Hit the road

Whether you're going to a show, to a state fair, or camping, you may want to take a horse along. If you know how to load and unload your trailer, the trip will be much less stressful for both you and the horse.

The two main types of trailers are straight load and slant load. Straight-load trailers allow you to lead a horse right in from the back. In slant-load trailers, a horse stands at an angle, which makes it efficient to haul multiple horses.

"The process [for loading and unloading horses] is pretty similar for slant-load and straight-load trailers," says Randy Lewis, national sales manager for Featherlite Trailers (www.fthr.com). "The biggest difference is whether they have a ramp, and both types can."

A ramp can be a big convenience when it comes to loading and unloading horses, says Steven Foster of Foster's Quarter Horses in Paris, Texas (www.fostersaqhahorses.com). One disadvantage, however, is that it takes more effort to raise and lower the ramp, he says.