Amberley's Freedom Ride

Utah cowgirl Amberley Snyder is already a role model for rodeo athletes around the world, but she is continually setting new goals for herself and going further down that trail with the help of Signature Quarters and Hart Trailers.

Amberley was paralyzed in 2010 in a vehicle accident that broke her back.  Since then, she has faced countless challenges and adversity.  Thanks to unwavering determination and a competitive spirit, she has continued to achieve her goals.  These include earning her WPRA card in 2017 to pursue her dream of professional barrel racing, and competing in some of the nation’s largest events, such as RFD-TV’s The American Rodeo.

In Fall 2020, she joined the Signature Quarters endorsement team and in January, the SQ team worked with Hart Trailers to build a custom living quarters horse trailer designed especially with her accessibility in mind.

“Amberley is an incredible person with an extraordinary story,” says Abby Clark, owner of Signature Quarters. “For us, it was really more than building and designing a living quarters.  We were building Amberley a home that gave her all the tools to achieve her dreams of independence.”

Signature Quarters is known in the Western world for creating stylish, functional, and unique living quarters for life on the road.  Amberley’s trailer took that “one-of-a-kind” aspect to a new level with special accessibility features reimagined to make her space functional.

She has a newfound independence with this custom trailer.  It is amazing to see such an inspirational woman receive this gift of freedom.  Signature Quarters knocked it out of the park, down to the tiniest details.

“I’m just really thankful,” Amberley says. “It’s something every cowgirl dreams of—having her own trailer, her own house on wheels.  And now I finally have one that lets me take my horses and do what I want to do.  Not everyone gets to have that, and I’m so lucky that I do.”

The trailer’s special custom features start right at the living quarters’ entrance, where a custom wheelchair lift provides easy entry.  Inside, every detail from floor to ceiling was configured to meet Amberley’s needs.

“When every part of my independence was stripped away after my accident, every single bit I get back is such a triumph for me,” Amberley says.

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: Custom lift to raise Amberley up to the bed; a custom wheelchair lift provides easy entry; low, easily accessed storage and microwave; pull-down fixtures to bring upper cabinets within reach; custom accessible shower; accessible sink and counter tops.

The cabinetry was created with low, easily accessed wardrobe storage, microwave, and pull-down fixtures to bring the contents of upper cabinets within reach.

“One of the coolest things about my house is the pull-down shelves,” says Amberley. “I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to put them in a trailer but, of course, if you ask Signature for something, they say yes!”

A custom lift was designed to raise Amberley up to the bed with a grab bar in the ceiling to help her maneuver into the nose of the trailer. An all-electric sofa lays down flat for additional sleeping space.

The large shower includes a three-panel glass sliding door and a bench so she can easily transition from her chair to the shower and back.

“The shower was one of the coolest surprises,” says Amberley. “The door makes it so easy for me to transfer to the shower.  After 10 years being in a wheelchair and not having a shower this accessible, it’s impressive on Signature’s part.”

Beyond the unique accessibility features of her trailer, Amberley also worked closely with the SQ team to handpick all the finishes to make the space truly her own.  The end result is a trailer that’s any cowgirl’s dream.

“We created the dream on wheels,” says Amberley.  “Signature Quarters and Hart Trailers went above and beyond to put together a trailer that is extremely accessible to me and makes it possible for me to have more independence with my horses.  It’s truly life-changing for me.”