Preparing to hit the road with your furry friend? Before traveling with your horse, CM Trailers encourages haulers to be familiar and confident with all aspects of their truck and trailer. Always willing to lend a helping hand, CM Trailers is here to offer friendly advice to those in need.
If you are a first-time driver, the first piece of advice is that practice makes perfect. You should drive the trailer around before putting the horse in it. This way you will become familiar with the necessary techniques to ensure you and your horse will travel safely.
Secrets & Helpful Tips
Put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and turn the direction you want to go. If you want to turn sharp, turn before moving the vehicle, and to turn more gradually turn as the vehicle is moving. This works for either a gooseneck or a tag-along trailer. A tag-along with a long tongue is easier to back than a trailer with a short tongue.
If you are only hauling one horse, it’s better to put him on the driver’s side: this will help balance the trailer. Because of a high crown in the middle of the road, placing your horse on the driver’s side or the heavy horse on the driver’s side, will make your ride down the road a smooth one.
Bringing a guest along for the ride? Familiarize them with your rig. Hauling alone is never a good idea, but with a partner that is also acquainted with your rig, the job of transporting your horse will become so much easier and enjoyable.
Finally, always take time to check your rig.
Check the tow vehicle
Look over and refill the engine fluid levels and wiper fluid. Towing puts extra stress on the radiator, brakes, and transmission, so confirm that everything is in its topmost working condition.
You want to be sure the ball on the tow vehicle is the correct size for the trailer
Checking the tire pressure in the tires on the tow vehicle and the trailer are very important. If your trailer is swaying, it could be because of improper tire pressure.
Look over the lug nuts on the wheels. Wheel nuts and bolts should be torqued before first road use on a new trailer and after each wheel removal. Check and re-torque after the first 10 miles, 25 miles, and again at 50 miles.
Check the inside of the trailer for bees and wasps’ nests.
Look over your hitch, coupler, breakaway brake battery, and safety chains. You want to make sure all the lights and brakes are working properly before you load the horses.
When horses are loaded make sure all doors are latched properly and horses are tied.
To make sure your horse and trailer are good to go, drive down the driveway and get out and check your hitch assembly. Do this before hitting the road.
If you happen to stop somewhere where the rig has to be left unattended, check everything again before starting up. Someone may have tampered with the trailer or the horses.
When driving your horse trailer, you want to make sure you take all the necessary precautions for having a safe and enjoyable trip. At CM Trailers, not only do we offer you the best in quality when it comes to horse, cargo and livestock trailers, but we also want you have a safe and enjoyable trip as well. That’s why we promise that if you take these necessary steps with our products, your horse will be riding with the best of the best.