Small Horse Living Quarters Trailer: Perfect for Equestrians On the Go!

Many horse owners  want a small horse trailer with living quarters – one that’s easy to hitch up and even easier to haul on the road.  A bumper pull horse trailer with living quarters seems like a perfect solution.  But be careful!  Customers have been asking us for this type of trailer for years, but we’ve always said “no.”  Why? Up until recently, living quarters built with a bumper pull hitch were extremely unsafe!  

But now, we are happy to announce the release of our brand new SafeTack one horse bumper pull trailer with living quarters. We’ve tackled the safety issues head-on and come up with a brilliant little one-horse trailer perfect for any horseman on-the-go!

Why are MOST Bumper Pul Trailers with Living Quarters Trailers Unsafe? 

We talk a lot about safe towing here on our website. We want to educate our readers about the true towing capacity of their tow vehicles so they aren’t putting their lives (and the lives of their horses) at risk on the road.

One of the biggest safety issues we see on the modern trailer market is the dangerous two-horse bumper pull trailer with living quarters. To understand why this model is dangerous, let’s look at how the trailer is designed… 

On any horse trailer, you need to position the axles and wheels so that weight is well balanced for safe towing. Think of the axles like the center of a see-saw.  If too much weight is positioned on the rear of the trailer, the front of the trailer lifts up creating something called “negative tongue weight.”

This scenario can be incredibly unsafe on the roads resulting in a trailer tongue that pops off your truck hitch or loss of control of the entire rig.

If too much weight is positioned near the front of your horse trailer, you end up with a very heavy tongue weight that can easily overload your truck’s hitch.  Again, this can result in hitch failure and greatly affects your ability to steer your truck.

A lot of other trailer companies will offer two horse bumper pull trailers with living quarters.  But almost every model we’ve seen has one of these problems:

Problem #1: Too heavy in the front.

One style has the axles positioned far enough back to avoid a negative tongue weight. This trailer design anticipates that you might load just one horse in either the forward or rear slant load stall.  Then, the living quarters (which is very heavy) is built into the front of the trailer.

The problem with this type of model is the very heavy tongue weight. Most folks want a bumper pull for towing with a smaller SUV or half-ton vehicle. These types of vehicles usually have hitches that max out at the 1,200 lb. tongue weight rating (and some are even lower!)

A properly built bumper pull with living quarters (with the axles moved back correctly) will have a minimum tongue weight of 1,520 lbs. to 1,700 lbs.  Yikes! 

These numbers aren’t just guesses either.  We did a little bit of investigating and actually found a lying trailer salesman who was trying to swindle a buyer with a very unsafe trailer for her tow vehicle.

In order to haul a trailer with a heavy tongue weight like this, you’d need a very large one-ton vehicle.  But doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of having a smaller bumper pull in the first place?  Why not just get a gooseneck living quarters trailer and be safer all around?

Problem #2: The see-saw trailer.

The second problem we’ve seen is actually found on the majority of the bumper pull small trailers with living quarters built today. Manufacturers figured out, "Oh… if we move the axles forward, it will lighten the tongue weight.  Then folks can tow with smaller vehicles.” 

While that's true, it's a dangerous game to play as it creates the "seesaw" effect.  If you load a horse in the front stall, most of the weight will be on the axles.  However, if you load one in the back stall since the axles are moved forward to lighten the tongue weight, you would end up with negative tongue weight.

This is unsafe, to say the least, and an accident waiting to happen. Trailers typically last 20 + years and it only takes one person over the life of the trailer to haul a single horse in the back stall, with a tow vehicle well under-rated for a major accident to happen. 

Or, even if you haul in the front stall all the time and never haul a single horse in the back stall alone, what will happen if the divider comes unlatched….or the horse panics and is able to break free, or someone hauls in a "box stall" configuration.  All of these scenarios are unsafe, and can easily be avoided….

The Solution: A Gooseneck Living Quarters is Safer for Two Horses

Now that you understand the safety issues, you’re probably wondering what’s next…  Well, it boils down to this.  If you need to haul two horses and you really want living quarters, then there’s only one option.

Buy a gooseneck 2 horse trailer with living quarters! This is absolutely the safest option.

SafeTack One Horse Trailer: The ONLY Small Horse Trailer with Living Quarters We Recommend

With all that being said, there is one model of bumper pull trailer that we do feel is safe for horses and towing.  It just so happens to be our newest SafeTack one horse bumper pull living quarters trailer.

Notice we said one horse, not two horse. That’s the most important thing.

Since this is a one horse trailer, we have a definite idea of how much weight is going to be in the horse area of this trailer.  That means we can position the rear axles in the perfect spot to avoid any see-sawing or overly heavy tongue weights.

The axles are positioned precisely so that when you load your one horse, the tongue weight changes very little on the tow vehicle and the horse is standing over the axle.  There isn’t anywhere for him to go, so the entire load stays very balanced.

What you’re left with is an extremely safe and convenient model that is perfect for any owners who love to dote on just one single horse.

Is This SafeTack One Horse Trailer with Living Quarters Right for You?

If you like to take your one horse to horse shows and want some extra living space to hang out, this small horse trailer with living quarters is perfect for you. The living quarters includes ample storage, a drop down dinette which converts to a bed, a refrigerator, cooktop, air conditioned toilet, and even a cowgirl’s shower.

Maybe you like to meet up with other friends in the area for a day of trail riding and camping overnight.  Use this trailer to store your food and overnight supplies.  Plus, you’ll have a convenient area for preparing your meals or cleaning up after a day on the trail.

This model has a short wheel base so it’s easy to maneuver around gas station pumps or restaurant parking logs.  Plus, it can easily be towed with a half-ton vehicle or a full-sized SUV such as a Chevy Tahoe.  It’s safe, functional, and easy to hook up even for just one person.

Since this is a SafeTack trailer, it comes with a wide open loading area in the back to give your horse confidence during loading.  We’ve seen other one horse living quarter models where the horse stall is a narrow hallway.  It’s a layout which makes the horse feel very claustrophobic.

In contrast, the horse area on our SafeTack model is bright and open.  In fact, you can easily walk the horse off the back of the trailer to offload rather than backing them.

Here Are Some FAQs We Get From Our Customers

How much is a 1 horse trailer?

A used or mass-produced horse trailer might cost between $2,000 and $30,000.  However, the price will vary greatly depending on the quality and safety features. A custom one horse trailer starts around $27,000 and can increase to $59,959+ if you buy a bumper pull small horse trailer with living quarters. We always recommend you focus first on safety and durability rather than price.  A well-built custom horse trailer is an investment that can last for years to come. 

Do they make one horse trailers?

Yes, we make several models that work for just one horse.  You can get two different bumper pull models – one with and one without living quarters. Each trailer model is fully customizable so you only pay for the features you want most.

Single Horse Trailer • Safetack One Horse Bumper Pull Trailer With Living Quarters

How big is a single horse trailer?

A single-horse trailer like our Safetack One Horse Bumper Pull Trailer with Living Quarters weighs around 5,100 pounds and has an overall box length of 15’8” plus a 50” tongue.  The height can be built to either 7’6” or 7’8”.  All features on this trailer can be customized. On the other hand, a single horse trailer from Double D Trailers is about 11.5 feet long and weighs 2700 pounds without added options.

Who makes single horse trailers?

Double D Trailers is proud to offer two single-horse trailer models.  One is the Safetack One Horse Trailer and the other is the Safetack One Horse Trailer with Living Quarters. Other brands also make single horse trailers, but their layout often includes a long and narrow “hallway” stall that can make horses feel claustrophobic. Our patented Safetack design allows for a wide open loading and unloading area that horses love.

How Can You Get One of These Small Horse Trailers with Living Quarters? 

The Safetack One Horse Trailer with Living Quarters is certainly unlike any model you’ll find on the market today. We’ve already had a fantastic response from our customers.  Our very first buyer for this model was a woman from Tennessee who absolutely loved the design. You can read her full story here.

If you’re ready to learn specifics about this unique living quarters horse trailer, click the link below.  Then, contact Brad Heath and he’d be happy to help you start designing a one horse trailer that works perfectly for your life on-the-go! Get ready to have some fun!

Check out the Safetack One Horse Trailer with Living Quarters here!