Shadow Horse Trailer Problems: Causes, Prevention, and Solutions
Oct 15, 2023 | Super Equestrian
Before purchasing any product, it is very important to do in-depth research about the features of the product as well as get reviews from its users to know its negative aspects.
You must apply the same strategy when buying a horse trailer as well, one of the most needed products in the equine world. Having a horse trailer of good quality and renowned brand is essential if you are planning for a trail ride, horse shows, or moving to any remote places for emergency purposes.
Shadow Horse Trailer is a well-known brand and a large number of horse enthusiasts give their positive reviews about this brand of horse trailer. Regardless of such engaging reviews about this horse trailer, some issues have yet to be found.
In this article, we are going to explain Shadow horse trailer problems, the causes behind those problems with the best solution, and lastly the most effective strategies for the prevention of those problems effectively.
What are the most common problems with Shadow horse trailers?
Shadow horse trailers have gained immense popularity among horse enthusiasts due to their unique and attractive craftsmanship and quality of materials. Despite having so many amazing features, this brand of horse trailer has some common problems, let's discuss them in detail:
- Window leaks: Some of the Shadow Horse trailer users experience problems with window leaks and water entering the trailer through those leaks when it rains outside.
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- Ramp problems: Some people experience a problem with the ramp of a shadow horse trailer. The ramp is used to introduce the horse inside the trailer. There is a spring latch that attaches the ramp to the trailer and helps to open and close the ramp via its rotating screw and bolt when needed.
However some horse owners found that their spring latch does not work at all, as a result, they are suffering from serious problems in horse loading and unloading. If you want to know more about the ramp and its associated problems, you can read this article on Can you add a ramp to a horse trailer?
- Floor problems: Although this horse trailer is made of aluminum, many people have experienced problems with moisture rising from the floor and causing the floor to become damp, but they did not find any signs of leaks or cracks there.
If the cement was used to make the trailer floor, it would ensure that the cement would absorb moisture from the floor.
Since the Shadow Horse Trailer is made of aluminum, the horse owner can not understand the reason why moisture is wicking up from this type of floor.
- Tack room problems: Shadow horse trailers are designed with additional windows by which excess air may enter the room and cause moisture accumulation to the riding equipment, which ultimately can degrade their functionality.
Although the tack room is big enough, there is not sufficient space for storage. This tack room contains both rear tacks (an additional small room with a door), and sliding mid-tack (an isolated room located in the middle portion) to store all the necessary objects for horse riding.
Having these two storage devices together occupies a lot of space in the trailer and the horses do not get sufficient empty areas to move freely. Since the horses are open field animals, naturally being in a space that’s surrounded by metal walls would be a bit uncomfortable for them.
Additionally, there are no tack hooks for hanging some special riding equipment in the tack room of Shadow Horse trailers. A tack hook is very useful for properly storing items that are easily damaged when stored folded.
- Electrical problems: A lot of LED lights are used in shadow horse trailers which have a bad effect on the horse's eyes as such lights are sometimes too bright and sometimes too blurred, which seriously can affect your horse's vision. Moreover, the lightbulbs of the front do not work on some Shadow Horse trailers.
If you want to know the recent review of a Shadow horse trailer watch this video 2021 Shadow 3 Horse Trailer Tour.
What are some other problems that Shadow horse trailer owners have reported?
In addition to the problems mentioned above, horse owners have reported some other problems with Shadow Horse Trailers. Let's examine those additional and invisible problems and the ways to identify them in detail:
Problems with the loading door:
The Shadow Horse trailer has a large loading door and it does not have any butt bar near the door. When you load the horses yourself, sometimes the wind will cause the big door to suddenly close and open again. As a result, horses may be injured during loading and unloading.
Moreover, you can not control the horses when loading them into the trailer one by one due to having no butt bar. If the horse trailer has a butt bar next to the loading door, one horse at a time can be loaded and held securely on the other side of the butt bar.
Because of having no control over themselves, the horses have a tendency to slip behind during loading. Again, when the horses are unloaded from the trailer, they must dismount one by one in an orderly manner, but because of having no butt bar, all the horses try to dismount together and get injured.
Sometimes the loading door may open suddenly during traveling due to the problem of its door latch. Can you imagine how terrible this situation can be for your horses? So, you must fix this problem before it occurs.
Problems with the divider:
The interior divider of a Shadow horse trailer is made up of aluminum that is covered by soft pads. Since the padded divider is safer for horses, aluminum has a tendency to corrode over time. So, what can be the problem of the horse in this case?
When a horse urinates near the divider, you must clean it immediately, otherwise, the divider will corrode from prolonged contact with the moisture. As a result, the horses may suffer from severe injuries when they come into contact with that eroded divider.
Problems with the suspension:
Horse trailer suspension plays a great role in ensuring safety by adjusting the additional weight of the trailer while traveling and maintaining an equal weight distribution of the entire trailer.
Shadow horse trailers are constructed with leaf springs suspension, which is more durable and carry a huge load easily. However, this type of suspension requires regular maintenance to work properly during transportation.
Oh, there is one problem left to explain!
Well ….Any kind of horse trailer may have some common problems with the roof. You can fix those roofing problems by yourself or with the help of professionals. So, if you are interested to know more about it, you can read this article on horse trailer roof replacement and restoration.
What should I do if I experience problems with my Shadow horse trailer?
If you are facing any kind of problem with your shadow horse trailer, then you need to adopt some important strategies, which will ultimately make your long-distance travel with your beloved horses enjoyable.
DIY repairs (if you are qualified)
Before jumping to the repairing steps you need to identify the actual reason for the problem. For instance, in case of a moisture-wicking problem, the most possible reason would be the damp condensation of the aluminum floor. Condensation is a process by which water vapor is converted to liquid water.
If the trailer does not contain a sufficient ventilation system, warm air from outside hits the floor. Since aluminum is a great heat conductor, it becomes cold in presence of the humid air but it can not hold or absorb the water that is produced by the reaction of humid air and aluminum surface.
As a result, moisture appears on the surface of the aluminum floor. This is the reason for water wicking from the shadow horse trailer's floor. Due to the condensation of the aluminum floor, the accumulated moisture may trigger the growth of fungus.
So, you already have the solution to solve this problem, right? Well…you must use a dehumidifier, which can absorb the humid or highly moisture-containing air entering from outside so that the air can not react with the aluminum surface to form condensation.
You can use adjustable hangers in the tack room for hanging all the necessary equipment that may easily form cracks due to folding.
Professional repairs:
There might be some complications that you can not fix by using DIY methods, in that case, you should take assistance from a professional.
- In case of ramp problems, you can buy a single spring latch, which can be fixed in place of the old spring latch. This work will require the help of a professional expert as the old device has to be removed and a new spring lace fixed in its place. So, you must contact the manufacturer or a qualified repair shop immediately.
- Must reduce the number of windows in the trailer's tech room with the help of a skilled professional to avoid over-ventilation problems.
- Since LED lights produce sufficient brightness, you can use good quality LED light but reduce the number of lighting to avoid wiring issues. If the headlight does not work properly, you can contact an experienced electrician.
- Take help from professionals to incorporate an adjustable butt bar near the loading door of the trailer.
- Replace the huge loading door with two good quality doors so that you can easily control the door opening and keep the door from blowing by the wind when loading and unloading horses.
- Check the condition of the trailer door latch and fix it with a replacement door latch by getting help from professional experts.
- In case of suspension issues with the shadow horse trailer, you can repair the leaf or replace the spring with an expert mechanic.
- Check your warranty agreement to see what repairs are covered. If any defect is found in the trailer within the specified period of the agreement, the skilled technicians of the purchased shop will repair those problems without any additional charge. You just need to contact them with the warranty card.
How can I prevent problems with my Shadow horse trailer?
When you experience any kind of problem with your Shadow horse trailer, you need to maintain some arrangements that can fully prevent or minimize the occurrence of any problem at the time of traveling with your equine partners. Let's have a closer look at the steps to prevent shadow horse trailer-related problems:
- Regular Inspection: Inspect your trailer regularly for signs of wear and damage. If you monitor the trailer regularly, it will be easier to arrange immediate repairs in case of any defects.
- Regular Trailer Servicing: Have your trailer serviced by a qualified mechanic on a regular basis. There might be some problems inside the trailer that you can't detect, even if you inspect it daily. A professional mechanic can identify those internal problems of the trailer and repair them accordingly.
- Comply with the Manufacturer's guidelines: Follow the manufacturer's instructions for loading and unloading your horses. During purchasing the trailer make sure you have collected the "trailer manufacturer manual", where all the instructions regarding the use of this trailer are mentioned clearly.
- Following Loading Guidelines: Don't overload your trailer, because overloading can affect the suspension of the trailer and cause the trailer to sag during transit.
Maintaining Driving Regulations: Drive carefully and avoid rough roads. If you drive the trailer on a rough road, many times due to excessive shaking, various parts of the trailer may become defective and the horses will also suffer inside
In addition to preventing the problem from arising, it is very important to arrange some of the must-have equipment in a horse trailer.
If you want to know the common accessories that are highly required for a horse trailer you can read this article must have horse trailer accessories.
Frequently Asked Questions & Their Answers:
There are some common questions that horse enthusiasts ask most of the time. Let's discuss those commonly asked questions in detail:
Where can I find replacement parts for my Shadow horse trailer?
You can find the replacement parts for Shadow Horse trailers from some renowned online marketplaces such as Amazon.com, shadow trailer.com, nationaltrailersource.com, TrailerandTruckParts.com, etrailer.com, and some other online stores are available to sell the accessories of Shadow Horse trailer.
These replacement parts are available in different horse trailer accessories stores in the United States as well.
How much does it cost to repair a Shadow horse trailer?
Shadow horse trailer repair costs can vary based on the particular parts of the trailer that need repairing. In spite of the price variation, you can repair a Shadow horse trailer successfully for between $60-$400 USD.
Are there any recalls on Shadow horse trailers?
Yes, the Traffic Safety Administration team of the United States has recalled two forms of the shadow horse trailer due to having injury-associated risks for defective door locks.
What are some tips for buying a used Shadow horse trailer?
- First, investigate the reasons why the trailer is being sold to know if there are any serious issues with the trailer.
- Inspect the trailer thoroughly for leaks, rust, or corrosion.
- Make sure you can drive this trailer with your driver's license.
- Check if all the lights of the trailer are functioning properly or not.
- Must check whether the trailer brake properly working or not
In Conclusion
Shadow Horse Trailers have gained much popularity in the United States because of its exclusive craftsmanship, unique fractures, and cost-effectiveness. In spite of having a lot of benefits, the users of this trailer have found some problems in that trailer, those are broadly described in this article mentioning the actual causes, prevention, and solutions to these problems.
If you have any opinion regarding this brand you can comment and please share this article with those who are planning to purchase a Shadow Horse trailer and want to know about the shortcomings of this trailer, which are not mentioned anywhere.
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