how many of you ladies manage a 4x4 and trailer and horse on your own

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I am selling my lorry and swapping to a 4x4 and trailer after advice from my mechanic. It will be cheaper for me in terms of repairs and stuff going wrong. lorries do not like sitting aorund even though i use it locally once every week to 2 weeks. Before i make a mistake though and buy a 4x4 and trailer how many of you ladies (i am quite lighweight) go out on your own with 4x4, hitch up, compete etc and manage without living area and loading horses etc on own. I have a 16.2 3 yr old and would sometimes be on my own and sometimes with a friend hence 3.5 ton lorry no good. or do i get a younger lorry. do you get blown about more in wind as we are having.
 
I have a disco & a 505 and regularly hitch up and toddle off somewhere. it is not often that I have company on outings so do everything on my own. If I do have company they don't help with the hitching side of things.
 
Use mine all the time I have no probs regarding hitching, practice makes perfect and you soon learn where you need to put the car in relation to the hitch. Modern trailers are light and easy to manouvre alone anyway. I actually prefer motorway towing TBH and often toddle down to Crofton or the Newforest. I would love a lorry but funds don't allow and I would need another care so that would be 3 sets of tax, insurance and MOT.
 
not a problem at all, especially with one horse.

Hitching on is a piece of cake, especially if you are on hard standing. If I'm not exactly under the hitch, I can normally pull our IW505 into place easily. Just keep everything well greased and maintained.

I managed to load, drive, unload, reverse and unhitch the trailer with a broken arm on the way home from a comp before (before i knew it was broke)

If I am out with just bailey in the trailer i make full use of the empty side of the trailer to change in, sit in, put my tack in, normally transfer my 'stuff'box and tack into the trailer on arrival and use the breach bar to hang the saddle on. My friend has fixed a couple of long bunjees to the side of her trailer using the breech/breast bar fittings, she can hang light rugs, jacket, shirt, BP, etc from them.

B now self loads as well. I'll just lead him up the ramp, throw the rope over his neck and he pootles in an starts munching his hay while I do the breeching bar, then hop round the front to finish tying him. He's a good helpful boy though.

You'll easily manage. :)
 
I can and have but I prefer to take the lorry nowadays.

Having been there though I'm always on the lookout in case anyone in that situation is having a problem. It always amazes me how many horses won't load into a trailer at a show and the poor single person with them is stuck. My horses have been in dozens of trailers - they've virtually never travelled anywhere in them but they are experts at walking through and giving a lead!

If you don't already have it you need to grow a thick skin to ask people for help if necessary.
 
No Problem.I can't afford to run two vehicles and have one sitting at home most of the tome.Never had any trouble loading any animals.
 
I have a Disco and a BMW x5 to tow my Trailer.

For years I have been all over the country towing on my own I travel mainly on Motorways as it is quicker and better for the horses.

I take mine to the farriers, so often take 2 horses on my own. I also often hitch up and go and ride some where else, again many times taking 2 horses and ride and lead.
 
i have a navara an ifor 505 and do it all by myself (and horse can be a pig to load), i have no probs what so ever. Somewhere to hide from the elements would be nice but i always take a cool box and a flask:D
 
I manage fine with mine. I did share a lorry for a while and it was nice having a living area but I can live without it. I keep a grooming and first aid kit in my car so just need to add tack and clothes when I go anywhere.
I have no problems hitching up etc - you soon get used to it.
 
I go almost everywhere by myself, hitch up Equitrek which you can't move by hand so have to line the car up exactly, load horsie & off we go. If I do have someone with me at a show they never help with the hitching etc, quite often come separately & meet me there. I have been on long journeys, Wales & West, MK3de, West Wilts etc alone with no problems.
 
I go to a lot of shows on my own. Never had any real problems, often its just me, a dog and a pony :) Occasionally I take 2 ponies on my own, it depends on which 2, I have certain pairs which are doable on my own and others which are a lot easier with someone to help.
 
i always go everywhere on my own, i can count on one hand the amount of times i have had help with me. I think you get into a routine with your horse and organisation is really the key. this summer my mare and i only had company when we went to the beach with my OH on foot. She wasnt the easiest horse to work around either but you can manage.

ETA im a small lady too! only a petite 5ft2! you'll be fine, i cant move my trailer to hitch it up as i dont have big muscles but just allow myself plenty time to hitch up and usually its not a problem :)
 
No problem - I have no real option to going on my own. I can shift the trailer (IW 505) about on my own if I have to so long as its on a smooth surface (tip - use the jockey wheel to lift the front pair of wheels off the ground) I'm about average size.
 
I have a tack box on the front of my trailer and I keep a first aid kit and grooming kit in it too.

I also have a small freezer box that i can plug into the car. I also have a small single burner cooker. I always carry water, coffee and powdered milk so I can have a drink if I'm out.

I have been out on my own and stayed away for a few days so have posts and tape to coral them.I also have a small tent so I can find a field and have a few days away.
 
I am 5 foot 1 tall and used to weigh about 9 stone. I had no problem towing my pony in a trailer with a ford mondeo on my own. I used to drive 100 to 300 mile round trips to compete in endurance rides all on my lonesome! You should be fine so long as you use commonsense! I didnt drive in high winds, ice or snow. I used to camp in my trailer at rides and had no problem.
 
Yep used to, hitch up, load and off we used to go, infact I was easier at times going on your own, nobody else to think about but your horse and yourself, it was great!

People used to ask me to reverse their trailer and wagons out of the spaces, shouldn't of done;) but I was a dab hand at it. :D
 
I do.

I have a Disco and a Bahill trailer, which is very light ( I did struggle a bit with the old Rice but it weighed as much as a tank).

As well as the usual horse-related stuff...I can be fairly frequently seen parked up at B+Q loading up with bannisters/floor boards etc.:D: Its sweet when 17 year old shop assistants offer to help me- (I am quite petite, and 41) but then its a bit embarassing when I am quite clearly more phsyically capable than them:o
 
I would echo all that has been said - you can do it. You did ask about the wind and I think that is definitely an issue with a trailer - you have to use your common sense.

My towing days are curtailed at the moment as my discovery was scrapped on Wednesday!! Will have to save up for a while now - trouble is I have just turned down some teaching work where I would have taken a horse as a demo!!
 
My friend takes her horse out all the time on her own, he's 16.1hh and she's never had a problem. I think its very brave for those who do it, but then i suppose when you have done it a few times it becomes second nature. I am going to save up to take the trailer test so maybe next year i will be able to do it on my own aswell.
Goodluck and let us know how you get on :)
 
I take two big Irish horses out in our IW510 trailer on my own without any prbolems. Would hate to be reliant on anyone else to have to take the horses out and about tbh and find it easy.
 
:)Yes, I do. First few times I made sure I had hubby or a willing volunteer just in case I needed help, as it is quite daunting at first. However, I soon got into the swing of it.

my horse can sometimes be a little awkward to load, planting himself on the ramp and making himself really `tall' so he won't put his head down to go in:rolleyes: Usually I just stand there for a long minute or two before he decides he's had enough. I'm not proud, I will resort to bribery with a scoop of feed which I keep with me:o and I do also have a lunge line which I can clip round his back end if needed! Never usually have any prob tho, although there are generally lots of offers of help in these situations, I see. TBH, I would always politely decline them ;)but if you have a real problem, I guess it can be an insurance policy:)
 
Thanks guys thats useful. I do have a company car which i have to have (but would willingly give up as dont want to run 2 vehicles) but having a lorry standing about during the week for a couple of weeks is not good for it and costs a lot. I have looked at a 3.5 ton orry which can be uprated to 3.9 ton. not sure what they are like??
 
paulineh said:
I have a tack box on the front of my trailer and I keep a first aid kit and grooming kit in it too.

I also have a small freezer box that i can plug into the car. I also have a small single burner cooker. I always carry water, coffee and powdered milk so I can have a drink if I'm out.

I have been out on my own and stayed away for a few days so have posts and tape to coral them.I also have a small tent so I can find a field and have a few days away.
Click to expand...

Bacon buttys are also done on our small burner....:D
 
I do! Added to that next year I'll be taking my then 2 year old boy out to a few in hand shows alone!!

The only thing I don't recommend anyone going alone to is xc, you're far more likely to get injured doing this activity so I do think you either need someone with you to get you and horse home if the worst happens or you need to be close to someone who can come and assist.
 
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