It really depends on your usage. If you're only going to tx your horses a couple times a year, for drives under 200 miles, in mostly flat terrain, then a 1500 might be fine. But if you're going more often, farther, up and down, and particularly around lots of curves: get the 2500. When the horse start moving around on a 3500 you can tell - when they do it to a 1500 you can be thrown around. It's dangerous. You also need trailer brakes, and learn to do a real pre-trip before every drive.

A 1500 can handle 1-2 horses in a smaller trailer just fine. It will struggle with 3 horses if you go up a grade, the horses happen to move a hoof etc. 12k gets to the limit faster than you think. The weight of the trailer, each horse, each piece of tack, feed, water etc. Pay attention payload as well as tow load weight. You can’t max it all out at once and the throw in live weight. I give each horse 2000 pound credit to factor the one that decides trailers are dumb and the reactio

First of all, by the gods I am getting a thread that is not some messed up person looking for relationships and no OF nonsense. Finally something about horses! Okay, Frame is stronger, towing capacity is better. (I do not know anything about the size of your horses but I am assuming 1000 pounds each) so 4000 in horses, probably a minimum 5000+ in trailer weight. breaking on a 1500 will be ‘iffy’ with a live load. Get out of the way power, stability, longevity.

I have a 2017 Ram 1500 with a blown engine that my hubby is still paying loan payments on sitting in my driveway for past few years. How's that for a reason. Go bigger, put less strain on the engine. And do your research if your not buying current year watch out for the known ram hemi tick.

You can't stop a fully loaded.Horse trailer with a 1500 sized pickup truck you need a smarter husband