Organize and customizer your new horse trailer by adding a few simple storage items.
I’ve been on the search for a new (to me) horse trailer for years. Growing up, I’ve gone from having a four-horse bumper-pull livestock trailer to a five-horse aluminum gooseneck trailer. We’ve hauled our trailers with vans, gas trucks, diesel trucks, and back to gas.
While I had my “dream trailer” in mind, I also knew what my budget could handle and what our honest needs were, which set me on the course of constantly perusing the trailer selling groups on Facebook and talking with many different contacts to learn what to buy and what not to buy.
I finally found a trailer that checked most of the boxes on my list. It’s an early 2000s Sooner two-horse straight-load bumper-pull trailer with a small dressing/tack room in the front. The 7’6″ height was more than I was looking for, but I also know that the resale value on this trailer is amazing, especially being a warmblood trailer. So what if my stocky Quarter Horses and chubby Miniature Horse are a little dwarfed when they’re inside? Plenty of head room!
I’ll share a little about what I did to make this trailer mine.
Cleaning the Back of a Horse Trailer
There’s not too much you can do to change up things in the back of the trailer where the horses are hauled. Within the first day, even though the previous owner had cleaned it out, I dragged out my pressure washer to clean the inside from top to bottom; you can never be too careful with biosecurity.
The butt and chest bar padding on the inside of the trailer was original—so it was stained, faded and not as soft as it once was. Did you know that you can replace these pads?
What I Did
I purchased replacement padding (without the pipe inside) from my local trailer shop for the chest and butt bars. These are generally affordable and easy to replace.
The protective pads on the sides of the trailer and dividers are a little more difficult and expensive to replace. These are also made from vinyl and foam, but they require screwing into the trailer sides. This isn’t something I’m looking to do right now, unless I decide to sell my trailer down the road, but I was happy to find that I could replace those pads if I wanted.
With a straight load, I have a decent size empty space in the front of the trailer, where you might see a grain manger. The previous owner installed 1-inch-thick plywood at the bottom of her horse divider and the front divider to use the second stall and front for more storage. I removed both dividers, but I may later reinstall the front just to protect anything from potentially falling or moving into the stalls and getting tangled in their legs. For now, the front will hold a bale of hay and cooler, two objects that won’t easily move on the rubber flooring.
Organize the Dressing/Tack Room
My wish list was to have a rear tack and front dressing room, but for my family’s needs right now, we are OK with the lack of rear tack. Two horses shouldn’t require that much equipment, and if you store things properly, you’re able to fit quite a bit in small spaces.
What Storage Exists There Already
My trailer has a saddle rack for two saddles, nicely spaced out for my western saddle and my daughter’s western saddle. It already had rubber-coated hooks for hanging bags, tack and equipment. There’s also a small area in the back where you can slide clothing hangers for show clothes—however, you must use thinner wire hangers, not plastic or wooden hangers.
What I Added
1. I installed a couple of two-by-fours so I could hang a grooming caddy from the short wall by the door. One of the worst things you can have in a small space is clutter—not only is it an eyesore, but it can be unsafe if you’re trying to move around inside, and it’s easy to lose things.
I love the grooming caddy I’m using because it has so many pockets, including a mesh zipper pocket and clear plastic zippered pocket, and it can hang up in the trailer or at the stalls if we were to show out of stalls. It allows me to store my grooming and sport boots off the floor.
2. I purchased a white plastic shoe storage cabinet from IKEA; the two drawers stack on top of each other or next to each other, or you can use just one. I’m using it to store my mesh sheets, small spray bottles and sport boots. I love it because it’s thin, easy to keep clean, and can be moved around if needed. (I keep the cabinets in place with strong hook-and-loop fasteners.)
3. To keep the original flooring clean, plus add a little comfort, I purchased interlocking fitness flooring. The flooring is cheap ($5/square at Five Below) and easy to cut to fit into the corners. Plus, if something is spilled or I just need to replace a square, it’s easy and affordable!
4. Finally, make your trailer your own by outfitting it in matching travel gear. What’s more fun than accessorizing your saddle carrier, bridle bags and hay bags in a fun matching pattern? It’s the best way to protect your many investments, makes it easy for identification (I have one color and my daughter will have her own color), and they make your storage look neater.
Key Takeaway
This article about tips to organize and customize your horse trailer storage appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!
