One-of-a-kind horse trailer gets new lease on life
No one would argue that Wallace Lytle had a way with putting the pieces together.So when his children started showing horses, Lytle wasnt too keen on buying an expensive horse trailer, especially when he could build a better one himself.All it took, his son Jim said, was a flatbed trailer, an old milk truck chassis and a whole lot of ingenuity.The trailer was fairly easy to come by. The old milk truck was found in a scrap heap. And the ingenuity? Wallace Lytle had that in spades.And by 1962, three of the four Lytle kids had a like-new bright red-and-white horse trailer, surely unlike any other.The vehicle was used for years, Jim Lytle said, by himself, his brother, John, and their sister, Faye. After some use by the generation that followed, it didnt get much use. A bit worse for the wear, it was put out to pasture at the family business, Lytle Construction.Wallace Lytle kept right on going, operating heavy equipment for the company until he was 90.He died in March of 2012 at the age of 95.Not long after, the family decided to sell the business, including all the equipment. But when Jim Lytle looked at the old horse trailer, he balked. I just cant get rid of it, he told his family. It was the last thing our father made us.The trailer was still intact, but it needed a little work. And thats where friends and family came in.The exterior was sandblasted and returned to its original red-and-white color scheme. A fender was replaced.When Fred Cannon heard what Lytle was doing, he offered to help. A former Wayne county commissioner and long-time friend of the family, Cannon had been busy restoring barns as part of his Barn Again business. Cannon took one look at the floor of the trailer and said hed handle its replacement. He brought in kiln-dried shiplap and created a floor that Lytle said is nicer than that found in many homes.John Lytle pitched in, as did Jim Lytles brother-in-law Harold Downey, who made replacements for the collapsible feed boxes Wallace Lytle originally built. Even his daughters boyfriend helped out, Jim Lytle said, when he was visiting from Australia.An important feature of the trailer is the windshield, which Jim Lytle said helped get any number of horses into the trailer without mishap. Being able to see outside calmed many a skittish animal, who had a tray full of hay nearby. Theyd chew a little hay and eat. Jim Lytle said. Horses love to go for a ride. Theyre just like your dog.And with the side view mirrors on the truck that pulled the trailer, he said, the driver could see the horse and vice versa.Getting glass for a chassis that old could have been a problem, but for the Wooster Glass Co. Lytle said he popped by the business one day and spoke with Pat Neyhart and Kathy Long about his project.Both had known Lytles dad. Not only did they have the glass, they gave it and installed it for free.There are other unique features a three-bolt system that allows for a center divider to be removed. When it place, the trailer can transport two horses. Without the divider, Lytle said, its good for hauling furniture and other large items.And two pieces of wood drop down from the side walls and can be secured. A sleeping bag or blankets can be put on them, transforming them into sleeping spaces.There was nothing Wallace Lytle didnt think of, right down to the loop on the exterior where a rope can be tied to keep a horse secured outside. He really had a gift, Jim Lytle said.Once the renovation was complete, Jim Lytle said, he wanted to see the trailer returned to its original use and offered it to the local 4-H clubs for horse transport. Local attorney Jim Richard, also a friend of Wallace Lytles, drew up the papers to create a limited liability corporation so individuals can use the trailer while Jim Lytle is out of town.The rules are simple: It must be hauled with at least a half-ton pickup truck with a two-inch ball hitch. Drivers must be at least 25 years old and the trailer can be used only within a 50-mile radius of Wooster.And it must be returned clean.The trailer will be kept at the Eikleberry farm south of Wooster.0x2cfba00For more information about using the trailer, call Beth Eikleberry at 330-264-7322 or email her at sbceik@sssnet.com. Questions or problems should be addressed to Lytle at 330-201-2145 or at jimlytle51@gmail.com.
