Towing on your own!

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JCbruce

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Can I ask who here tows on their own?

I have a super sweet and quiet 6yo and really want to get out more this year but I hate going places on my own. My friend who I try and take with me isn't really up for much and has really lost her nerve. He loads and travels well but my old horse used to come over the top of partitions so I have a bit of PTSD. I think I would worry less if I have a 3.5 lorry. I only got to 3 comps last year.

I was thinking of seeing about a sharer in the area where we could do a class each. He's a really easy and safe ride but I backed him and put a lot of work into him so would not like this to be ruined.

Do I just grow a pair and start towing on my own and just have mini panic attacks the whole way?
 
I’ve towed quite a lot on my only, mostly to the vets and back but sometimes to lessons. I’d say to start with small trips and go to places where you know the journey and you know the parking situation when you get there so it’s one less thing to worry about. It is definitely understandable why you’re worried! But if you build yourself up, you’ll hopefully be able to conquer this!
 
Agree with others, start small, out the gate, to nearest roundabout and back home. You will be stressed at the start but positive thoughts are needed.
Go for it !

Edited to add, practice reversing and practice again, so that's one thing you don't have to worry about
 
I have various friends who tow on their own long distances to competitions. As above just practice and build up. Plan your journeys and you’ll soon get going. I went through a phase of losing confidence in driving my lorry but got it back and have done 200 mile journeys to stay away shows on my own since. Good luck.
 
I’ve nearly always towed on my own bar the first couple of times my dad came with me for moral support. I’m much happier towing myself I can’t be a passenger lol

You just need to get out a couple of times. You’ll soon realise this is not your old horse and then you’ll be flying.
 
I've towed plenty alone, took my 2yr old to a couple of very local shows last year- I get the worry!
Put in plenty of loading and reversing practice at home, and you are set up for success.
Whilst away, I would always offer to help anyone who looked like they may need a bit of help, and would also ask.
 
I always went out on my own, as others have said it’s just a case of getting on with it. Start with short journeys if you feel happier doing so, and make sure you can manoeuvre competently. But, if you get flustered in a busy car park or find yourself in a tight spot, do ask for help and someone will always be happy to give you a hand
 
dixie said:
I’ve towed on my own for years with various horses.
I think you need to bite the bullet and just do it. I can understand it can be nerve wracking especially if you’ve had an accident.
Do short journeys first and build up from there.
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Yes! Sorry I think you should rip the plaster off personally 🙈 if he’s a good boy then just get a bit of practice going to lessons, out hacking etc. before comps so you don’t have to leave him on the box alone until you’re confident he’s happy munching on a net quietly. I’ve got a slightly claustrophobic gelding and it took me a while to go anywhere alone as I was worried about explosiveness but we go everywhere by ourselves now and he gets better each time because we can go more often rather than only when husband is free 😇
 
Can I recommend some or all of the following:

- book a half day session with an HGV instructor using your own car/trailer rig, just to polish up on your trailer towing and manoeuvring, and to help boost your towing/trailer confidence and help you recover from your previous traumatic experience

- lots of short trips on your own with your horse out to local lessons / school hire / small competitions / camp etc

- if you don't already have one, install an on board camera from the trailer so you can keep an eye on your horse whilst you're towing

- have a playlist in the car of relaxing music to help keep you calm whilst towing

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine! 😊
 
I had an accident while towing a horse and had awful PTSD after, I tried for so long to ‘just get on with it’ but i was shaking in the days leading up to it, crying, feeling sick. I was so bad the horse picked up on it and was stressed, it was a vicious circle. A friend suggested hypnotherapy and I thought ‘what do i have to lose?’ Despite appearing to do nothing on the day it had a huge effect. It really calmed me down, I realised one day that I no longer felt sick and my confidence improved with every journey (as did the horse’s) for my first solo journey I went 15 minutes up the road to my instructor’s and again, built up from there
 
I have to tow on my own else I wouldn’t get out. The reason I have my own transport is so I can go where I please with my horse independently. This is my motivation for towing and I have gone up and down the country happily. Remembering this and how I am lucky/worked hard to achieve it all helps!

However I did have a confidence wobble, particularly after having a horse that was a very bad loader and not great traveller.

What makes me feel better if I feel a bit worried is having a good plan of action in place should something go wrong. For me that is:
- “Official” breakdown cover via the Equine Rescue Service
- My unofficial local support I.e knowing my partner or a friend or my YO could come help and bring us home in a worst case scenario
- Travelling a horse that I know can stand on the trailer quietly should we be stuck somewhere
- Taking resources such as a haynet, water and rug with me. This doesn’t need to be excessive but makes me feel I can meet basic needs.

With the above I know that I have prepared to the best of my ability, I’m going out because that’s what I want to do and I’m going to enjoy it!
 
I’ve always towed on my own. I think the key is to be organised - so, I don’t like tying my horses to the outside of a trailer or lorry. Therefore, when I take the trailer, I make sure I have got everything out of the car that I need so that I can tack up easily. I usually put their bridles on in the trailer and have saddle waiting outside for when I bring them out etc.
 
I was in this position earlier last year having also got PTSD from previous nightmares transporting horses.
Now I love travelling on my own but not without a camera in the trailer, only going within 30 minutes distance, family on speed dial in case of issues, & knowing my trailer is serviced.
Good luck I think once you start you will not look back it brings you so much freedom!
 
I used to go everywhere on my own but have not got out & about much in the last few years so I have lost my confidence with it. It's like everything, the more you do, the better you will get.
 
I have always towed on my own - I can't think that I've ever towed two horses, and always travel with no partition (have full width breast/back bars). I'm always nervous, sometimes to the point of hyperventilating, but I think it's due to previous loading difficulties and a very early loading accident where my horse ended up under the breast bar due to someone who was supposedly helping me (un-asked) slamming the ramp up behind him. That said, once I get going I'm absolutely fine, and have towed for thousands of miles alone.

Best tips: Take your trailer somewhere like a big empty carpark (industrial sites on Sundays are good). Take some cones or similar, and spend as long as it takes learning slow manoeuvres and reversing and 3 point turning. It does wonders for your confidence.

Use Idolo ties to tie up (leave tie up ropes on them ready to clip horse to when loaded) and have a spare where you can reach from outside (I have mine just inside the jockey door low down), ready to clip on the outside of the trailer and tie up safely. There is peace of mind knowing horse won't be hung up if it goes down or anything.

Get trailer fully serviced and safety checked (yes, I know, but so many trailers are NOT serviced and are running round on perished tyres or with dodgy electrics or brakes). Again, this helps with confidence.

I haven't yet dared take my youngster solo anywhere where I won't potentially have loading help for the way home. She walks on at home but is sticky coming back. With my old horse we went anywhere, right out in the wilds, because his loading was solid. I'll be taking her to camp in a couple of months, which is about 95 miles I think - until now the furthest is about 30 or so.
 
Northern Hare said:
Can I recommend some or all of the following:

- book a half day session with an HGV instructor using your own car/trailer rig, just to polish up on your trailer towing and manoeuvring, and to help boost your towing/trailer confidence and help you recover from your previous traumatic experience

- lots of short trips on your own with your horse out to local lessons / school hire / small competitions / camp etc

- if you don't already have one, install an on board camera from the trailer so you can keep an eye on your horse whilst you're towing

- have a playlist in the car of relaxing music to help keep you calm whilst towing

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine! 😊
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Agree with most of this, but having the camera display in the driver's view is illegal. If you're already nervous, it will also be more of a distraction. It's a good idea to have a passenger with you that can watch the display (mine links to my phone, so the passenger can hold that) until you're confident he won't do anything silly, though.

I tow on my own all the time due to necessity, but yes, it can be a bit nerve wracking. The first time I went to an EGB Pleasure ride by myself, though, I enjoyed it a lot. It became a fun day out with my own horse with no pressures (aside from start times!). People tend to be very friendly when they see you're on your own and there's always someone to help if you've forgotten a bit of kit, poo scoop...etc.
 
Northern Hare said:
Can I recommend some or all of the following:

- book a half day session with an HGV instructor using your own car/trailer rig, just to polish up on your trailer towing and manoeuvring, and to help boost your towing/trailer confidence and help you recover from your previous traumatic experience

- lots of short trips on your own with your horse out to local lessons / school hire / small competitions / camp etc

- if you don't already have one, install an on board camera from the trailer so you can keep an eye on your horse whilst you're towing

- have a playlist in the car of relaxing music to help keep you calm whilst towing

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine! 😊
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This!
If you only ever go out when you can get someone to come with you, you will be very limited. You just have to get used to it and let it become second nature.

Also, until you get comfortable with it, I’d tow to clinics or lessons where you’ve got some friendly people at the other end. Competitions are prob not the best to start with, everyone’s a bit stressed and busy.
 
I generally always tow on my own but my current mare is not a good traveller so I must admit it puts me off long journeys. I make sure I have plenty of supplies for her, equine rescue and a tube of sedation just in case. If I let it stop me towing then it would be a great shame as once we've arrived we always have a great time.
 
I have towed on my own a lot. At first I was so tense. It was the most stressful part of the day. Even now, if I’m going to a new venue, I will try and drive there in the week before if I can, so I have a clear idea of where I’m going. Getting lost on your own is not much fun and trying to find somewhere to U turn can be tricky.
 
I always towed my horse everywhere doing everything on my own. I used to go to shows really early so I could drive in & have lots of space to drive round to park ready to drive out to go home. I couldn’t reverse. Occasionally I had to get a steward or other towing driver to reverse into a parking spot for me. Once it was done so badly I realised that I was actually better at it than they were so made myself do it myself after that.
 
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