Horse Trailering

A light interior is less daunting than a dark one. No matter how domesticated you think your horse is, he's still governed by strong survival instincts, and a dark trailer interior is a little too much like walking into a den of carnivores.


Good ventilation includes a screened window/vent at the front as well as along the sides and at the rear. Horses are much more negatively impacted by over-heating and poor ventilation than by cold. Also, look for breakaway features (emergency release pins on dividers, tie-loops etc.) and non-skid loading ramps and trailer floors.

Slow and Steady
So, now you've got the perfect trailer and you're ready for your first trip. If this is your initial towing experience, practice first with an empty trailer. With a straight load, put the heavier of the two horses behind the driver. In a slant, the big guy goes in first.


Remember all the cautions and guidelines for inanimate cargo trailering—and double them. That safety-check everyone recommends before towing is very important when the cargo is a 1,000-pound pet. Take an extra halter and lead rope for each horse and a tack bucket of basic horse first-aid items. Most trailers include a water tank, so be sure to fill it with fresh water if your trip is any significant length or on remote, rural roads. A flake or two of hay will also keep Trigger content if you get stranded on the roadside.


The most important driving tip is to do everything slower than you would without a ton of horseflesh behind you—that includes slower takeoffs and stops. Work up to highway speed more slowly. This isn't a test to see how fast you can go from 0 to 60 mph, it's a test of how calm and intact the cargo reaches its destination. Maintain twice the normal distance between your rig and the car in front of you, so you can avoid sudden stops. When cornering, if you feel the turn yourself, you're going too fast.


And finally, if you get into a jam, stay calm and trust your relationship with your horse. Example: A trainer rolled his stock trailer, pinning his stallion on his side in the damaged trailer that had to be cut apart to free him. This is about the worst-case scenario. The trainer kept the animal calm and quiet by talking him through the ordeal. The stallion came out of it unhurt and loaded quietly into the "rescue" trailer. If you've ridden and cared for your horse for any time at all, trust that relationship and your horse.