Loading / unloading & towing in the dark

pansy

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As it says really - I don't like it but am I being a bit of a wimp
We have no school & electric at my yard so maybe I should be brave - what are your thoughts - many thanks
 
I have to do this tomorrow! So will answer then lol!
I have a lesson at 4. It finishes at 4.30, So I hope to have him loaded up in the light. But then its an hour journey so Ill get home in the dark.
Its my first time doing this so am a little nervous :/
 
We don't have a choice! No school so we are always off out. My tips are get a large light of the kind you can stand up to light the area you are backing into, so with that and the reversing lights it's pretty easy - till you get used to it, then you can just do it in the dark. Our trailer has a light in it but as the pony is pretty much self loading, I don't actually use it...
 
I do it all the time, my horses all load well and it makes no difference to them whether its dark or not they don't care!

Also I switch my lights off to reverse trailer in the dark as its the lights that stop you seeing mostly.
 
I do it often as we're commercial shippers so often out during hours of darkness. Loading and unloading is no problem. All horses we transport travel loose in our trailers box stalls. Unloading, again no problem, each box stall has great lighting and we're lit up like a Christmas tree outside the trailer so everything is highly visible. I'm used to travelling in the dark, if you aren't OP, or are nervous to do it, then I'd say don't. It's not worth a potential accident.
 
Yes I'm nervous about it - may ask husband to come with us - for a bit of moral support - horses normally load quite well - I need to do something or it's just riding at weekends & the odd day off :( RubysGold let me know how you get on I'm sure you will be fine xx
 
Thanks :)
My dad tows. He'll be fine with the driving. I just worry about the horse
But Ill let you know how it goes :D
The difficult thing will be putting the trailer away. We have a very small space to fit it into!
 
Have done this alot! Horses fine with it, load and unload fine, for hitching I use the reverse lights on the car, that's pretty easy, and backing into my space is interesting as I have a deep gulley on the left, so I chuck a couple of torches down to mark my "lines" and back the trailer between these!! Practice makes perfect, the more you do it the easier it becomes!
 
Is that a legal requirement? or better for the horse?
My trailer doesn't have an interior light, but Ive ordered two battery operated lights to pick up in the morning. Does it matter where I hang them :S
 
Horses see better in the dark than we do, so it shouldn't be an issue for them. i would suggest leave the parking of the trailer until the morning if that is going to be a problem 'though....
 
I used to use a couple of push lights from b&q in my horsebox which didn't have lights. Just helped give enough light for the horse to see where its going, they can probably see anyway but mine fell up the ramp the one time I loaded in the dark so I didn't bother again!
 
Pansy I had my lesson on Thursday. Managed to load up and start the journey home in the dark. But we did about 50 minutes driving in the dark (dad tows, not me)
It was absolutely fine :D Even when dad suddenly decided that we must stop for diesel !! A first for me and I was a bit "oh no!!" But I checked on him and he was absolutely fine!

Got home, and unloaded in the dark, dad used a torch on his phone so that I could see the fastens on the breast bar to undo them but he walked out no problem, and we even managed to park up in the dark! :D

so, yeah, don't worry about it :D :D
 
Rubysgold - Fab, glad all went ok I will be brave & have a go - will take someone with me just Incase��
 
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