talk to me about towing!

[dottylottie]

as the title says really! complete newbie to towing and i can’t say i’m looking forward to it, but i’m considering it a necessary evil because after the year they’ve given me i want to have a throughly action packed summer!

trailer is still pending, so any suggestions for what to look for when viewing one? i’d like to think i’m pretty clued up from all my internet sleuthing, and i’ve been out in a trailer plenty of times, just long before i could drive

any helpful bits of wisdom to remember when actually towing? anything essential to pack when you go out that you wish you’d thought of sooner?

 

[Widgeon]

Make sure you have a key in the glove box to drop the breast bar on whatever make of trailer you buy (a hex key for Ifors but others are probably different). You'll probably never need it but nice to know it's there. A decent pair of gloves is handy for when you're hooking up the trailer in the cold and wet in the morning. I have a reversing mirror on my trailer which makes it enormously easier to position the tow ball correctly.

I always carry a spare headcollar and leadrope, water and a bucket, and one more haynet than theoretically necessary.

I like to be over-prepared (haha), towing or not, so I also carry an electric tyre pump, spare oil for the engine, and a little plastic jug, bottle of clean water, and bottle of engine coolant. I was glad of it once when I sprang a leak in a coolant pipe and had to stop three times on the way home to top the radiator up. Without that we would've been a recovery job. But obviously that will ideally never happen!

When you're actually towing, you'll start to get an idea for the upper speed at which you and the car / trailer are comfortable on various different sorts of roads; once you've worked that out, don't let anyone pressure you to exceed it. That said I do make use of laybys and large driveways to pull over and let traffic overtake, but that only really applies on little country roads (i.e. all our roads round here).

Finally, plan your routes in advance with Google maps - that way you can avoid the extra pressure that comes with unexpected steep hills, horrible junctions etc. Then I plug the route into my phone the night before and figure out how to force the satnav to take me the way I want to go, rather than the way it thinks is quickest.

For the first six months or so after I bought my trailer I felt sick with worry every time I went out, starting the night before....obviously that wore off with experience so just persevere, go slow, and always give yourself at least half an hour more than you think you'll need. Good luck! It'll be so much fun to be mobile

 

[Lilly-Mayspookatbags]

First few trips out are nerve wracking … far better to over pack whilst learning what you do and don’t need. Always carry spare headcollar , leadrope and lunge line!

Sounds silly but make sure your horse loads into the type of trailer you buy … I bought an Ifor trailer (hated it) all the horses I travelled banged there hips as they found it too narrow so swapped 6 months later for an equitrek (not my smartest financial descision )

Also to calculate towing arrival times use the journey then do x1.5 fairly fool proof at working out the time you’ll get somewhere

 

[JBM]

@Barton Bounty just bought a trailer might have some tips!

 

[Highmileagecob]

One tip I found very useful is to sit in your vehicle and centre the steering wheel so that the front wheels are straight. Wrap a piece of coloured tape around the steering wheel where 6 would be on a clock face. When reversing, which ever direction the tape is pointing is the direction the trailer will move.

 

[Sealine]

In addition to spare headcollar and rope and haynets I have a first aid kit that will cover both horse and human injuries, water for horses, water bucket, sponge, bucket and coal shovel for picking up droppings. I also like to have a Hi-Viz jacket and warning triangle in case of break down but you may have this in your car already.

ETA: Details of your trailer breakdown cover if you have any. Some companies have a phone app to contact them in emergencies.

 

[nagblagger]

Have a towing lesson. Practice, practice, practice with an empty trailer including emergency stops and reversing.
Don't pull away from a roundabout or corner until the trailer is straight behind you..I see so many drivers think they are round the corner, put their foot down and the horse gets jolted, loses balance. Smooth driving is better for the horse.
Do not be intimidated by other drivers to go faster.
Allow plenty of time for your journey so you don't feel flustered.
Have fun.!

 

[fairyclare]

One tip I found very useful is to sit in your vehicle and centre the steering wheel so that the front wheels are straight. Wrap a piece of coloured tape around the steering wheel where 6 would be on a clock face. When reversing, which ever direction the tape is pointing is the direction the trailer will move.

This!!!
Probably the soundest piece of advice I have read.

 

[Tiddlypom]

An essential piece of kit is a Trailer Aid. If you get a puncture, you can pull forward onto it or reverse onto it with the horses still on board to change the tyre.

Yellow Ifor Williams Trailer Aid Ramp | Barlow Trailers

For more information on this Yellow Ifor Williams Trailer Aid Ramp, see online. For more information on the benefits of this product, see online to order yours!

www.barlowtrailers.co.uk

Also trailer tyres are van tyres, not car tyres, as they need to have a higher rating. Many older trailers are sold with perished tyres that might be non original car tyres, so be very cautious about that. They might still have good tread but the sidewalls are gone.

 

[Widgeon]

Have a towing lesson. Practice, practice, practice with an empty trailer including emergency stops and reversing.

Yes! Definitely this. Hugely helpful in building up your self confidence. I did this once I'd bought the trailer.

However I am not sure about the "empty trailer" thing - I did several practice runs with an empty trailer and it damaged my confidence because my trailer (an Ifor) tows so much better, and quite differently, loaded. When empty it joggles around and yanks on the tow ball and is generally a pig. However when loaded it tows very nicely.

When I had a towing lesson the instructor loaded the trailer with a full IBC so it would behave.

 

[nagblagger]

I agree @Widgeon about the empty trailer, I could have phrased it better. I meant with no live animal trust aboard to practice with. Good idea and I didn't know that the instructor weighed it down.

 

[Widgeon]

I agree @Widgeon about the empty trailer, I could have phrased it better. I meant with no live animal trust aboard to practice with. Good idea and I didn't know that the instructor weighed it down.

Filling it full of small bale hay might work, as a homemade solution!

 

[Northern Hare]

I'd 100% (sorry that should be 100,000%!) recommend getting some trailer towing lessons with an HGV instructor. Wait till you've got your trailer so you can have your lesson in your car and trailer.

I just did a half day at the old disused airport site the instructor had access to. I can't tell you the difference it made - by the end of the session, he had me reversing backwards through a tight course of cones (including a full 360o loop) that I'd never have thought was possible at the start of the lesson - it made so much difference to my confidence in towing generally.

@Highmileagecob tip above is also excellent, it's similar to the tip the instructor gave me, and it means you can sit facing forward using your wing mirrors, rather than looking over your shoulder and trying to work out which way to turn the steering wheel!

ETA: another tip the instructor gave me, was to imagine having a priceless vase sitting in the middle of the bonnet. So to avoid it falling off, use very careful braking, accelerating from junctions, and slow speeed around corners....

 

[dottylottie]

those of you who practiced or had lessons in your own trailer, how did you get it home? did you just wing it to get it home or arrange delivery? i’d like to get one and go from there, probably with a half day course and then taking advantage of the people i have on offer to help, but nobody is willing to pick the trailer up! the ones i’m looking at are 45 mins - an hour away, at the closest low budget means more distance!

 

[Sossigpoker]

Have some towing lessons from someone who knows how to tow a horse.
I see so much terrible towing , bad cornering , harsh breaking etc.

When buying a trailer, note that an older trailer may look perfect on the outside but be completely rotten inside the panels.
505s and 510s are now coming up to 20 years old so those will need to be rebuilt, regardless of how good they might look externally.

 

[Sossigpoker]

those of you who practiced or had lessons in your own trailer, how did you get it home? did you just wing it to get it home or arrange delivery? i’d like to get one and go from there, probably with a half day course and then taking advantage of the people i have on offer to help, but nobody is willing to pick the trailer up! the ones i’m looking at are 45 mins - an hour away, at the closest low budget means more distance!

I hired a trailer for a couple of lessons. Then bought my own.

 

[dottylottie]

Make sure you have a key in the glove box to drop the breast bar on whatever make of trailer you buy (a hex key for Ifors but others are probably different). You'll probably never need it but nice to know it's there. A decent pair of gloves is handy for when you're hooking up the trailer in the cold and wet in the morning. I have a reversing mirror on my trailer which makes it enormously easier to position the tow ball correctly.

I always carry a spare headcollar and leadrope, water and a bucket, and one more haynet than theoretically necessary.

I like to be over-prepared (haha), towing or not, so I also carry an electric tyre pump, spare oil for the engine, and a little plastic jug, bottle of clean water, and bottle of engine coolant. I was glad of it once when I sprang a leak in a coolant pipe and had to stop three times on the way home to top the radiator up. Without that we would've been a recovery job. But obviously that will ideally never happen!

When you're actually towing, you'll start to get an idea for the upper speed at which you and the car / trailer are comfortable on various different sorts of roads; once you've worked that out, don't let anyone pressure you to exceed it. That said I do make use of laybys and large driveways to pull over and let traffic overtake, but that only really applies on little country roads (i.e. all our roads round here).

Finally, plan your routes in advance with Google maps - that way you can avoid the extra pressure that comes with unexpected steep hills, horrible junctions etc. Then I plug the route into my phone the night before and figure out how to force the satnav to take me the way I want to go, rather than the way it thinks is quickest.

For the first six months or so after I bought my trailer I felt sick with worry every time I went out, starting the night before....obviously that wore off with experience so just persevere, go slow, and always give yourself at least half an hour more than you think you'll need. Good luck! It'll be so much fun to be mobile

thankyou! i’m definitely an over-prepared person, most of those things are in my car already haha, must put a little jug on my shopping list!

i’ve already thought to myself that in one way, towing will be less stressful on unfamiliar roads because i’ll feel perfectly content to go slowly, since i’ve got a good excuse! luckily all the places i’d like to go i’m already familiar with the route and will be avoiding any with really tricky bits to begin with

 

[Errin Paddywack]

One thing I learnt was that when going round roundabouts or corners lift your foot off the accelerator, let the car and trailer coast round. This is from both travelling in the trailer with a pony (very long time ago) and following a trailer towed by a friend and seeing how the horse was swung to the side if actively pulling rather than coasting.

 

[dottylottie]

First few trips out are nerve wracking … far better to over pack whilst learning what you do and don’t need. Always carry spare headcollar , leadrope and lunge line!

Sounds silly but make sure your horse loads into the type of trailer you buy … I bought an Ifor trailer (hated it) all the horses I travelled banged there hips as they found it too narrow so swapped 6 months later for an equitrek (not my smartest financial descision )

Also to calculate towing arrival times use the journey then do x1.5 fairly fool proof at working out the time you’ll get somewhere

i’ve been wondering if there’s a fool proof way to work out towing time vs driving time, thankyou for that!

luckily they’re both happy in an ifor williams trailer - they’re 13.2 and 14.2 (plus extra hip padding) i don’t doubt that they’d prefer a 3.5t, but unless they’re going to start paying their own livery the trailer will have to do i would’ve loved an equitrek, but between the trailer itself and needing a bigger car it was a bit unrealistic at the minute, maybe one day!

 

[dottylottie]

One tip I found very useful is to sit in your vehicle and centre the steering wheel so that the front wheels are straight. Wrap a piece of coloured tape around the steering wheel where 6 would be on a clock face. When reversing, which ever direction the tape is pointing is the direction the trailer will move.

oh this is so clever, i know bottom of the wheel for the back/top of the wheel for the front of the trailer, but this tip is definitely more my speed

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

thankyou! i’m definitely an over-prepared person, most of those things are in my car already haha, must put a little jug on my shopping list!

i’ve already thought to myself that in one way, towing will be less stressful on unfamiliar roads because i’ll feel perfectly content to go slowly, since i’ve got a good excuse! luckily all the places i’d like to go i’m already familiar with the route and will be avoiding any with really tricky bits to begin with

I'm a bit of a panicky tower so if I am going somewhere new with the trailer, I will try and drive the route beforehand just with my car . This means I know where I'm going and it's one less thing for me to worry about as Sat navs are not always reliable. Trying to find somewhere to turn round with a trailer is stressful if you go the wrong way.

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

One tip I found very useful is to sit in your vehicle and centre the steering wheel so that the front wheels are straight. Wrap a piece of coloured tape around the steering wheel where 6 would be on a clock face. When reversing, which ever direction the tape is pointing is the direction the trailer will move.

I'm going to try this. Great tip

 

[Jambarissa]

One thing I learnt was that when going round roundabouts or corners lift your foot off the accelerator, let the car and trailer coast round. This is from both travelling in the trailer with a pony (very long time ago) and following a trailer towed by a friend and seeing how the horse was swung to the side if actively pulling rather than coasting.

Do you know if that's official advice?

It's the opposite to what you should do in a car. Accelerating around a corner moves the weight off the front wheels so they can turn easier.

I wondered whether with you having the trailer behind your weight is already back so it doesn't matter if you slow.

OP - They only removed the requirements for newer drivers to pass a trailer towing test because they needed to concentrate on hgv drivers after brexit and covid. My friend failed her towing test and then regs changed so now she has one, that sounds safe! Definitely worth having some lessons.

 

[Highmileagecob]

And be prepared for the Cloak of Invisibility that inexplicably covers your car and trailer when on the road. The number of vehicles that will pull out in front of you with no regard to the trailer you are towing is insane. Maybe a dash-camera?

 

[Muddy unicorn]

I used to be sick with nerves before towing - I had a couple of lessons before picking it up but I still felt horribly nervous. What helped was doing lots of short trips especially to places I knew well, leaving lots of time, taking a deep breath before starting any reversing manoeuvres and telling myself out loud which way I wanted the back of the trailer to go and which way to turn the steering wheel. The best thing was simply practice - the more I do it, the more comfortable I become.

 

[nagblagger]

And be prepared for the Cloak of Invisibility that inexplicably covers your car and trailer when on the road. The number of vehicles that will pull out in front of you with no regard to the trailer you are towing is insane. Maybe a dash-camera?

Or try and overtake, then realise the trailer is longer than normal (3 horse one) and they haven't left enough room with the oncoming traffic.

 

[meesha]

Tie a lead rope to twine in trailer, simply lead in clip on to rope in trailer and unclip rope you led in with.

If travelling 1, take out partition and put in full length breast and breach bars and cross tie. They travel so much better and more room to tack up in there in rain.

I have a box tied at front of trailer (inside)with grooming tools and dustpan and brush to muck out with ..all in a bucket with a small water container...

 

[nagblagger]

Don't panic if you are reversing and 'it's not going right', take a deep breath, pull forward and start again, we have all been there and probably will again.

 

[Sealine]

When I bought my first trailer I took my husband with me to tow it home. When we got half a mile away from the dealership he pulled over and made me drive home including stretches of the M25 and the M1.

I've always found towing easy as long as I'm going forwards. It's the reversing that can get confusing but Nagblagger's advice above is great. I've been know to return from an outing and abandon my trailer in the yard car park after getting myself in a muddle trying to reverse back into my designated parking space. I'd go and do something else for 10 mins and go back and try again.

 

[Rowreach]

One thing I learnt was that when going round roundabouts or corners lift your foot off the accelerator, let the car and trailer coast round. This is from both travelling in the trailer with a pony (very long time ago) and following a trailer towed by a friend and seeing how the horse was swung to the side if actively pulling rather than coasting.

This is really not an advisable thing to do.

Most people do not prepare properly or early enough for junctions, corners, roundabouts, traffic lights or anything unexpected.

You need to be going slowly enough before a manoeuvre so that you can negotiate it smoothly and under power, but not so much power that you lose the smoothness. If horses are being swung around in the trailer then the driver did not prepare and/or is going too fast.

I prefer to drive on my gears rather than brakes, but be aware that other drivers need to see your brake lights to know you are slowing down. And use your indicators (make sure they work) much much earlier than you might in a car, use your wing mirrors all the time so you know what is behind you (people will drive too close behind and if you are not looking frequently you might miss them coming up), and always always have your headlights on, even if it's a lovely day.

I also suggest putting some hiviz strips on the back of the ramp (like lorries have) to make you even more visible from behind.