So, the original design of the trailer had the tie rings (where you tie the horses up while you're tacking or waiting around) on these side wing panels. Which happen to be about the least sturdy part of the entire trailer- they're just thin sheets of metal that are basically there to hold the turn signals on.
So a couple weeks ago, Major decided it would be fun to yank one of the panels off entirely. The one with my license plate, specifically. Stupid horse. Anyway, I was able to get someone to weld it back on for me, but it only reinforced the fact that these tie rings are just not sturdy, especially since this trailer is forty years old. So, on the suggestion of the guy who fixed my panel, and with the help of my wonderful husband, we came up with these.
The diagonal placement is to maximize the pressure on the support beam, giving it added stability and reducing bowing and movement. There's a support plate inside and out with nuts on either side to prevent movement. Knock on wood, but the horse would basically have to knock the trailer over at this point to get that thing back out. I'm also going to swing through tractor supply and grab some trailer ties, which will provide a shorter, more secure way to attach them to the trailer without risk of the knots coming undone.
I didn't get pictures, but I also had to replace the pins that hold the divider bar in (again) after he tore it down and bent them. I upgraded them to 12" long front and back. And I put in a new clip for the butt bars, since he was kind enough to knock that off and lose it as well. He was in rare form on that last trip. 😒
The last thing I'm doing today is moving the hook for the head dividers up higher, since the horses have started pushing them aside and harrassing each other anyway. I'm hoping that adjusting the angle will stop that.
Also hoping that in a couple weeks we'll get the right weather for me to FINALLY get the interior metal sanded and painted. Fingers crossed.
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