With the purchase of my first horse Miss Matilda Mae in 2019, came the hunt for a horse trailer. Little did my parents know, this was a desire of mine once I found out I would be getting my own horse. Having my own horse trailer would be financially beneficial in the long run, and I wouldn't have to rely on my trainer or a shipping company whenever leaving the barn. I had been saving my money for this purpose. There was one problem, I didn't have the money for a brand new horse trailer. So, I did a lot of internet research, nonstop hunting on the Facebook marketplace and craigslist for a used trailer. Eventually, I found a horse trailer via craigslist that appeared to be in decent condition. The snag was, that it was in Connecticut some three hours away. Approaching my parents about this project was a delicate conversation, but I think purely on my persistence they agreed to drive to Connecticut to take a look at the newfound trailer.
Shortly after contacting the seller, my mother and I were on the road to Connecticut. We traveled a very long way to look at the trailer. The seller was very helpful in providing all the details of maintenance, features, and even the defects. The major problem was-the title had not been transferred to him yet. So, we drove home and ever so nicely convinced my Dad to return to Connecticut with me to pick the trailer up. It was Memorial Weekend, so here we were in bumper to bumper traffic trailer in tow headed back down to the shore. My Dad is a trooper as the drive was very long.
As soon as I arrived home, I started working on the "makeover." The power washer was put to use immediately.
For hours I washed, scrubbed, and polished the entire horse trailer inside and out. The new reflective tape was placed along the outside of the gate and sides.
To cover some of the rust, I purchased automobile chassis paint online from POR-15. A new coat of paint was put on basically anywhere possible.
The fun part came with refurbishing the tack room. I painted the walls a light blue color and restored the saddle racks and bridle holders by painting them purple from paint purchased at Sherwin Williams. The straight accent wall was covered in an adhesive wallpaper that was purchased through Spoonflower. I wanted a unique wallpaper that showcased multiple colors. Spoonflower has an enormous variety of options created by unique designers. The old carpet flooring was ripped out, and a wood-looking foam flooring that I purchased at Home Depot was placed down. This way, any dirt on the floor can be swept out if needed. New hay bags were purchased, and the trailer was ready to go.
New hay bags were purchased, and the trailer was ready to go. Here is the new and improved horse trailer on a budget.
