Horse Trailer

Horse trailer is widely and successfully used by many amateur and semi-professional horse owners who have one or two horses or ponies to travel. It saves the encumbrance of owning, garaging and maintaining a box, and provides the mobility of a motor car once the trailer is parked .Driving a motor car and towing a trailer is a tiring and exacting task. It may prove too demanding for some people if a long journey is to be undertaken, followed by a day's hunting or competing, and a long drive home.

The standard trailer is designed as either a single horse or double horse transporter. Some are designed to carry three or more animals but are comparatively rare in Britain. They are frequently found in the United States or Australia.

The trailer is built on a metal chassis with bodywork of either wood, metal or both. Those built in aluminum alloy are of course lighter in weight but may be less robust than those built in hardwood.

Access to the trailer is by a rear ramp and many are fitted with front ramps to allow the horse to be led out forwards on unloading. Those without front ramps are slightly less convenient as the horse has to be backed out.

Trailers designed to carry two horses are fitted with a central partition running from front to rear. These partitions are padded and are usually removable. The hard wood floor can he covered in thick rubber matting or some other washable, non-slip material. The trailer should be fitted with breast bars and breeching straps. A tie ring should be fitted for each horse which will probably also be used to hang a hay net.

Most trailers are now on a four-wheel chassis, two wheel shaving proved unsatisfactory for carrying any real load over distance. A 'jockey' wheel is fitted to support the front of the trailer when it is detached from the towing vehicle. All trailers should carry a spare wheel.

Some trailers are fitted with an independent braking system,and some are without brakes, relying on the towing vehicle to stop them. Those without brakes must not, by law, exceed 750kg(15cvvt) in total weight, die trailer and load combined. The maximum gross weight must be painted on all unranked trailer sin a clearly visible position. It is an offence to load a trailer beyond its marked maximum gross weight.

The suspension of the trailer depends upon the load that it is designed to carry. It will usually be of the leaf spring type and may or may not include shock absorbers.

The trailer should be fitted with retractable stabilizer feet that can be lowered for loading and unloading but must, together with the jockey wheel, be raised before moving off.

There are many extras that can be provided with a trailer to prolong its life and to make it easier to use, for example, an interior light, a saddle rack, water carrier, spare wheel lock,auto-reverse mechanism, rust proofing, under seal etc.

Like any other vehicle that is to remain efficient and reliable, the trailer most be maintained regularly. Tyros are very important and must be kept at the manufacturer's recommended pressures. Wheel bearings, break linkages, suspension, towing gear, hinges and latches all require regular, correct lubrication if they are to remain trouble free. The stabilizer feet and jockey wheel can be particular problems if their retaining wing nuts and moving parts are not kept lubricated. Prompt removal of rust patches, rust proofing and repainting are all essential items of maintenance that are often overlooked.

The variety of trailers available is very wide. Some are sold as being suitable to be towed by a motor car with an engine as small as 1300cc. For sustained hard wear, however, and one's peace of mind, 2000cc, and preferably four-wheel drive, would be an advantage when towing any loaded trailer off a muddy show ground. The law requires that the towing vehicle is at least twice the weight of the loaded trailer. On roads other than restricted roads and motorways, towing vehicles which have an un laden weight of not more than 1.5 tons have a maximum permitted speed of 50 miles per hour. This is sometimes reduced to 40 miles per hour. The towing vehicle registration number must, by law,be displayed on the back of the trailer.

New trailers, purchased from reputable dealers, carry warranty on parts and lab our for a limited period, but buying secondhand trailer can be more hazardous. One's first impressions of cleanliness and freedom from superficial damage and rust are important. A trailer that has clearly been looked after externally may well be in good condition mechanically.Re-sprayed or newly painted bodywork may arouse suspicion;certainly a potential buyer should ask why it has been repainted.The balance of the trailer should be good, the sides should not bulge when viewed from the rear and there should he no lean on either the bodywork or the wheels. The tyros should have a good depth of tread over the entire surface and show no signs of uneven wear. Uneven tyre wear may be a sign of many other faults that may be expensive to rectify.

The towing hitch must be in good condition, free from excessive wear on the ratchet pawl, springs, levers, clips andother moving parts. The jockey wheel and stabiliser feet must beunbent and move freely. The braking system must move freelyand show no signs of wear. The ramps and doors must fit well andbe easy to open and close. The internal padding, including thaton the partition, should be sound. The partition must be easy tomove and adjust. Above all, the woodwork of the floor must besound and free from rot.

The trailer should be fitted with rear lights, brake lights,reflectors and traffic indicators. These are operated by a connecting plug which attaches to the towing vehicle.

When buying a trailer the potential purchaser should take it on a test run using the vehicle that he intends to drive when transporting his horses. It is an advantage on this run to test the trailer with horses in it. Special attention should be paid to the balance of the loaded trailer, with particular reference to the effect that it has on the towing vehicle.

The height of the towing hook on the vehicle is critical. Most towing hooks can be adjusted for height and if in doubt professional advice should be sought. A safety chain is tit ted to the trailer to ensure that it remains attached to the towing vehicle should the towing hook fail. Care must be taken to ensure that this can be fitted satisfactorily.

On the test run the brakes must he tested, remembering that the trailer, and its load, will make the braking effect of the towing vehicle less efficient than normal. An assistant will be required to check that the rear lights, brake lights and trafficators are all in working order.

Reversing a trailer does not come easily to all drivers; it requires practice. Some trailers require a reversing catch to be lowered in the braking system before they can be reversed, and this should be checked on the test run.

As a guide to assessing the weight of the load that a trailer will be required to carry, a 12.2 hands pony will weigh about 250 to300kg (5 to 6cwt), a cob or similar riding horse at 15 hands about400 to 460kg (8 to 9cwt) and a heavyweight hunter about 500 to600kg (10 to 12cwt).