Ramps placed on the sides of a trailer are typically called
“side unload ramps” and are the safest secondary exit because
the design is intended for ordinary use. Side unload
ramps on two horse straight load trailers are usually an option,
consisting of a forty-eight-inch wide ramp, which can
be wider or a bit narrower, and an upper door that may
or may not have a window. Besides being safe exits in an
emergency, side ramps are useful exits for unloading older
or injured horses that have trouble backing. They also make
life easier for those working with untrained or problem
horses because they can be led out head first.
Three horse straight load trailers have one standard ramp in
the front box stall area as the exit for the third horse. If the
design of the trailer gives the rear horses access to the front
stall, all three horse can exit through the side ramp. Four
and six horse straight load trailers called “Head to Head”
or Center Load” trailers have at least one side ramp, and
often two (one on each side of the trailer) that open to a
large open space in the middle. The primary purpose of
these side ramps are for loading and unloading the front
horses, but all the other horses can safely exit through them
as well.
Secondary exits on slant load trailers get a bit tricky. Most
slant loads have a large standard door facing the front
horse, which can be used as an emergency exit and can
be replaced by an optional ramp. But slant load trailers by
design, prohibit the second (and any additional) horses
from using it because the stalls are side to side instead of
front to back. The stall dividers, having to be attached to
the side walls, bar the other horses from having access to it.
SLANT LOAD VS STRAIGHT LOAD EXITS. Whether a horse trailer
has an additional exit or not, it is my opinion that a safe
horse trailer should be designed to allow the unloading of
any one horse without having to remove the others. If you
have an emergency out on the road that involves any
one of the horses, you should not only have access to that
horse, you should have a way to unload it while leaving the
others on the trailer. Having more than one horse out of the
trailer in an unfamiliar environment can lead to disaster.
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