Cattle & Horse Trailers

A slant load hauls calmer than a straight load for most horses and cattle, because the animal rides at an angle to the direction of travel and can brace its legs through a stop or a turn without fighting the trailer the whole way. A straight load still earns its place for a single animal or a tight driveway, but on a gooseneck built for two head, slant load is the standard for a reason. The floor matters as much as the layout. A stock trailer floor takes urine, manure and washdown water every trip, so the mats and the frame underneath have to drain instead of holding moisture against the wood or the steel. Ventilation slats and windows keep air moving the length of the trailer, which stops being optional once a Southeast Texas afternoon gets into the high nineties with the humidity that comes off the Gulf.

Hauling livestock in Gulf Coast heat

Heat is the real hazard on a haul out of Orange, Jefferson or Hardin County in the summer months, more than the miles themselves. Airflow through the trailer, not just the truck's air conditioning, is what keeps an animal from overheating standing still at a stop light or backed up on I-10. Load early or late in the day when you can, keep the vents open the whole way, and plan a water stop on anything longer than an hour. A trailer built with real ventilation does most of that work for you before you ever leave the yard.

Cope's Trailers, livestock trailers on the ground on the I-10 frontage, serving the Golden Triangle. Call (409) 769-5388.