Ladies who tow on their own?

I think reversing is fine. I took the test (no option) so did loads and it's definitely the case that the more you do it the easier it becomes. If I don't go out for a month I lose the knack again though :(

OH is still better than me though, despite not having his license. Very galling that he can do it quicker than me. I can do it but I have to take is steady, he just goes for it. Horrid boy :p
 
According to the farmer who owns our yard going faster helps :confused: he reverses trailers at warp speed........ wouldn't recommend that method though, everyone else seems to do it slowly....... I think perhaps it is the fact that he is used to reversing enormous tractors with massive trailers...
 
Reversing with a trailer - setting it up .....

STOP just before you get to the point where you intend to reverse as this gives time to think

If necessary get out and work out how you intend to do it

If the gap is on the left then can you turn around so it is on the right because its easier to do in a right hand drive vehicle

Can you get close to the gap on the right and then go forward/left and forward/right so that the rear of the trailer ends up pointing at an angle towards the gap with the vehicle angled slightly to the right of the trailer?

Wind down the window so you can look out

Now reverse using small turns of the steering wheel if possible

STOP THINK & Shunt forward if necessary to adjust the position before reversing again
 
In general males are better at reversing that females so take no notice when a bloke says its easy - they have the advantage of having their brains wired for this from caveman days
 
Mine is a single trailer - so I can unhitch it and move it around by hand :o

It's rather embarrasing to have to resort to that though.

If I could be arsed to practice...then I would improve :D

The advice I got re reversing is to not overwork the steering wheel and do big movements - small adjustments gradually are better.
 
ROG said:
In general males are better at reversing that females so take no notice when a bloke says its easy - they have the advantage of having their brains wired for this from caveman days
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Whereas we mere females were busy creating and sustaining life :D
 
I've been towing on my own for 30 years. Recently completed a 700 mile round trip on my own with two horses.
Join the AA/RAC and an equine rescue outfit in case you break down.
Learn how to change a flat tyre on your trailer - it can be done without unloading the horses, with the use of a handy kerb.
Practice reversing, its easy if you plan your reverse and line the trailer up correctly before going backwards
Start with short trips, your confidence will grow.

Good luck, if I wasn't driving myself places I wouldn't get to any events. You just need to do it - lots of others manage fine. Best of luck x
 
Another lady of a certain age that didn't need to take a trailer test ;)

Go for it - I have been everywhere on my own with my trailer, used to event so travelled for hours. You won't go far wrong with an Ifor Williams, and I wouldn't go for something too light, you want it solid on the road.
 
I tow on my own all the time now as OH works funny shifts :)

I dont mind it, radio on pony in trailer all gear in back and off I go :) Never dithered or worried about it, If anything happened parents can drive and tow and i have friends who would come to my rescue ;)
 
I don't tow on my own per se, my friend is usually with me as she rides mac and we always go out together. (she can't tow). Last time we went out, was roughy a 2.5hr journey each way, and we were in the car singing along to madonna and cheesy 80's hits. We could see Mac and Dolly in the trailer trying to put their hooves over their ears. I am always usually really nervous until we've been on the move 10/15 minutes, but then I can relax a bit and turn the music up a little. I have towed completely on my own, and was exactly the same, maybe less singing though.
 
well my OH is totally non horsey and never comes with me - so i learnt fast! - hitching up - once you get the knack is wasy enough - just be organised take your time and it all becomes second nature - I now have a small lorry which is easier and I have been to bristol (100 miles) to the specialist a couple of times with horse on my own down the motorway - feel fairly confident. - just a matter of getting used to it- have a go you will be fine
 
I've always towed on my own - OH is scared of the trailer & hates horses!! I find it super easy, but I've always just 'got' reversing. My friend on the other hand cannot reverse to save her life & gets any random stranger to do it for her if needed! Not read other replies but if possible just try & find somewhere to practice xx
 
I tow solo and have no problem. I am also one of the older people who didn't need to take a test...however, I faithfully wrote all my hitching instructions down and then practised a LOT! On my own. First tip, do not leave the handbrake on! I didn't have lessons as such but did look up trailing tips and reversing. Again practised a lot without horses and particularly reversing and turning. I also make sure that my trailer and jeep are propery serviced and make sure tyres etc are at their correct pressure every time I go out. I towed quite a bit without a horse to start with though it's actually easier with a horse on board ! My trailer is also a deavile and I can hitch up solo thanks to the hitching mirror on the trailer ( not on all trailers as standard!) and I always always clean out my trailer and put 2 plastic sacks overthe actual hitching gear to keep it out of the wet.
 
ROG posted some really helpful you tube videos on another thread which helped me feel happy about hitching. That and I keep the trailer manual handy in case I run into trouble.
 
I am 50 and I have been hitching up on my own and driving my horses alone since I was 20. I drive the horse to an area where the hacking is better. I load the horse tacked up, so that i can get her straight out and get on. A lot of this is down to how sensible your horse it. Horses are not stupid, if you are worried, I suggest you do what I did the first couple of times. Drive down the road and unload, get on and ride home. Get your OH to drive the trailer back. It gets the horse used to the concept of going out in the trailer for a hack, rather than a competition. Your horse will quickly get the idea and look forward to more interesting hacks.

Only practise will make you perfect at hitching and un hitching. So long as the vehicle are trailer are well looked after and both serviced, you won't have a problem. I agree that having rescue insurance is well worth it.
 
jesstickle said:
Make sure you have breakdown all in place and your trailer serviced. Knowing my trailer is in A1 nick and that the breakdown people will pick up the horses in an emergency really makes me feel better about it all too :)
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Agree with this.
I was thrown in at the deep end, big equitrek and jeep with 2 horses, my friend who'd towed previously was with me, id never towed in my life.
We were drag hunting, she towed to venue, i was towing back, if i got to freaked she could help me out ....... She fell off and broke her tib and fib, and her ankle, also dislocating said ankle just after getting on:eek:
After getting horses back to trailer and on board, then seeing her off in ambulance, i was cacking myself at the prospect of towing.
When i got back to the trailer park we were boxed in and i needed to turn the trailer from where we were told to park.
I could have wept, my face mustve said it all:(, thankfully some kind gent turned my box by unhitching my jeep and putting on his wee landie in order to make the turn to get out, then hitched me back up again on the straight reassuring me id be fine if i took my time, i followed his advice and got home safely.
Yep that was my first time towing, and every other times been a breeze since :D
 
My 13 yo daughter is FAB at towing the mini tractor trailer, reversing it into a tight spot etc etc. She's been doing it since she was about 7. I put all the reversing skills down to the fact she used to love playing with toy tractors and trailers - you get to understand it's like opening and closing a hinge. Can recommend the 'play it out with the toys' route to establish the principles of which way to turn the steering !
 
I also also passed my test prior to the law changing. Until 2 years ago I would only drive a small car. Over time I have had to learn to drive bigger vehicles and how to reverse these. I then had the confidence to get in to my friends towing car with the trailer hitched up and started to tow it around empty. I was terrified of reversing, but any empty car park with plenty of space, the patience and expertise of friend I have learnt how to reverse. I can now reverse anywhere, but I have to take my time and do so slowly. The best tip for reversing is dont get stressed, just take your time. My other tip for when you are driving on your own, sing a nursery rhyme to yourself, as your brain cant think about more than one thing at a time and this will serve as a distraction. I still find hitching difficult, but only because I have to do it on a slope, but again allow plenty of time to do so. Again dont get stressed about it. As for it all becoming unconnected (yes, I worry about this as well) it CAN NOT come unhitched. It is virtually impossible to unhitch the trailer again, once it has all clunked in to place. I know, I can have as many problems trying to unhitch as well. Prior to setting off check all the doors, ramps and catches, lights etc also check that everyting is connected. After a time you will begin to wonder what you are worrying about. If you ever get stuck at an event, there is always some one around who will come to your rescue. (Usually male) Good luck and enjoy
 
i always tow on my own, i hitch and unhitch and do all the rest, i quite ofter travel tacked up but if i dont i am happy to tack up out, my TB couldnt be trusted so i put his bridle on in the trailer and put head collar back on then put the bar down and led him out for saddle etc. as long as its hitched correctly the trailer wont come off lol, if you ever worried once hitched wind the jocky wheel back up to check its on properly and not going to pop off, as you going up you shoud see the back of the car lift, once happy wind back down and continue as normal.

if you worried prob a good idea for a bit of practise and an experiencd hand there for a few times until you get used to it so you dont forget anything crucial like releasing hand brake on trailer or something.

i had to take my trailer test for the legalities, i towed before just not very far, but really i needed it incase i got checked so i did it, i had to have lessons to pass the test "their way", but tbh its not relevent for towing livestock at all, learnt one or 2 things but i do not drive with my horse in the back the way i was taught i.e. speed and approaching roundabouts etc, it is good i think maybe to have a few lessons for confidence and they taught me about how to check trailer hitched correctly and about speed limits when towing but other than that, its what i know from being a horsey person if you will. i am 26 and only 5'4" but have no trouble, find somewhere to practise if u cant have lessons and worried about reversing, again the lessons didint help with the reversing, i used to go over to dads place and he put cones out and i had to back through them from various angles, im quite confident now. practise makes perfect so they say :)
 
I go most places on my own. I sometimes take two horses alone. I can move the trailer around very well and I am a confident and experienced driver so that isn't an issue.
If I have any advice it is to be organised and to allow plenty of time to travel, that way you are less stressed to begin with. Try some local journeys just hire a school or meet a friend for a hack and gradually increase your confidence.
 
LG's Skivvy said:
Hi,

I tow on my own, I don't have a problem with hitching & unhitching... if you struggle to line the trailer up try propping a broom against the trailer so you can see the sentre line. Or a hitching mirror (I don't have one of these). I do have parking sensors on my car so I leave them on when hitching up & have learnt that once the noise is constant I can go back a certain amount further.

It's not so much the driving I worry about as the reversing and menouvering on my own with no guide to let me know whether or not I'm going to hit the gate post that I can't see ;)

I'm only legal on my license up to 3.5t so I'm doing my B+E Test, partly to have the confidence that I've spent some time with someone telling me what to do & partly so I know I'm legal with 2 horse in the back and not having to worry about whether it's tipped me over the weight limit. thoat said I wouldn't do the test if I didn't have to, they've not taught me much that isn't part of generally driving or that can't be learned from someone else who has experience and it's a lot of money.
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Did the broom thing today - worked a treat got the truck in the right position in two gos, thanks for that the more i can do on my own the better as i dont like to rely on people being around for everything - felt very clever!!!
 
NooNoo59 said:
Did the broom thing today - worked a treat got the truck in the right position in two gos, thanks for that the more i can do on my own the better as i dont like to rely on people being around for everything - felt very clever!!!
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You're very welcome, I'm glad it helped :) ... having to rely on people can be restrictive
 
MyBoyChe said:
How do you find it, especially those ladies who are old enough not to have needed to take a trailer test! I am dithering, have a vehicle which is man enough and really need to get some transport so I can drive to a safe place to hack. Realistically a small lorry, which I would drive quite happily, is beyond budget and tbh Im talking driving a couple of miles, once or twice a week. Its the fact that there is a join in the middle which worries me, what if it comes undone!! Also, the practicality, can you manage to hitch and unhitch by yourself, are you comfortable managing to tack and untack your horse away from the safety of the yard. I am a confident driver, its having the responsibility of my horse behind me that is scaring me a bit. He travels in a trailer fine, Ive followed him and he doesnt move so thats one issue I dont have. A cousin has offered to give me some towing lessons using a cattle trailer so same size but slightly different, then if I get on OK another friend has offered to let me borrow their horse trailer to try with Che so everything is in place, I just need to man up and get on with it. Just wondering how others find it? Also any tips for solo towing appreciated!
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the towing test may not be mandatory for you, but IMO it's worth considering doing it anyway! not only for the lessons, but also for the understanding of the legalities! I'm so glad I did mine, it gave me a lot of confidence to be able to turn the trailer round if I get stuck/lost. This alone came home to me one day travelling back from a competition and the road was blocked with an accident. There were cars struggling to turn round on the little country lane, and I managed (admittedly using one of the verges) to get turned round without any issues and went another way. If I hadn't had the confidence to give it a go, or had panicked, then I'd have been waiting over 12hours with a horse in the trailer to be able to get through!

I tow a heavy wooden 3 horse trailer, with a diahatsu fourtrak, and one horse in the trailer. 90% of the time I tow on my own to and from hunting, and then other odds and ends usually with 2 horses and 1 or 2 other people with me. Wouldn't ever take 2 horses on my own if I could help it - just not worth it IMO in case something went wrong.

tips - take it steady, there's never a rush to get anywhere, just avoid main roads if you're really nervous. and avoid high wind days! :)
 
Recently moved from a large lorry to a trailer - taking it slow when hitching really worked now I can usually reverse to the hitch in one or two moves.

Agree about AA/RAC and either equine recovery or good local mechanic who will come and rescue you. One thing I would say about towing on your own - make sure you have some tools on board

I carry an adjustable spanner, torch, allen key (just in case there is a problem with the breach bars - Ifor Williams 505) screwdriver and hammer. Warning triangle if you drive along a lot of winding country roads - seen a couple of near misses where fast car nearly hit broken down vehicles

I also carry a small air compressor in case there is a slow puncture on the trailer, oh and loads of bailer twine ( I'm of the generation where bailer twine solved every problem)
 
I kind of had to go in at the deep end: bought my trailer from a dealer over 1 hour away and had to tow it home (alone coz OH works saturdays).
Was very cautious to begin with but it was ok (though I very nearly ended up going up through Cheddar Gorge!), forwards is a lot easier than backwards!
I asked the YO to come out with me round the block with my pony in the back to check I was doing everything right.

Reversing comes with practice. Take your time, don't over-correct, using low range can be helpful to save your clutch (and left leg!). Make sure your wheels are straight before you start reversing otherwise you can get in a right pickle.
I do everything alone, hitching, loading, tacking up etc. It helps that I don't have a scatty horse.
 
I go all over with my trailer and two horses on my own and with my 9 year old daughter, my OH cant and I wont let him drive the car with the trailer!!! Its all about practice and then grows the confidence. Once you crack reversing there is no looking back. Also make sure you have horse trailer assistance insurance incase you break down when you are out and about that also gives you piece of mind.
 
I find the attitude that a man is somehow required to tow a trailer and, if he's not there, it makes it harder?!

I am good at reversing a trailer. Very very good. Far better than my male friends. It's something I've practised and done a lot.
Just as well, when you park in a supermarket carpark then head out, as per normal, down the narrow windy exit road only the find they've got a 2m height-bar up that'd you'd never noticed before and isn't sign posted :o

It makes me furious when you see people out with the trailer with no idea of how to reverse :mad: . It's irresponsible and dangerous, never mind giving woman a bad name. The number of times I've had men offer to reverse the trailer for me, before I've even started, at shows simply because I'm a young female in a big, powerful car is embarasing!

The towing of the trailer is almost unnoticable and once you've been out a few times you'll almost forget about it. But you do need to practise the reversing and on public highways with a horse in the back is not the place to do it.
 
JenHunt said:
the towing test may not be mandatory for you, but IMO it's worth considering doing it anyway! not only for the lessons, but also for the understanding of the legalities!
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Generally B+E training does not cover legal issues

I do though :D
 
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