Those who move livestock, goods, or materials over-the-road from one location to another, for reason of work, hobby or show, typically do so using towable trailers especially designed for this purpose. For purposes of discussion, horses as a form of livestock will be referenced throughout the present application because they are a common livestock animal that is carried in over-the-road trailers, such as behind pickup trucks, vans, and other towing vehicles, but it will be appreciated that horses are intended to represent substantially any animal that is transported by trailer and should be provided with more moving space and/or outdoor time each day.
Typical horse trailers have provisions to accommodate one or more horses in a main compartment, as well as saddles, bridles, blankets and other horse-related equipment known generally as “tack”. In addition, when horses are being transported over longer distances and for a period of several days, hay, water, and bedding (e.g., wood shavings) are also carried in the trailer or the tow vehicle. Some known horse trailers have a designated roof top area where several bales of hay can be stored.
After a day of travel it is necessary or desirable, for the safety and wellbeing of the horses, to unload them from the confines of the trailer's interior and provide them with an area where they can be free to move about in the open air. Although one option for traveling horse handlers is to identify and rent a horse boarding facility for overnight accommodations, it is not uncommon for a horse handler to carry portable sections of steel fencing, such as in the back of the tow vehicle or strapped to the side of the trailer, in order to construct a temporary makeshift corral or pen. For example, handlers may generally carry a sufficient quantity of fencing to erect their own ten to twelve foot diameter corral at a temporary site along their travel route. The process of loading, unloading, erecting, disassembling, and storing these corral fences is laborious and time consuming, and can be prohibitive for horse handlers of smaller stature or those with certain physical disabilities. Once at a destination such as a work site, a fair or a showing event where the horses will be temporarily corralled for several days, this difficult process must be repeated to return the livestock to their home quarters.
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