Trailer Talk: Cristiana Buys a SafeTack 2 Horse Bumper Pull for Better Horse Safety

Trailer Talk is a series on our website where we chat with our customers about their experience with our company, customer service, and products. Here is our conversation with Double D Trailer owner, Cristiana from Cockeysville, MD.

What started your search for a horse trailer? 

I had a 20+ year old trailer in perfect condition. The issue was that with the way people drive nowadays, I just wasn't comfortable taking it on highways any more. A couple of friends had close calls with cars almost hitting them and I felt my horse was exposed to injury due to an accident. I had a quandary: I did not want to get a gooseneck, because I don't haul that often but I wanted to make sure that the trailer would provide the most distance between my horse(s) and traffic. I did a thorough search of trailer manufacturers and followed several forums on trailers and trailer owners.

Did you own a trailer before, or was Double D your first purchase?

I owned a Collins Arndt. A company that is now out of business.

What model did you purchase? 

I purchased a SafeTack 2-horse slant, bumper pull.

If you owned a trailer previously before your Double D Trailer, what were the pros/cons?

The pros was that the trailer did not have a tack room and so it was light, but sturdy. The cons were that it left my horse more exposed to traffic and it also had butt bars that were loose jointed and were therefore very noisy.

How long did you do research before making a decision to order a custom build? What made you choose designing your own, vs. a pre-built trailer?

I started my search 3 years ago. Put it on hold and then resumed it for about 6 months before I decided what to purchase. I liked the options that a custom-built trailer gave me. I thought that I had kept my pre-built old trailer for 20+ years, so it would be a good investment to get a custom trailer with the perks I found necessary.

What size horses do you trailer? (height/weight/breed?)

I trailer a 19 yr-old 16h3" 1100 lbs Hanoverian gelding Warmblood, and a 2 yr-old 15h 950 lbs Oldenburg gelding.

How do your horses respond to your Double D trailer while trailering, or after you reach your destination? 

I have not hauled my Hanoverian yet, but I have introduced him to the loading. Due to Coronavirus we have not had to trailer anywhere. He can be very suspicious, but had no trouble loading in the Double D Trailers, look out the window and quietly stand in his stall. The Oldenburg gelding has had a lot of handling but had never been transported on a trailer before. He loaded on the Double D Trailers beautifully, without any fuss, so I decided to take him for a spin. He never called or pawed or moved. When we returned to the barn, he was perfectly calm and unloaded like a pro. After opening the stall we actually stood in the trailer for a few seconds. He never tried to rush out.

What advantages or disadvantages have you noticed for loading/unloading your horses with your Double D Trailer in comparison to any previous hauling experience? 

My prior trailer was a straight load, so it took me a minute to figure out the best way to load a slant load. I actually found a couple of videos on YouTube that helped me. But once you find the flow, it is actually a lot easier to load in a slant trailer, because the horses were so less suspicious.

What are your thoughts on the design process and communicating via text and email with Brad? Is there anything we could do differently to improve this process?

I was surprised that all communication was done in writing, but it made so much sense! Nothing was left to chance and everything was documented. It is actually the way I work, so I found it very comfortable.

Do you have any recommendations for improvements on your Double D Trailer?  

None, so far! Maybe just to provide a video to teach loading onto a slant, but in a regular Double D Trailer, without the front ramp.

If you'd like to learn more about the SafeTack 2 horse bumper pull trailer, contact Brad with questions.