Choosing the Right Dividers for Your Trailer
It’s the little things that matter, and when it comes to hauling in horse trailers, that goes doubly so. Little things like properly placed tie points, comfortable flooring and the right stall dividers will make trips much easier for your horses, who may already be stressed because of the ride. Just because they’re easily forgotten, that doesn’t mean that stall dividers aren’t important to your horses’ safety and comfort.
Types of Stall Dividers
There are dozens of options when it comes to stall dividers, but the first choice you should make is whether to have full dividers or partial dividers installed in your new trailer. Custom horse trailers often have a combination of the two, especially when they’re going to be used with a variety of horses. Let’s look at the two main types:
Head Dividers. Also known as standard dividers, head dividers are just exactly what you’d imagine -- they’re dividers that separate the upper bodies and heads of your horses. The big open space at the bottom is generally not a problem for well-behaved horses that get along, but older horses, studs or foals may find their way under these partial dividers.
Full Dividers. You may find full dividers marketed as stud walls, and for good reason. These tough full-length dividers are designed to take a pounding without allowing any one horse access to the other stalls. They’re great for front stalls where you may carry extra hay from time to time, or transporting small or unruly horses.
Solid Dividers Versus Open Dividers
Many horses won’t load in horse trailers that feel too confining, which is why the open see through divider is so popular today. These dividers are designed with Z-frame tubing to allow your horses to see their friends and permit light and air penetration for a very comfortable experience for your horse
To Pad or Not to Pad
You may be able to get away without padding on a small straight load trailer, but any slant load horse trailers should be padded as much as possible. Padding is the only thing standing between your horse and the solid metal stall dividers, so make sure you’ve got plenty of it. During a sudden stop or collision, your horse may be thrown into the dividers, but with thick pads in place to catch them, they’re less likely to suffer serious injuries.
Horses of every size need dividers, but exactly which dividers are right for you depends heavily on the horses you’ll be transporting. From big draft horses to miniature cart pullers, selecting dividers with the needs of your horses in mind should be an important part of your overall custom trailer design.