys are very bad loaders - to the extent that we have had to leave one at a show over night before and as soon as we got the fautras they both walked straight in. We've never had a problem since, I've travelled mares and foals, youngsters, 2 big 17.2h's together.... It's brilliant! Will never buy any other make of trailer again :D

X
 
That's brilliant. I was probably worrying about nothing...fear of the unknown.

That is a good point saddlebags, I will try to find an appropriate place to make it easier.

Having researched them online they look great but quite expensive.
I will be looking to get my own trailer later on in the year but there don't seem to be any used Fautras for sale.
 
Yes, and do if I have a choice. I prefer them and the horses seem to as well.

On a personal note having doors to shut behind a horse rather than struggling with a ramp is a Godsend in my opinion. Another advantage is that if you travel with two horses, one can be unloaded/loaded without the other trying to back out as most of the doors are separate.
 
Have to say this was a disaster, I really am not a fan of them.
As soon as I saw the inside of the trailer I knew we were going to have a problem as the inside is so small and dark. There were no front doors which could be opened and the herringbone style meant the back partition was closed leaving a small triangle which my horse was supposed to fit in to.
The step its self didn't put him off getting his front legs onto the trailer initially but if he took as step back his back end would fall off the trailer completely. I gave up after 40min annoyed that I had persevered when I knew it wasn't right.
It then took me an hour to load him onto a lorry because he was too scared to put his back legs on the ramp (literally stretched out like a giraff) and it usually takes 5mins.
Now a little worried I have caused a problem :(
Nice looking trailers from the outside but didn't work for me.
 
My friend had one (Van fautas sp?) and her horses loved it, but my filly hated it. Maybe some horses just don't like them and prefer a ramp.
 
This was a fautras oblic. I guess its horses for courses but mine really didn't like it and I have to say I wasn't keen when I saw the inside initially as there really doesn't seem to be much space, he is 16.1 and couldn't manage but I hear they are supposed to take two 17.2's.
 
sounds a funny set up....

My Bateson is like a regular trailer so they walk straight forward and could go straight through and out the front if you needs Nice and light and airy!
 
I also have a Fautras step up trailer and everything I have loads without a problem, including youngsters that have never loaded before. Most actually self load. I would never go back to a ramp.
 
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