America’s largest equine trail and camping directory please visit www.TrailMeister.com
The TrailMeister
The “TrailMeister” is a guy who wants to know the skinny about a riding area before he arrives and wasn’t able to find good, accurate info anywhere else. So he created TrailMeister and publishes for the passion of horse riding.
www.trailmeister.com
As always, for more information on trail riding as well as North America’s largest equine trail and camping directory please visit www.TrailMeister.com
a car; with your foot on either the gas pedal or the brake pedal. Driving with a trailer in this manner will quickly wear out your brakes and could very possibly compromise your safety.
The third piece of the trailering puzzle is how we can create an equine friendly environment while we roll down the road. There are many topics to discuss but today we’ll narrow our focus and concentrate on two factors; dealing with heat and our driving style. Regardless of how far we haul we’re asking a lot of our horses and we’re creating stress on them in several ways; from the interior heat of the trailer to being bounced around inside the trailer.
Summer heat is a very real concern when trailering. Most horses’ comfort range is between 30 to 75 degrees depending upon the breed. Now consider the trailer and how hot it can become on a warm sunny (think perfect riding weather) day. Studies have shown that temperatures inside trailers can easily be 10 to 15 degrees greater than outside temperatures. That perfect 80 degree day just became a hot and humid 95 plus degrees inside the trailer. In order to ease heat stress on your animals take the following precautions.
Select departure/arrival time schedules to avoid the hottest parts of day (i.e. leave early when it’s still cool).
Ensure your horse is well hydrated beforehand and offer water frequently (at least every 4-6 hours) during longer trips.
Keep the trailer moving and avoid parking for long periods. The wind’s cooling effect is very helpful so keep those vents and windows open. This also requires you to check road conditions prior to the trip to avoid congested areas. Your driving habits are a huge factor in a comfortable trip for your horse. Towing a horse trailer is, as you already know, very different than going for a Sunday drive in your car. Trailers are long, heavy, and loaded with precious cargo. Your consideration of your equine passengers will not only reduce their levels of stress during the trip, it will also help in having them load willingly into the trailer at the start of your next trip! Driving practices to keep at the front of your mind when hauling include:
Avoid sudden stops and starts. You’re in a truck with a trailer in tow; now is not the time to pretend you’re a NASCAR driver. Slow and steady starts and stops will give your horses time to adjust and to brace themselves. Think ahead and anticipate what could, would, or should happen before the situation occurs.
Equine friendly driving also includes careful braking and smooth cornering as key elements to towing a trailer in a responsible manner. Take turns easily and wait to resume your normal speed until the rig has straightened out from the turn.
Take it easy when traveling over bumpy roads.
One of the best ways to learn first-hand what your equine friends are going through is to take a ride inside your horse trailer. Find a large parking area or your driveway (not on the road, it’s illegal) and have a trusted someone take you for a spin. You’ll be amazed at how it feels each time the rig turns or makes a sudden stop. I can guarantee that this exercise will cure any bad trailer driving habits you may have.