The best time of the year for riding is here! Time to hitch up the trailer and
head out for a trail ride, show, rodeo, or other fun destination with your horse.
Here are a few helpful reminders to keep you and your horses safe as you travel.
Inspect your trailer before loading, making sure the tires have adequate air
pressure and tread, the floorboards have no weak or broken places, and the emergency
tools are complete with spare tire, jack, fire extinguisher, and caution signs.
If you're traveling for many hours, you will want to have hay bags for your horses,
and offer water every hour or so when you stop. It is not recommended to unload
horses at roadside stops, to lessen the chance of them spooking or running loose.
Just let them stand in the trailer for half an hour to rest awhile before continuing
on a long trip. Research has shown a lower heart rate in horses that travel facing
the rear of the trailer, and leaving them untied is usually more comfortable for
them as well. If you must tie, make sure the lead is long enough so they can lower
their heads to rest and clear their air passages by snorting. Do not feed grain
to horses on long trips; it increases their chances of dehydration and colic.
Make sure the trailer is well-ventilated and the inside temperature is not extremely
hot or cold.
When pulling a trailer carrying horses, the number one rule is "think ahead". Drive
carefully, make slow turns, gradual stops and accelerations. Allow extra stopping
distance between you and the vehicle ahead. Avoid driving into small spaces or areas
that will require backing up. If you do have to back the trailer, it is always best
to have a person outside the vehicle watching at the rear or corners where you may
hit something.
It is a good idea to have a Travel Kit in your horse trailer with these items:
current health papers and negative Coggins tests for each horse
fire extinguisher
equine first aid kit
extra halters and lead ropes
sharp knife
wire cutters
jumper cables
flashlights and batteries
duct tape
cell phone and contact info for your veterinarian
There are a few more things to remember about horse trailer safety, once you
reach your destination. Never tie a horse to an unhitched trailer, as the horse
could spook and actually move the trailer and cause injuries. When tying to a
trailer, leave only about an arm's length of lead rope between the horse and trailer.
The most common accidents involving trailers and horses result from tying horses
long enough to allow them to graze, and the horse gets tangled in the rope and
panics. When feeding from hay nets, make sure you hang them about eye level for
the horse; hanging them low could result in the horse catching a hoof in them.
It is also unsafe to leave halters tied to the trailer hanging low enough to
catch a horse's hoof.
Happy summertime from Liverystable.net! We wish you and your horses a safe and
fun summer.
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