Horse Trailer Camera Systems: Keeping Your Horse Safe on the Road
Monitoring your horse while traveling can provide invaluable peace of mind, ensuring that your horse is safe, comfortable, and stress-free during long trips.
Brad shares his insights on two highly recommended camera systems: Ranch Cams and Equine Eye.
- Ranch Cams: A hardwired camera system that’s been a favorite for over 11 years, known for its durability, reliability, and excellent customer service. It includes two cameras (one inside the horse area and one for backup) and a dedicated monitor, making it ideal for those looking for a permanent, heavy-duty solution.
- Equine Eye: This newer option is a wireless, battery-powered camera system. It’s perfect for those who want an easy-to-install, no-wires option that connects directly to your smartphone. Brad explains how simple it is to mount the camera inside your trailer using its magnetic base, especially for steel-framed trailers.
GET 10% OFF RANCHCAMS with code 'double d' at checkout: https://ranchcams.net/
GET 10% OFF EQUINE EYE with code 'DOUBLEDTRAILERS' at checkout: https://equine-eye.com/
Read more: A Guide to Horse Trailer Cameras
Introducing TROTT: A Revolutionary Trailer Monitoring System
Beyond cameras, Brad also teases an exciting development from Double D Trailers—TROTT, a cutting-edge monitoring system designed with horse safety in mind. TROTT offers more than just video feeds; it monitors vibration, airflow, temperature, and even features thermal imaging to track your horse’s well-being during transit. Controlled entirely through your smartphone, this innovative system ensures you can monitor and adjust conditions in real time for your horse's comfort.
Learn more and stay up-to-date with TROTT here: trott.ai
Tune in to the episode below!
Host (Brad): Welcome to the Double D Trailers podcast! Today, we’re talking about cameras—specifically, cameras for your horse trailer. Back in the day, I didn’t have much experience with cameras, but in 2013, a client from Texas reached out. She loved our trailers and specifically wanted a camera system that she’d used before. That’s when I was introduced to Ranch Cams, and we’ve been using them for our trailers ever since—going on 11 years now!
[00:01:00]
We've had great service and support with Ranch Cams, and our clients have had very few issues. Patrick, the owner of Ranch Cams, is a great guy to work with—always super responsive and takes excellent care of our customers. Ranch Cams is a hardwired system, meaning there are no batteries for the cameras themselves. The system needs to be mounted, and the cameras are wired into the electrical system of your trailer to provide power.
We typically install two cameras: one inside the horse area to monitor the horses while traveling (it has sound as well) and one exterior camera for backup so you can see behind you. The system includes a couple of antennas on the roof to send the signal to a separate monitor that comes with the system. This monitor doesn’t tie into your smartphone—it’s a dedicated display for viewing your horses in real time, with audio. There’s no recording, just a live feed.
If you’re looking for a hardwired, durable camera system that’s cost-effective and backed by great support, definitely check out Ranch Cams at ranchcam.net.
[00:03:30]
EQUINE EYE Camera System
If you already have a trailer or don’t want to deal with wiring, another camera system worth considering is the Equine Eye. This camera is wireless and battery-powered, which means it's super easy to install—you can mount it anywhere inside your trailer without worrying about wiring. It even has a magnetic base, so if you have a steel trailer, it can be attached without screws. If it's an aluminum trailer, you'll need to screw the base in place.
Once the camera is mounted, you're done! It transmits a wireless signal to your tow vehicle and communicates directly with your smartphone—no extra monitor needed. This camera also only provides a live feed; it doesn’t have recording or smart features, but for something quick, easy, and reasonably priced (around $300 to $400), it's a great option.
[00:05:00]
I think every horse owner who tows should have a camera in their trailer. You never really know what’s happening with your horse back there, and it can give you peace of mind. As a trailer designer with 27 years of experience, I can tell you we’ve seen some things that would have been much easier to handle if we’d had a visual on the horse during transit.
I’m not sure about the battery life of the Equine Eye, but I've heard it lasts around 4-5 hours. You’d probably just need to recharge it after each trip. It might even be possible to recharge it from the tow vehicle, but I haven’t tested that yet.
[00:07:00]
TROT: Our Next-Gen Monitoring System
We also have a product called Trot that we've been developing. It’s not available yet, but it's something we've been working on at Double D Trailers along with App Crafters, Inc. Trot is a full trailer monitoring system that takes things a step further than Ranch Cams or Equine Eye, which are essentially just live video feeds.
We’ve always been laser-focused on safety and the comfort of horses in transit. The things that really affect a horse’s stress levels during travel are noise, vibration, air movement, and temperature. Trot is designed to monitor all of these factors. We have the prototype now and are in the development and testing stages. The software is developed, and the app is on the app stores—you can take a look at Trot.ai. Keep in mind it’s a first version, so go easy on us!
[00:08:30]
Features of Trot
Trot will have a thermal imaging camera, a standard camera, and audio, so you’ll be able to see if your horse is overheating or if they're stressed. It will also measure trailer vibration and airflow to help you monitor the conditions your horse is experiencing. It’s a wireless system that communicates with your tow vehicle through an app—no separate monitor is needed.
It can even control the trailer's interior lighting and auxiliary fans. For example, if you're starting early in the morning and it's cool, you might not need fans. But if the temperature reaches a certain point, the app can turn the fans on automatically, so you don’t have to worry about it. You can see how your horses are doing in real time with the thermal imaging, and you’ll know if you need to adjust airflow or open windows.
[00:10:00]
Right now, the Trot control module runs on a battery that lasts about eight hours and is fully rechargeable, but we’ll also offer a hardwired version so you won’t have to worry about the battery. We’re super excited about Trot and believe it will be a great addition to our industry.
That’s it for now—stay tuned for more updates on Trot. I really think you guys are going to like it!
