Sundowner’s ProStock Trailer line has made several improvements including a higher ceiling, sliding walk through rear and center gates with spring-loaded latches.

There are more horse trailer options than ever today. Whether you prefer aluminum lined trailers or steel trailers, there is a kind of horse trailer to suit every horse owner's dream. Read more about new trailers from Featherlite, Inc., Sundowner's Prostock Trailer, and Bloomer's seek new horse trailers.

Featherlite, Inc.’s new trailers are highlighted by its Featherlite Medalist Series, which feature L.E.D. strip lighting and a white aluminum lined and insulated ceiling, plus chrome glass windows that reflect light and heat from the horse area.

A unique option available on the Medalist Series is an electric saddle rack that extends down and out from the trailer with the push of a button, making it easier to maneuver the saddles.

The company has two new living quarters models for 2007. Model 8562 and 8565 have a 12-foot full living quarters or 10-foot, respectively. They feature a slideout containing a dinette and the option of a gaucho sofa, available in three- and four-horse versions. Entry-level living-quarters buyers can consider the new Model 8946, which has a five-foot living quarters and is more affordably priced.

New standard interior décor collections available include Aspen, Bonanza, Texas Hold’Em and Wilderness, but there are hundreds of fabrics and other accessories available for a custom design. For that matter, if you wanted a fireplace, wet bar, flip-down flat screen TV, central heat and air, or a dishwasher, that can happen.

Featherlite’s new series of aluminum trailers feature safety-guard stall pads, reflective window and door glass, and an optional electric saddle rack that swings down and out at the touch of a button.

Looking for a steel trailer? Trails West has included a handy new street-side broom closet in the left rear corner of its trailers with side or mid-tacks. You can hang up to four pitchforks or other tools on the tool rack in the closet, and the floor area can hold tack caddies, water buckets or bags of feed. A gas shock assist helps hold open the door, which is patterned after Trails West’s smooth-skinned, insulated, durable tack door.

Bloomer’s sleek new trailers feature thicker walls, a sturdier roof, bigger doors, more head space for horses, and a redesigned roof pod.

How to Buy a Trailer

There are a staggering number of options available in horse trailers today, and according to team roper Randy Bloomer, owner of Bloomer Trailers, it should be incredibly easy right now to get exactly what you want for your money. “Even as recently as a few years ago, salespeople got lax because times were good,” he says. “There weren’t as many manufacturers.” But today, the ball’s back in the customer’s court, he says, and you can take advantage of that. There are lots of things out there you haven’t seen before, and you can afford to be picky. Chew up those dealers and make them give you a good deal. Find one that wants to get personal with you. “Back when I started, there were nine aluminum-trailer companies,” he says. “Now there are probably 25.” That’s good for selection purposes, but the downside is, talk to 15 different trailer manufacturers and you’ll get 15 different answers. So it pays to beware of companies that are simply knocking off others’ concepts or whose salespeople have no depth of knowledge. “If you have a big English jumping horse, for instance,”he says, “and you start asking about stall widths and offsets, I’m not sure two-thirds of the salespeople out there can explain that clearly.” A salesperson or dealer with some horse experience is also a plus. Randy, for instance, was loading his heel horse to take to the vet while talking to me on his cell phone. Think he doesn’t know what works and what doesn’t? The biggest things to remember when buying a trailer are to plan on spending what your budget allows and getting a product with no problems, he says. You should be able to get somewhere from day one and not lay hands on your trailer, except for routine maintenance. “There are different levels of trailers for different people,” he says. “There used to be two kinds of buyers—those looking for their own creature comforts and those who wanted the best possible ride for their horse. Today, you can get both. Whether you want to spend $40,000 or $240,000 is up to you.”

For those who need maximum tack storage, both the manger doors and the broom closet door can be outfitted with a hanging tack organizer. The new models also can feature a new saddle rack sport bag, designed to fit below the bottom tree on a Trails West saddle rack and hold things that can get lost in the shuffle.

Bloomer Trailer Manufacturing’s newest models have a sleek exterior finish, including two-inch thick walls for better side-to-side stability. The company set its roof crossbeams at 18-inch intervals instead of the previous 24 inches and added a continuous roof rail around the trailer to eliminate corner caps and the potential for leaks.

The exterior load lights are recessed into the roof rail and light switches are now push-buttons. The doors on Bloomer’s new models are bigger with an integrated hinge and no welded fasteners. Each horse stall has increased ceiling space, is ventilated, and has its own recessed lighting. Plus, Bloomer redesigned its roof pod with a trunk-type lid, making for easier loading and unloading, and a sloped front for improved aerodynamics.

While everybody might want a fancy, LQ trailer, sometimes a stock trailer just makes more sense. To that end, Sundowner has updated its ProStock trailer line.

“Every aspect of our stock trailers—no matter how small—has been reviewed,” said Odie Heck, Sundowner’s Marketing Development Coordinator. “Our focus has been to design a stock trailer that meets the demanding needs of the everyday livestock owner. We’ve made the new ProStock considerably more user friendly.”

The improved ProStock features a number of industry innovations. For example, the trailer’s aluminum livestock friendly floor is designed for positive traction, assuring the animal’s upright position in even the toughest hauling conditions. Also, the ProStock now has an increased load height making it easier for livestock to load.

With both function and safety in mind, Sundowner updated the ProStock Trailer line with new, sliding walk-through rear and center gates that slide with the touch of a finger. Each gate features spring-loaded latches. A heavy-duty slam latch on all center gates provides durability and assures safe loading for cattle or horses. The rear gate hinges have been beefed up as well—for safety and structural strength.

The ProStock line comes standard with four LED tail and clearance lights for added safety. The trailer’s 30-degree tapered nose allows for tighter turns, and provides ample nose-area storage space. (A front tack area is optional.) Also, the ProStock’s aluminum tear-drop fenders have been designed for off-road conditions.

Sundowner remains the only trailer manufacturer to offer a Suncoated breastplate and neck—a special coating that provides durable protection against wear and tear.

The ProStock comes with an exclusive three-year “hitch-to-bumper” warranty—covering every aspect of the trailer—along with Sundowner’s usual eight-year limited structural warranty.

For more information, contact Sundowner Trailers at 800-438-4294. Visit Sundowner Trailers’ Web site at www.sundownertrailer.com.