The choice is yours.
Lets look at "Rumber" compared to Hawk's #1 grade wood floor with stall mats
Benefits of "Rumber" according to it's manufacturer:
*Will not rot, crack, splinter
• Serves as a cushioning surface
• Reduces stress on joints and soft tissue
• Easy to clean
• UV and water resistant
• Extremely tough and durable
• Most cost effective option over time
Benefits of Hawks standard "lifetime" wood floor
*warranted not to rot for as long as you own your trailer
* stall mats likely provide a greater cushioning surface, less road vibration, less heat
*easy to clean
*stronger
*cost effective
*allows drainage
*easy to repair or replace if necessary
My personal view, opinion and experience:
It appears to me that either the standard wood floor or the Rumber floor should have a life span that is equal to the life span of the trailer, in other words, either should last as long as I need it to.
In the event of a broken or rotted wood board it would be simple and inexpensive to replace with a board from a local lumber yard.
With Rumber, a replacement piece would be ordered and shipped, you would remove some of the floor and install the new piece tongue and groove.
Because Rumber is tongue and groove I find that manure gets stomped into the grooves, making it more difficult to get the trailer cleaned out compared to stall mats where I tend to let the manure piles dry out, then pitch them out.
Shavings can be used on Rumber to help prevent this. I personally prefer a minimal amount of shavings either way due to dust.
Urine cannot drain with a Rumber floor because it is tongue and groove, so some shavings should be used.
In comparing both floors, stall mats are a softer material so it stands to reason that vibration would be reduced with the standard floor and mats. There have been no concussion / vibration studies to compare the two, and I suppose there is no way to know whether or how much difference it makes to your horse. I also wonder about heat from the road transfered up through the trailer floor, it seems it should be greater with Rumber, but again, that is something that has not been studied.
Rumber is not a strong material, because of this it is critical to have more floor supports so the Rumber does not sag between the floor supports.
If your horse paws I DO NOT recommend Rumber unless you add mats on top. Though there is a 20 year wear warranty I would rather not have a horse paw through a floor or paw a divet.
Rumber is much heavier than the wood floor but with the addition of stall mats on wood the weight difference is negligible.
On a retail basis the additional cost of Rumber is currently between $45 and $55 per foot For a standard 2 horse trailer with a 10' stall length this to me is significant. On the resale market it does not appear to make a difference in price for a well maintained used trailer.
It is important to note that I have not had any complaints from clients that have ordered trailers with Rumber other than Rumber being more difficult to clean. Using shavings can be helpful in preventing manure from getting squished down into the grooves of a Rumber floor, and a pressure washer or strong flowing hose and brush can be used if you want a really clean looking floor.
At the end of the day, it is your trailer and your choice.
Risa
What size straight load? Hawk Trailers straight load horse trailer sizing
Back in the day ( the 1970's), a horse trailer was considered "extra tall, extra wide" if it was 7' tall and 6' wide. Thoroughbred sized trailers were usually 7' tall and some came only 5' wide! Quarter horse sized trailers were typically 6'6 tall and 5' or 6' wide.
These days horse owners should consider horse trailer sizing that suits their needs and the needs of their horses rather than assume one size fits all.
Lets first talk about horses that are not heavy drafty types.
I have found that most horses up to 17h will be comfortable in our standard large size Hawk trailer that is 7'6 tall, 6' width and has a 10' stall length. This 10' stall length is split with 7' going to the body area and 3' going in the head and neck area. The 7' body area is measured from the breast bar to the rear door. This standard large sized trailer works well for horses measuring up to an 82" blanket size.
What if my horse is 17h and measures for an 84" or longer blanket size but is not a drafty type horse?
I start thinking about increasing the body stall area by 6" IF the largest horse you will haul measures 84" and up in blanket sizing. For these longer horses I suggest adding 6" to the body area, but without the drafty heavy body type the standard 6' width still does the job well.
What about my 17h and up Warmblood or drafty horse?
For true XXL sizing and horses 17h and up our Hawk Trailers XXL is the best choice. The height will be 7'8, the width is increased to 6'8 and the stall length is 11'. This 11' stall length is split 7 1/2' for the body area and 3 1/2' for the head and neck area.
To date the largest horse I have designed a trailer for was 18 2h! This horse is enormous, he lives in WA State. For him and his owner the trailer height was increased to 8', the width was increased to 7' and the stall length was 12'! This is a horse that measured nose to tail at about 12'!
If you are unsure of what Hawk Trailer size to order please give me a call. You might also consider measuring your horse; start with blanket size. Then measure nose to tail and also chest to tail.
Risa
Happy Trails!
These days horse owners should consider horse trailer sizing that suits their needs and the needs of their horses rather than assume one size fits all.
Lets first talk about horses that are not heavy drafty types.
I have found that most horses up to 17h will be comfortable in our standard large size Hawk trailer that is 7'6 tall, 6' width and has a 10' stall length. This 10' stall length is split with 7' going to the body area and 3' going in the head and neck area. The 7' body area is measured from the breast bar to the rear door. This standard large sized trailer works well for horses measuring up to an 82" blanket size.
What if my horse is 17h and measures for an 84" or longer blanket size but is not a drafty type horse?
I start thinking about increasing the body stall area by 6" IF the largest horse you will haul measures 84" and up in blanket sizing. For these longer horses I suggest adding 6" to the body area, but without the drafty heavy body type the standard 6' width still does the job well.
What about my 17h and up Warmblood or drafty horse?
For true XXL sizing and horses 17h and up our Hawk Trailers XXL is the best choice. The height will be 7'8, the width is increased to 6'8 and the stall length is 11'. This 11' stall length is split 7 1/2' for the body area and 3 1/2' for the head and neck area.
To date the largest horse I have designed a trailer for was 18 2h! This horse is enormous, he lives in WA State. For him and his owner the trailer height was increased to 8', the width was increased to 7' and the stall length was 12'! This is a horse that measured nose to tail at about 12'!
If you are unsure of what Hawk Trailer size to order please give me a call. You might also consider measuring your horse; start with blanket size. Then measure nose to tail and also chest to tail.
Risa
Happy Trails!
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