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Inside Reining Trailer Safety Segments

Comfort in Transport

Transport can be hard on a horse for numerous reasons but a few innovations in horse trailer design increase your horse’s comfort on the road. Here are a few trailer features that can help your high performance athlete arrive ready to compete.

Temperature
Another major comfort factor in transport in temperature. A lot of trailers are still made with a metal roof. A metal roof on a trailer conducts the heat from the sun and can turn the inside of a trailer into an oven in the middle of the summer. Composite fiberglass roofs, on the other hand, reflects the sun’s rays and forms a insulating thermal barrier on top of a trailer. On a 90 degree summer day the interior of a trailer with a composite fiberglass roof is generally 80 degrees, while the interior of a trailer with a metal roof is likely to be about 100 degrees. Different composite fiberglass materials come with different R factors that rate their insulating abilities. Look for trailer that is roofed with material with an R factor of 5.5 per inch of thickness or above.

Airflow
One of the most basic things you can do make your horse comfortable on the road is to make sure he receives plenty of fresh air. A trailer with large windows and pop-up roof vents will move more air through your trailer. A fold down feed door with a safety bar grill behind it will allow any odor build up in the stall area to dissipate while also preventing the horse from getting his head out the window. Be sure that when your feed door is open, it is firmly held into place. Look for a trailer with a door hold back device that will not create added noise and vibration going down the road.

If you turn the front pop-up roof vents forward, they will suck air into the trailer. Then turn your rear roof vents the opposite direction and they will siphon air back out of the trailer for maximum efficiency. You can also have fans installed in your stall area to help keep air moving even when the trailer isn’t.

Noise & Vibration
Two of the major contributing factors to a horse’s stress level in transit are noise and vibration. The introduction of an incredible 3M product is helping to minimize those factors. Traditionally the side wall of a trailer has been attached with rivets which vibrate and rattle in transit. When 3M’s VHB tape is used for the same application, noise and vibration has been significantly reduced. 3M has has designed a machine that demonstrates the difference VHB makes for your horse. The VHB panel is 41% quieter and creates 30% less vibration than the panel held together with traditional fasteners. The key to VHB tape is that its soft foamy texture creates a barrier between the side wall post and the side wall sheet and dampens any sound or vibration that the two materials might create when in direct contact with one another. The added benefit of VHB tape is that is stronger than traditional fasteners.

Ride
Drive considerately and keep in mind that your horses are standing up in the back of the trailer. Take turns cautiously and avoid sudden swerves if possible. Choose the best kind of suspension system for you and your horse. Rubber Torsion Axles will provide a smoother ride than the steel leaf spring system but an Air Ride system will provide maximum comfort for your horse.

See our Trailering Tips on the left for more Helpful Resources

Trailer Maintenance Keeps You Safe on the Road

Maintaining Proper Tire Pressure
Maintaining Proper Tire Pressure is one of the easiest ways to stay safe on the road, increase your fuel efficiency, and extend the life of your tires. Many people think that because they’ve never had to pay much attention to the tire pressure in their car or truck, that they shouldn’t have to monitor it in their trailer. What they do not realize is that the average car uses 45% of its tires’ maximum weight capacity so fluctuations in tire pressure have less impact on performance and safety. Most loaded horse trailers, on the other hand, are carrying around 85% of their maximum weight capacity. Therefore, very small fluctuations in tire pressure can cause the tires become over loaded and at risk for failure. Tire pressure can be affected by many things, including time and temperature. Tires naturally loose between 1 to 3 psi per month. They also loose an average of 1 psi for each 8-degree loss in ambient temperature. Under inflation has many negative effects like decreased fuel efficiency and decreased load capacity. It also causes premature and uneven tire wear that can lead to a dangerous blowout situation.

Torquing Your Lug nuts
Torquing your is another important part of trailer maintenance. Improperly tightened lug nuts create a dangerous situation that can rapidly lead to wheel separation. Every manufacturer has a recommended wheel torque schedule. It is your responsibility to familiarize your self with that schedule and stick to it. It is most important to check the lug nuts frequently during the first few hundred miles of use and at least twice a year there after. You should also check wheel torque before any long trip and any time a wheel is removed. The only way to check wheel torque, is with a torque wrench. Other tools can be used to attach a wheel in a emergency situation but that is only a temporary solution. The wheel needs to be check for proper tightness with a torque wrench as soon as possible. When using a torque wrench be sure to tighten lug nuts in a star shaped pattern.

Wheel Bearings
It is also important to have your wheel bearings re-packed yearly or every 12,000 miles

See our Trailering Tips on the left for more Helpful Resources

Getting off to a Good Start –
Safe Hook-Up and Loading Procedures

Spending a few extra minutes before you get going can save you lots of headaches down the road.

Count to Five
Before pulling on to the road count to five to double check that you’ve covered all your bases: Latch your Coupler, Attach your Safety Chains, Connect your Wire Plug, Attach your Break-A-Way Cable, and Raise and Stow your Jack.

Brakes and Lighting Connections
Every time you get ready to hit the road test your brake and lighting connections. Connect the trailer’s electrical cable to your tow vehicle and make sure all your lights are fuctioning properly. This includes tail lights, running lights, brake lights, and turn signals. You can test your lights by turning on your emergency flashers and then walking around the trailer to make sure all your lights are on. If you have a problem, check the fit of your wire plug. Check your break away battery to make sure it is fully charged and be sure the break away cable is attached to something other than the hitch ball or the safety chains. Your break away cable needs to be long enough to not snag on the surrounding parts of the hitch when turning but short enough to pull out of the break-away switch. Check for your brakes to make sure they are functioning properly and your controller is adjusted correctly. Engage your electric brake with the hand control while pulling forward in your driveway. If the brake system is working correctly you’ll be able to feel it.

Safety Chains
Safety Chains are an important back up plan in the unlikely event that your trailer was ever to come unhitched from your truck but only if they are used correctly. When attaching safety chains be sure to criss cross the chains once. This will allow the safety chains to cradle the coupler in the event of a decoupling event. It is imperative that you do not twist the chains. There is a common misconception that you can twist your safety chains to shorten them and make them fit your rig. This will dramatically weaken your safety chain and will make them likely to break in a decoupling situation. Make sure you select safety chains that are the correct size and are rated for the GVWR of your trailer.

Load Distribution
Another thing to think about is how you pack your cargo. You want to distribute weight evenly throughout the trailer. Ideally you want to put your heaviest horse over the forward most axle or as close as possible. If you’re only hauling one horse, load them over the forward most axle. Be sure you know what you can tow. Familiarize yourself with all of your trailer and your tow vehicles weight capacities and make sure you know what your trailer weighs when its fully loaded with all your horses and other cargo.

See our Trailering Tips on the left for more Helpful Resources