Towing - How fast is acceptable?

KINDMARE

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I am wondering what everyones thoughts are on the limit that they are willing to go on motorways/duel carriageways whilst towing horses?
I rarely do over 55mph - but feel that it may be too slow for other road users, causing them to break? i worry that going faster will make it difficult for my horses to balance properly and am mindful of stress to joints.
What do you think?
 

hopscotch bandit

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The answer is that you travel as fast or slow as the road conditions and other traffic allows. There is no right or wrong speed, you have to adapt to the flow of traffic and anticipate the flow way in advance when towing. I used to do 50mph on dual carriageways maybe 55 - 60mph on long stretches of the motorway. So long as you have a good braking distance in front (I usually adopt the 2 second rule when motorway driving in the car but tend to make it 3 seconds when I used to tow)

If people want to overtake you if you are going to slow then they have the option. You should never feel flustered about those behind you when you tow although I do remember I used to worry constantly I was holding people up.
 

KautoStar1

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The answer is that you travel as fast or slow as the road conditions and other traffic allows. There is no right or wrong speed, you have to adapt to the flow of traffic and anticipate the flow way in advance when towing. I used to do 50mph on dual carriageways maybe 55 - 60mph on long stretches of the motorway. So long as you have a good braking distance in front (I usually adopt the 2 second rule when motorway driving in the car but tend to make it 3 seconds when I used to tow)

If people want to overtake you if you are going to slow then they have the option. You should never feel flustered about those behind you when you tow although I do remember I used to worry constantly I was holding people up.

there is a right or wrong speed. the law says 50mph max on single carriage ways and 60pmh on motorways.
 

dixie

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I tend to keep between 50 and 55mph, creeping over sometimes. I don't feel safer going faster than this, particularly as our dual carriageways have hills in Devon.
I don't worry to much about holding traffic up - they can see its a trailer and should be able to gauge that I'm going slower.
 

ihatework

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With a horse on board I tend to stick to 40mph on decent B roads/small A roads, 45 on wide single carriage way A roads, 50 on duel carriage, 55 motorway.

Maybe I’m too cautious but this is generally the max in good conditions I feel safe at
 

hopscotch bandit

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there is a right or wrong speed. the law says 50mph max on single carriage ways and 60pmh on motorways.
When I said there is no right or wrong speed I did actually mean as long as you are within the law. Its 50mph on single carriageways and 60mph on dual carriageways for towing vehicles https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/speed-limits/
60mph max on motorways for towing vehicles i.e. trailer. Whether you choose to go at these speeds or not depends on so much like I explained in my previous post. Wind, other traffic, road conditions i.e. visability, road surface, congestion, flow of traffic, etc, etc.

Towing makes you a better driver IMHO because you are constantly anticipating the third or fourth car in front of you, whereas most car drivers you see on the motorway only look at what's directly ahead. They are the ones who cause problems with their constant braking/accelerating/braking.
 
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dixie

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What is your towing outfit, and is it stable at 60mph?

Mine is very stable at way over 60mph, but it doesn't mean I am going to go that fast - there are other idiots on the road, especially when drivers cut in front too quickly - hence why I now also have a car cam.
 

hopscotch bandit

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Do you think its harder for the horses to balance at over 55mph?
I don't think so, but then I've rarely gone at 60mph only on a long straight journey when the road conditions have been safe. I've seen people bombing down hills when I used to tow a lot and I used to think they were nuts, or people towing in gale force winds! That's a recipe for disaster. When your trailer starts snaking or fishtailing there isn't much you can do and it often ends with disasterous results. In the case of hills it's far better to change into a lower gear, slow down and let the engine brake for you. If it's windy stay indoors.
 

Pinkvboots

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With a horse on board I tend to stick to 40mph on decent B roads/small A roads, 45 on wide single carriage way A roads, 50 on duel carriage, 55 motorway.

Maybe I’m too cautious but this is generally the max in good conditions I feel safe at

This and I tend to drive a 3.5 ton in the same way.
 

be positive

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Do you think its harder for the horses to balance at over 55mph?

I don't think it makes any real difference to the horse, if it can be relaxed and balanced at 30 it will probably be the same at 60 but the faster you go the less time you have to react and the more likely it is that the trailer will be less stable if anything does happen so stick to within your own comfort zone not that of the other drivers on the road.
 

9tails

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It's up to other drivers to mind their speed and look out for hazards, it's not your responsibility to speed up. 55mph towing horses is a perfectly acceptable speed on a motorway.
 

millikins

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I tow with an ancient Defender and risk having my teeth shaken out above 55 mph. I do pull over if I can see a long tail back behind me and if safe to do so.
 

Rowreach

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I am far less bothered about people towing up to the (towing) speed limit on good roads than I am watching them whizz round corners and roundabouts too fast :oops:

Towing outfit, road and weather conditions, amount of traffic, whether the horse travels well or not, whether you've two chunky horses on board or one little light pony, the towing experience of the driver - they are all factors in how fast or slow you should go at any given moment, surely?
 

Orangehorse

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I think there is a minimum speed on the motorway? I have found that it appears other motorists don't realise how slow a trailer might be. Lorries tend to start overtaking from a long way back. I think stickers on the back are a good idea to alert drivers that you are going slower than they might expect.
 

Rowreach

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I think there is a minimum speed on the motorway? I have found that it appears other motorists don't realise how slow a trailer might be. Lorries tend to start overtaking from a long way back. I think stickers on the back are a good idea to alert drivers that you are going slower than they might expect.

There is no legal minimum speed on the motorway - there couldn't be, because circumstances will dictate how fast traffic in general can move. You can be accused of dangerous driving or driving without due care if you are perceived to be going too slowly in comparison to other traffic. The restrictions on the types of vehicles/drivers permitted to use motorways are designed to keep slow vehicles off it.
 

hopscotch bandit

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I think there is a minimum speed on the motorway? I have found that it appears other motorists don't realise how slow a trailer might be. Lorries tend to start overtaking from a long way back. I think stickers on the back are a good idea to alert drivers that you are going slower than they might expect.
Sometimes you get lorries with flashing lights if they are travelling slow to warn other road users but I've never seen any signs. You can't actually be fined for driving to slow but you might be spoken to by a road traffic officer who would explain the risks of driving too slow on a motorway or dual carriageway for example.
 

ROG

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minimum motorway speed is 30 if I remember correctly BUT going that slow without good reason which can cause problems for others can be a conviction for driving without due care and attention
 

Rowreach

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There is no "minimum speed limit".

Rule 260
When you can see well ahead and the road conditions are good, you should
  • drive at a steady cruising speed which you and your vehicle can handle safely and is within the speed limit (see the Speed limits table)
  • keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front and increase the gap on wet or icy roads, or in fog (see Rules 126 and 235).
Rule 261
You MUST NOT exceed 70 mph (112 km/h), or the maximum speed limit permitted for your vehicle (see Speed limits table). If a lower speed limit is in force, either permanently or temporarily, at road works for example, you MUST NOT exceed the lower limit. On some motorways, mandatory motorway signals (which display the speed within a red ring) are used to vary the maximum speed limit to improve traffic flow. You MUST NOT exceed this speed limit.
 

Alibear

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Whilst obeying the law I also find each setup I've had has had its own optimum speed for roads. Although my equitrek is heavier than the rice, because it has better suspension, it sits comfortably about 4mph faster than the rice did. So usually 44 on decent A roads and 54 on dual carriage ways. But my stopping distance has had to increase which I do have be careful of after 20 years with the rice. If I changed my car I'd expect that to change a bit.
So really you need to get out towing and see what works for you and your setup/horse.
 

Annagain

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Do you think its harder for the horses to balance at over 55mph?

There are so many variables that, assuming you're within the speed limit, there is no right or wrong. The speed limit is just that - a limit not a target. 55mph in a straight line on a motorway is fine and there's probably very little discernible difference to the horse between 50 and 55mph. You could argue that going at least as fast as large lorries is preferable as it means they don't have you overtake you and take up the 2nd lane or cause air disturbance which can cause you to snake. Conversely, 30pmh round a bend on a narrow bumpy road is probably too fast and the difference between 25 and 30mph in these circumstances will be far more obvious to the horse.

In the rain I usually drop my speed to around 50 depending how wet it is, likewise in the wind.

Your set up is another consideration. My car and trailer sit nicely at 60mph on motorways so there's no reason not to do it when conditions allow but a previous vehicle (it didn't last long) felt terrible over 45mph.

The way your horse travels is something else to think about too. One of mine can struggle round left hand bends but is fine going round right hand bends so I'll be extra cautious turning left but just take normal care turning right.
 

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I find horses travel better at faster speeds but this is because I will only drive faster (not exceeding speed limit) on smooth, straight dual carriageway/motorway roads. Therefore the travel is much nicer for the horse than say 15 mph down a pot holed country lane.

But to say ‘horses travel best at 60mph’ as a flat rule would obviously be incorrect. It’s all relevant to the context.

When I did my towing lessons I was told that one of the worst things you can do is go excessively slowly with the trailer I.e 30mph on clear, straight, smooth roads, as every journey takes such a long time that the horse becomes to resent being in the trailer. These are not my words though, and I’m unsure if this is proven or the instructors point of view.
 

Northern Hare

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I was travelling down the M6 recently through Cumbria. I hadn't long joined the motorway and moved across into the middle lane. A new looking Range Rover went past in the fast lane - I could not believe it when I then saw that he was towing a big Ifor Williams trailer, and I then saw that he had two large hunters in it!! As usual the motorway was fairly busy and I was doing around 65 by that point, so he must have being doing 70+!!
 

Fiona

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With a horse on board I tend to stick to 40mph on decent B roads/small A roads, 45 on wide single carriage way A roads, 50 on duel carriage, 55 motorway.

Maybe I’m too cautious but this is generally the max in good conditions I feel safe at

This is pretty much my opinion too, in saying that, I will pull into a layby and let traffic past if I can see a queue behind.

Fiona
 

Toby_Zaphod

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I am wondering what everyones thoughts are on the limit that they are willing to go on motorways/duel carriageways whilst towing horses?
I rarely do over 55mph - but feel that it may be too slow for other road users, causing them to break? i worry that going faster will make it difficult for my horses to balance properly and am mindful of stress to joints.
What do you think?

As per the law:- "When towing, you are restricted to a maximum speed of 50mph on single carriageway roads, and 60mph on dual carriageways and motorways, provided no lower limit is in force".

These are the maximum speed limits, you do not have to travel at the maximum limit.
 

Bob notacob

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The speed you travel at is the one that lets you keep control just as your trailer trys to snake after dropping into tramlines and being hit by strong gusting winds . Fit an anti snake bar whenever possible. Sadly so many modern cars with stupid removeable tow hitches cant have this fitted.
 
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