Lets Talk Trailers

Let talk trailers

I can say that the trailers at the Sanctuary are about the only thing paid for! It may seem like an odd topic to discuss but if you have livestock, you need a way to get them from Point A to Point B and if not livestock, other "stuff" that needs to be moved.

So we're going to start with my old trusty stock trailer. This trailer doesn't look nice but it doesnt' owe me anything. Well, it does. I just put brand new tires on it so it has to last until the tires are worn out. I bought this trailer in 2003. It's a 1993 something or other. It's seen better days. We've had to weld almost everything on it but it still functions. It's my go to trailer even if it looks terrible. It is what it is and it's paid for. I'd love to get a better one but that's not in the cards unless someone wants to donate one.

The following trailer is my pride and joy although after a comment, there's a bit of a rub with it these days. It's a 1996 6 horse sundowner. I bought it initially because we had draft horses and we were making two trips to haul four horses to the vet. It was a pain and I loved the thought that I could throw a bunch of horses in and head to the vet (well, not going to the vet part but that I could haul anyone no matter what size they were). I like having it because there's comfort in knowing I could move almost everyone in an emergency. But in reality, I need to sell it. I need an enclosed trailer for drill team and when I haul in the winter. It makes no sense hauling this big trailer in the winter when I might get stuck in a snow drift and when I'm only hauling one horse.


I thought I was going to be able to sell it pretty quick but something happened to all the hinges so we are stuck replacing ALL the hinges and doing a bit of other work in hopes that I can come out, not even in selling it but not come out losing my entire butt.


I'll be sad to see it go but happy to buy a more functional trailer and possibly retire the gray stock trailer to only minor work.

The blue trailer was not quite a whim but I bought it because of the tires. It's a running joke in the family. I ended up using the tires off the blue trailer and put them on the gray trailer. I don't particularly like the blue trailer because its' slightly smaller and narrower than my gray trailer. But it's a 1979? and in better shape than the gray trailer. Right now Mike is working on the brakes and some other stuff so that we can possibly sell it. I'm not in a big hurry to sell it. It may or may not come in handy. Sort of silly to have three horse trailers but in an emergency, it's nice to know that its' there just in case. Silly but still there. It's in ghetto style but it'll need to be fixed and moved before the snow flies.

Last but definitely not least is the flat bed trailer. It's actually a car trailer but has seen more hay than vehicles. It's come in really handy. I would love to buy a gooseneck flatbed but we aren't there yet so instead we make due with this trailer. We try not to haul too much hay with it because the weight restriction on it means we can't pile on the hay like I'd like to. As it sits right now with six of the smaller bales, the trailer is maxed out. So it would be nice to have a bigger trailer.

And is the case, if a trailer is not unloaded right away, the stuff that's on or in it, will sit there until there is either an emergency and we NEED the trailer or we need the stuff on it. In most cases it's that we NEED the trailer for something else. So the stuff in/on the trailer gets unloaded in a hurry and usually in a heap somewhere. In most cases, unless it's an emergency, it'll just have to wait and usually unloaded a trailer is just that...not an emergency until you need it!

The gray stock trailer is loaded with Ondura sheets and 2x4s for the hay barn roof! Totally excited to see that project start but its' going to be difficult to figure out when we can get it done. The cooler weather helps and we should have access to a telehandler or boom truck, what with my uncle being stuck watching his crops whither away. But Mike's work schedule ramped up. That's the problem with Mike's schedule. It's opposite of mine. He's busy in the summer months and I'm busy with horses in the winter months.

But I digress...so there you have it...the trailers of the Sanctuary. I don't snicker at trailers either. We started out with a STEEL, 4 horse straight load turquoise trailer. Yes, someone painted it turquoise because that was the IN color in the early 90s.  You might have seen that trailer at the "summer retreat" when I had Junior and Lace up there. It's not one I "advertise" a lot because it looks dumpy. But it did get us from Point A to Point B...with a lot of snickers in our direction (but all in fun).

I think with any acreage, you almost have to have a trailer of some sort. Luckily we have a multitude to choose from and best of all, they are all paid for!