talk to me about towing!

[nagblagger]

The laws of trailer ownership.

You will find everyone is an expert when you've cocked up reversing, onlookers will shout left hand/right hand down, or you get the irritating one who stands behind you waving their finger around, i think in a circle, but you can't see it, then they disappear from view and you have to stop because you can't see them.

There are ones that encourage you back as you are clear of the gatepost, forgetting there is another side to the vehicle, keep checking both sides, never trust the 'helper'.

When you reverse perfectly in one smooth movement no-one is there to witness it, same as in hitching up. But the little self satisfying 'high' is reward enough.

(my OH is well trained in the art of disappearing when i am reversing)

 

[Annagain]

It's really not that difficult or stressful once you've done it a few times, I promise. If you're nervous, a lesson or two might help, otherwise just get out and practice. Take all turns a bit wider that you would in a car and try to drive ahead a bit so you avoid sudden braking and acceleration. If you can look as far down the road as possible and spot hazards so you can approach them appropriately, you're 80% of the way there. Use your gears to slow as much as possible and make sure you're in the correct gear to drive the car round the corner rather than just drifting around.

Reversing is like rising trot - once it clicks you'll wonder how you ever struggled before. It can take some people longer than others though so practice until you're comfortable with it. I've always given the advice that you should think about turning the bottom of the wheel the way you want the back of the trailer to go but the tip Highmileagecob has given about the tape does exactly the same thing and is a great visual reminder.

In terms of what to buy and what to look out for, an IW would be sensible for a used trailer just because there are so many of them so you should have more choice and should be able to get a decent one. Other than that, avoid Equitrek is all I'd say - great design, terrible build quality. If you don't know what to look for, I'd get a trusted local trailer servicing person to check it for you. Maybe if you let us know roughly where you are, one of us may be able to recommend someone?

 

[Rowreach]

The laws of trailer ownership.

You will find everyone is an expert when you've cocked up reversing, onlookers will shout left hand/right hand down, or you get the irritating one who stands behind you waving their finger around, i think in a circle, but you can't see it, then they disappear from view and you have to stop because you can't see them.

There are ones that encourage you back as you are clear of the gatepost, forgetting there is another side to the vehicle, keep checking both sides, never trust the 'helper'.

When you reverse perfectly in one smooth movement no-one is there to witness it, same as in hitching up. But the little self satisfying 'high' is reward enough.

(my OH is well trained in the art of disappearing when i am reversing)

Oh this is all so true!! I keep my trailer in my driveway and have to reverse it off the village street, round a corner narrowly avoiding the garage, parked cars, and line it up in a particular way that allows everyone else to fit their cars in. I'm an expert at this, unless my son (who reverses enormous things for a living) is standing there, in which case I c*ck it up spectacularly and he stands there and sighs and asks me why I haven't mastered it yet

 

[Tiddlypom]

The most useless and unhelpful piece of towing advice I’ve been given was by a trailer dealer. I’m a pretty decent tower and a mean reverser, but he kept ‘helping’ me when I collected my new trailer by bellowing at me ‘Whichever way you think you ought to be turning the steering wheel, turn it the other way.‘

I had to tell him to shut up please keep quiet in the end.

 

[Rowreach]

The most useless and unhelpful piece of towing advice I’ve been given was by a trailer dealer. I’m a pretty decent tower and a mean reverser, but he kept ‘helping’ me when I collected my new trailer by bellowing at me ‘Whichever way you think you ought to be turning the steering wheel, turn it the other way.‘

I had to tell him to shut up please keep quiet in the end.

Or the farmer types who yelled at me to "Put 'er in four wheel drive!" when I was successfully crossing a waterlogged field in, yes, 4wd

 

[Bobthecob15]

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 I love this idea!! I’m absolutely terrible at reversing mine even with a camera

 

[black and brown]

When I bought my trailer the dealer delivered it to the yard for me so I didn't have to worry about towing for the first time and could practise at my own pace. I have known private sellers also do this as well. It did relieve a lot of anxiety for me.

 

[Widgeon]

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 bought from a local dealer who delivered it to me. I was very grateful because it meant my first trip out with it wasn't on unfamiliar roads and a dual carriageway!

 

[tda]

Agree with most of the above, and yes practice reversing until its 2nd nature.
Also always check your trailer lights /indicators every time you hitch up.

 

[alexomahony]

Such good tips on this thread

As someone who more often than not travels alone with my horse, I’d suggest:

- hitching mirror makes life so much easier when you’re by yourself
- train your horse to self-load. I always like to do the back up before trying them at the front (so they can’t pull back, snap and panic) and it makes life so much easier for you for the horse to just walk in by himself an you can meet him at the front
- always take extra water and hay
-have the right breakdown cover that will recover your horse if needed
- plan your journeys
- practice reversing out of as many situations as you can before having to do it in a panic & with a horse on board
- always park on a slight downhill when on grass (easier to set off)
- when you’re at a junction or roundabout and you think you’re going slow enough, then go even slower
- let other drivers choose what to do and don’t let their driving affect yours. You have extremely precious cargo on board
- build your horses journey length up over time. travelling is hard work for them and can affect energy levels
- stay away from other drivers if you can. Always give yourself tonnes of room
- try make every journey a good one for you and your horse. Take your time and don’t stress - your horse trusts you, so believe in yourself

Finally - have a GREAT time with your horse

 

[alexomahony]

Oh and with reversing, my teacher said to ‘push the trailer out of the wind mirror’ - that really helped me

 

[silv]

Oh and with reversing, my teacher said to ‘push the trailer out of the wind mirror’ - that really helped me

Great advice, don't worry about reversing too much to start with, it will fall into place one day, as it did with me, I can reverse anywhere now. When driving I always imagine there is a glass of water on the dashboard that I cannot spill, think of that and the horses will get a smooth ride.
I carry a small trolley jack, so useful in the event of a puncture and also have a tyre inflater which plugs into the USB on my ute great for blowing up a tyre to get you home. Check the wheels on your trailer, I had a puncture and could not get the wheel off, even with a longer wheel brace. I was at a hunt and none of the farmers there could either so had to inflate the tyre and drive home and take the trailer to a garage to get them to loosen the bolts.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

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.

It's what I have observed in real life. Obviously you will approach corners, roundabouts etc having slowed down so will going slowly round the bend anyway but I have just found that by lifting the foot the back isn't pushed out and the horse feels it a lot less. Definitely don't accelerate round a corner, you will throw your horse off balance.

 

[holeymoley]

Practise practice practice before going out on the road. Know which way your trailer will turn if you reverse. So many people can’t reverse, it’s insane. Always make sure you can get your full car and trailer straight as possible before reversing, it’s really helpful.

Slow down, especially for bends and corners. Don’t slam the brakes, use your gears to drop down. If you have a bottle of water in the passenger footwell, it should stay still wend cornering. If it rolls, you’re going too fast and probably making a very uncomfortable ride for your horse.

 

[dottylottie]

Thankyou so much everyone!! lots and lots of very helpful info, this is why i love this forum!

i’m proud to say i’m officially a trailer owner! my friends dad very kindly came with me to view one today, and brought it home for me. we both had a good look over it and other than a good scrub it all appears to be in good nick - lady i bought it off has owned it a year, and the guy before that had it from new, so it’s been very well maintained and had little to no use other than the last year, as the original owners sadly lost their horse.

very exciting!!!

 

[JBM]

Congratulations!! Defo need some pictures of the new toy

 

[dottylottie]

Congratulations!! Defo need some pictures of the new toy

my friend is going to help me give her a good scrub tomorrow and i’ll post some! she’s looking a little bit green in places

 

[MagicMelon]

Keep a headcollar and leadrope in the trailer at all times. Having had one horse hook himself onto my trailer so I had to cut it off him at an event, and another who managed to snap the clip at an event quite recently - definitely a good idea. A horse first aid kit also keep in trailer (or car). Also I always tend to take more hay than I think I'll need, in case you're stuck in a traffic jam etc.

No really advice on actual towing, I think its just something you'll get with practice. I guess driving around without the horse in it would be a good start.

 

[black and brown]

Congratulations on your new trailer. For peace of mind I would have it checked over or serviced by a mechanic specialising in trailers.

 

[dottylottie]

Congratulations on your new trailer. For peace of mind I would have it checked over or serviced by a mechanic specialising in trailers.

thankyou! it will most definitely be being serviced before i take the horses anywhere - that would’ve been my plan even if the person i bought it from said it had been done last week, because you just never know!

 

[dottylottie]

here she is! i did not in fact get around to cleaning her yet

name suggests welcome! car is called fifi, so “f” names to go with that, or “i” names for ifor

 

[JBM]

Ivory

 

[nagblagger]

Florence or go with the flo flo