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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