How many of us are nervous when towing our horses?

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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As above - I crawl round islands, and look out for low hanging branches that suddenly hit the box roof - but my greatest fear is having to brake hard incase of an emergency and the horses going down.... on a scale of horse riding - I compare it to going on a windy hack on a "toesy" horse - worth it when you get back but a bit "scary" whilst doing it.
 
not at all, have been towing now for over a year and cool as a cucumber about it ! Only thing which did worry me was towing with our "new" disco the other week and finding out the hard way it had a lot of playing in the steering... but generally I'm happy as larry!
 
I do still get very nervous. I tow a friends that is a star and i can almost forget she is there.
Towing a horse or pony i have never towed before scares me witless. I usually end up with very sore muscles from the tension.
At least you will give the horse a nice comfortable ride:)
 
im getting better.initially our horse scrabbled in the trailer until we removed partition and i also had a bad experience with a horse going frantic.now i am towing maybe twice a week and for up to an hour and horse is perfect im relaxing.i will never be totally confident because of all the other pillocks on the road
 
I don't tow, I drive a lorry and have now for 6 months. I'm still a nervous wreck and hate doing it! I had a moped over take me the first time I drove with my horse in the back!
 
First time my dad towed with horse in the back I was pretty nervous, but he was fine :p He's a really good driver but occasionally a little too nonchalant when it comes to speed :O

My poor dad though- when we brought new horse home a couple of weeks ago, my sister and I were shrieking at him every time he went above crawling pace! Mainly because horse had previously been used to an Equitrek and ours is an Ifor, so thought he might find it difficult to balance... and partly just coz he's delicate and valuable :p
 
Am happy as larry towing both of them

am happy towing my boy on the way to places.

due to his recent pain in arse antics on the way home I get a bit angsty about that, but only because I worry about him and would hate for him to do himself a mischief.

I used to hate our old trailer....... feel much happier with the new one
 
I had an irrational fear of towing my horses despite being a very experienced trailer tower and never having had a problem, but my fear was so bad that I sold my trailer and now have the use of a lorry which I'm much happier driving.
 
Terrified!!!!! Always get nervous! Especially after an incident we had a few weeks ago on the way to a show, our mare fell down and put her leg through the side of the trailer.. it was REALLY scary, we had to get the police out to stop the traffic so we could reload the other horse, and had to get a friend out to rescue our mare!!! Luckily a kind lady at a local yard stopped and asked if we were ok, she directed us to the yard and the manager treated our mares wounds for us while we waited for help.
Mare is fine now, just cuts and a few scabs! Amazingly! Its not put her off at all, she still runs into trailers and gets excited, me, on the other hand! Still a bit on edge!!
 
Yes, I really worry especially going on the motorway which I avoid unless essential. Reading the horror stories about trailer accidents doesn't help! I can't afford a lorry so if I want to compete, I just have to get on with it!
 
Greenlivery, can I ask what sort of trailer the mare's leg went through and whether it was rotten at all? Just curious..
As for being nervous, I am when I just think about towing as I am aware it is dangerous and I worry about not being able to brake in time, but when actually doing it I am fine. I am also confident enough, after many years, to turn the trailer round in all sorts of weird places.
 
Dogstar said:
Greenlivery, can I ask what sort of trailer the mare's leg went through and whether it was rotten at all? Just curious..
As for being nervous, I am when I just think about towing as I am aware it is dangerous and I worry about not being able to brake in time, but when actually doing it I am fine. I am also confident enough, after many years, to turn the trailer round in all sorts of weird places.
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It was an ifor williams, she didn't go through the entire side, just the inside part of it, it left a hoof/leg shaped hole! It was not rotten though. She was having a mad moment, we think she got so worked up she slipped and couldn't sort herself out because of the other horse being next to her so she gave up and fell over.

When we first started towing we got stuck in a little village and held up an entire wedding party for ages while we attempted numerous times to turn around! Luckily things have got better since then!
 
I used to but not anymore. I go anywhere on my own and i'm even getting quite good at going backwards!!

I've got Trailer Vision now as well and that is just amazing, I love it :D
 
i cant tow yet so get my best friend to drive, and i have to say im a nightmare! im forever shouting slow down, watch the kerb, not too close to the middle, dont turn so fast, he just smiles and nods. he is well aware how nervous i am of anything happening to my horses. i thank him loads after when we are home safe!
 
I hate it!! I never give it a thought, used to hook up and go, until my last horse that was a bad traveller. Next horse was the same in a trailer and I sold the trailer and got lifts every where. I was a terrible passenger then :D. I now have my own wagon, I cnt be a passenger, I have to drive but my stomachs in knots til we get there and then again until I get home. Then after we get home I get mad at myself for getting so worked up. Not used the wagon much so its now up for sale, stress over, think I will pay in future and follow in my car :D:D
 
I hate it! Doesn't help that Murph is not the greatest traveller, we took the partition out and he is better but still tends to lean on one side. I travelled in the trailer once when we were transporting our pony when she had fractured her leg. 25 mph felt more like 70 mph and you could feel every bump in the road, has made me much more aware of how the journey is for the horse. I have a damaged shoulder and it is always killing me when we get to a show, combination of driving a discovery that feels like it is wandering all over the road and me being tense.:(
 
I HATE IT!!!!!
When I was 14 I was following a trailer back (in a seperate car towing my horse) after we had a beach ride and saw my friends trailer disconnect from their car and plummet down a river bank and get half submerged in the water. It was a nightmare and took 3 hours to free the horses. I know we have much safer mechanisms in place now but it makes me terrified now towing as an adult. I cannot forget the panic and injuries to those horses! BTW both horses survived but very scarred and never travelled again.
 
I am not nervous however it does irritate me on the motorway when you are doing just under 60 and lorry after lorry overtakes, which as they are overtaking destabalises the trailer, you get to a situation where it is safer to speed to prevent them overtaking than do a sensible speed and get blown off!
 
I don't drive so can't comment on the driving....but hatehatehate travelling horses of mine in a trailer, it's just....ah horrible! Specially as mine is rather bouncy travelling.
Lorry all the way.
 
I don't bother about towing now. My first towing experience was driving from one side of the country to the other! I am worse if someone else is towing my horse, I spend my whole time braking for them!
 
I have been towing for years and years, I can reverse anywhere in any situation - no problem whatsoever........but........I always have butterflies in my stomach whilst towing. I don't know why that is. I always travel very slowly and always pull over and let the cars behind me pass at the first opportunity, I can't bear the thought of cars being stuck behind me! Shame caravan drivers can't be as curteous!! ;) I think it might be due to the fact that my current mare (had her five years now) is a really dreadful traveller, she get herself so worked up, neighing constantly the whole journey, pawing etc and has gone down before now - I guess that is what has made me nervous.

I bought a new car today (towing vehicle) and am towing with it for the first time on Sunday to a sponsored ride - I am already apprehensive!! :o
 
I get anxious about trailers in general. I'm really not a fan, and will only use them for short journeys on small roads, or in emergencies.

At the mo, my mare is traveling to the vets and back once a week, for treatment, and, as his lorry is currently SWORN, then this leaves my transporter doing it in a trailer. Thankfully, (despite this being her first few times ever in a trailer, rather than a lorry), my girl is being a saintly traveller. I also have every confidence in mate's driving ability, so stress levels aren't too bad with these journeys.

Still, I can't wait until we can *finally* get a little box, like we've been planning for some time now :)
 
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You couldn't pay me enough money to make me put Genie in a trailer. Too bleeding dangerous. I have my little lorry and it's a lorry or nothing.
 
I am confident towing and have driven long journeys - including taking the ferry to Ireland.
I get nervous when anyone else is towing my horse - they are never as careful as me. I much prefer to drive myself, no matter how tired I am.
 
I'm careful when towing, but not nervous. Probably helped by the fact that I used to race cars and used to tow my car all over the country. I do think about the horses, especially on roundabouts, going up or down steep hills and when braking, but that's not nerves, just sensible driving.
 
I have a trailer and don't enjoy towing at all - but make myself do it or I'd never go anywhere. My youngster travels well but clatters around for the 1st 5 mins or so which makes me feel ill!!! I'm fine driving it and can reverse into little spaces easily now but just don;t enjoy the experience!

I've recently had a full service, new floor, new brakes etc etc so I know the trailer is fine - its just the other numpties on the roads I worry about!

If I'm going on a long journey / motorways I do book a lorry as I hate taking my trailer on big roads - its really just for local trips!
 
I get so nervous towing esp when we have to go on a motorway or anywhere far - nothings ever happened to me but i just have this horrid feeling about doing it. No matter what show or event im doing i never get nervous about the show or the riding just about the driving - hate it - when i win the lottery im gonna by a top notch horsebox and a chauffeur.
 
so use to towing from sheep and cattle in a 14 ft trailer so although carefull not worried about towing horsebox, much worse sheep on bottom layer and decks or cattle which move around and usually towing max weight limit, hubby usually gets that job, protect my licence!
 
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