The recent Brenderup post caused me to write down my rambling thoughts/experiences re tow vehicles and trailers. There were no pickups, horses or horse trailers in my life until I remarried in '94. My better half (and the only one of us that rides) had done the diesel dually 4 horse slant w/DR in a previous life with cutters. By the time I entered the scene the dually, trailer and cutters were gone. She had become a dressage princess with warm bloods and no truck or trailer. It had never ocurred to me to drive a pickup

She wanted to start going to shows and clinics again so we started out about 9-10 years ago with a used 87 Chevy standard cab 1/2 ton 305 and a used two-horse Brenderup. It was a good combo for us: didn't cost too much, we didn't ever drive too fast, the truck was in great shape, and the Brenderup was very easy. By easy I mean easy to clean, easy to maintain, easy to move, easy to load. We only drove to clinics, shows, vets and an annual "horse camp" in Santa Fe. I didn't know much about being around the horses at first but this all worked very well. We could have gone on like this for a long time. This rig did every thing that we needed it to.

I guess "need" is the operative word here. We didn't need it but we wanted more room to put "stuff". We didn't "need" it but we wanted a dressing room for sleeping, crashing, storing stuff at shows and clinics. We didn't "need" it but I wanted more power (there are a couple of long hills on I40 east of Clines Corners on our Santa Fe trip) So what happened? After lots of reading on this site, visits to dealers and horse shows with truck and trailer exhibits, etc we bought a GN two horse with DR and a 2500HD crew cab Gasser. Loved them both but a year later traded the 2500HD Gasser for one exactly like it but with a Duramax/Allison. With hindsight I should have done the diesel when we got the GN because of the tremendous torque and easy pull. Still think the trailer is awsome! We didn't need any of it but it is much more spacious and powerful. Would I go back to the 305 and the Brenderup? Not by choice! I do wish that I had kept the Brenderup for some of the around-town kind of stuff: vet trips, etc. because is was so easy to hitch and go.

In the long run it probably would have been cheaper to do the diesel and GN right up front but we didn't have the cash at the time. And like I said earlier, our original rig did everything we really needed. For us the bigger setup is a matter of some "luxury" not the required essentials. I have driven a pickup so much now that I would never go back to driving a car unless I had to.

Since I don't ride I get my enjoyment out of hooking up the trailer, loading the horses and having a roadtrip when wife and horses need to be somewhere. Usually meet new people and always come back with new horse stories!

 Sure beats the workweek!

Terri,

I wouldn't trade it all for anything! I certainly could have done some of the purchases more efficiently but then again the horse purchases haven't always been the right ones for the "long term" either.  Hindsight is always 20/20 they say.

I never would have guessed (nor would any of my friends/family) that I would be ecstatic about driving my Duramax, feeding carrots to a horses I will never ride and knowing what all those equestrian terms mean. 

Probably ought to start a thread on all that!

WOW so there are more of us out there then I thought! When I first met my wife I had a private pilots license and a 25' boat, 13yrs later no boat, haven't flown in 12yrs and have been through 3 horse trailers... 2 potbelly pigs,one goat and assorted chickens!! Luckly I had a diesel before we got our first G/N. Have since moved on to a RV and 2h b/p complete with 2 scooters for running around the campsite and I've only ridden the horse once!, and I enjoy the hell out of it....Go figure!!!

http://community.webshots.com/album/58950913TVmMJM 

"You did all that work on the trailer and have only ridden the horse once?  Wanna do my trailer?  I'll let you ride twice!"

LOL

I did all the work on the trailer because I'm to much of a wimp to camp in a tent!!

My wife is the horse rider., I'm like arroyoseccofarm as I also like the planning,hooking up/loading up cruising down the hwy part(s).

Me too.  For me they all go hand in hand. It's all fun for me, the planning, hauling, and riding.  I love my truck and trailer, so hauling is half the fun.  I love to ride, so when I arrive at my destination, the fun just keeps going. 

I'm currently planning a 3000 mile plus trip from So. Cal to Colorado, to w. Texas and then back home, all to pick up a colt.  Sure I could have him shipped, but that wouldn't be any fun.  Besides, I want to be the one to introduce him to his first trailer ride.