Horse Trailer Safety

The horses that are most calm and well-behaved in the trailer are the ones that have been well trained to adjust to the trailer and trailer frequently. Practice makes perfect, so the more you travel with the horses the better they’ll be in the trailer.

1. Horses are very claustrophobic animals, and some trailers can seem like dark, scary cages that are just waiting to trap your horse forever. When your horse begins to sense danger, he’ll start to feel stressed. But there are certain trailer features that can minimize your horse’s stress and make for a much smoother trailer ride.
   
   One major way to eliminate your horse’s stress is to make sure your trailer is spacious, open, and light. This will make your horse feel safe and comfortable, and he’ll be able to see around him, which will help him to be calm during travel. It’s also a good idea to find a trailer with lots of windows and tubular dividers around where your horse’s head will be. This will help him feel less trapped and will also improve airflow in the trailer – allowing your horse to breathe in fresh air instead of dust and other debris.
   
   
   
2. Most people store their trailers outdoors, where they get rained on, snowed on, and left out in the hot sun day after day. This can weaken your trailer over time, causing your tires to become stiff and the rubber to become brittle and breakable. To prevent tire blow outs while on the road, make sure to change your tires regularly, even if they aren’t worn out. 
   
   Before setting out, you should also check to make sure that all your signal lights and brake lights are working. Look for rust and weak floorboards as well. Anything that looks like it could be hazardous for your horse should be fixed before you hit the road.
   
   Another thing to check for is insects and wasp nests – wasps especially can build nests along the ceiling and in the corners of your horse trailer and wreak havoc when the trailer starts moving. With a pre-flight check before your journey, you can avoid many problems that would otherwise ruin your trip.
   
   
   
3. If your route takes you up through the mountains or down some hills to the coast, you might have to drive on some steep, windy roads. Pulling a horse trailer up an incline or safely descending down a slope can be a little frightening. Here’s some pointers.
   
   When going up a hill, always drive in the right-hand lane. Take your time and stay in control, and if it’s a one lane road, pull over to let faster drivers pass you. Since going uphill requires a lot of vehicle power, you’ll want to drive a little differently than normal.
   
   Your truck or tow vehicle probably has a “tow or haul” setting that you can use while going up steep inclines. If your truck doesn’t have this, don’t worry, you can switch to a lower gear so that your truck doesn’t strain or burn too much gas too quickly. Switching to a lower gear will help your truck haul your trailer more efficiently. Whatever you do, don’t ever tow your trailer uphill while your truck is in “overdrive” – this could cause your transmission to overheat and damage your vehicle.
   
   If you’re traveling down a steep road, you should also switch your tow vehicle into a lower gear. This helps your engine slow down itself and is much better than breaking all the way down the mountain.

By: Ariel Christy