I have always been a Toyota truck person.  There’s just something about that classic Toyota truck look that appeals to me.  It’s what I see when I imagine bouncing across some African plain surrounded by zebras or winding up a rugged, narrow valley in the Hindu Kush.  My body may reside in Maryland, but my mind travels and I need my truck to fit my fantasy.

All three of my kids – Frank, Renee, Marie — learned to drive on a 4-Runner that clocked close to 200,000 miles before some bonehead failed to stop at a stop sign and got T-ed by Marie. That amazing old truck kept my girl and her three friends safe then drove itself onto the wrecker that took it to the junkyard.  I bought a used Toyota Tacoma a few days later.  We named him Henry.  We love Henry.  Unfortunately, though I’m sure Henry would give towing a horse trailer a real college try, I don’t think we’d make it across the Rockies.  So, sadly, Henry has to go. 

It’s easy to think about transporting your horses like you would moving any other payload – 1000 lbs. a piece, times two, add the trailer weight and a couple of hundred pounds for tack and feed.  That’s probably about 6,000 lbs.  Check if the truck is rated to pull that and, if it is, you’re good to go.  Right?  Wrong.

Horses aren’t typical payload.  Horses are accidents waiting to happen.  Yes, they weigh about 1,000 lbs., but they don’t lie on the floor of your trailer like a couple dozen bags of playground sand.  The majority of that weight hovers four to six feet above the trailer floor.  And, it shifts around – a lot.  A rider should understand that this is important because it’s the same in the saddle.  Your horse goes where you turn your head and torso. Why should your trailer be different?   I haven’t found an equation to take all this into consideration (physics students, take up the challenge).  But, I know the fact that my payload is top-heavy and a bit spastic needs to be considered.  I think I’m going to need a big-ass truck.

So, I’ve been looking for a full-sized truck.  I’m learning, however, that like me, other Toyota owners seem to believe in driving their trucks to dust.  There just aren’t many Tundras on the used market.  And, I haven’t bought a new vehicle since the last time I wanted to lose thousands of dollars by simply driving the 10 feet it takes to leave the new car lot. 

I guess, I’m widening my truck menu to include Fords, Dodges and Chevys/GMCs.  It seems appropriate.  Afterall, this trip isn’t taking me to the Himalayas and Serengeti; it’s taking me to the Red Rock Country and Tetons.