trailer and wind :(

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Cragrat

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I think I know the answer, but....

I REALLY want to go to a competition about 1 1/4 hours away on Sunday.

Am I being a woos (how on earth do you spell that?!) or sensible for thinking I will have to pull out because the forecast is for 25 mph wind, with gusts up to 40mph? The 25mph is OK, but the chance of gusts that strong worries me. I have an Ifor 510, and will have one 550kg horse in it.

Entries close tonight, and I am dithering... :(
 
I try not to tow in anything more than about 20mph unless it's something really unavoidable

You're not being a wuss, just sensible, I'm sure your horse wouldn't thank you for taking them out in 40mph gusts
 
Plenty of other rosettes to be won in 2015.

Hanging onto to a big lorry in high winds is stressful enough for me, I would not even think about towing.
 
Thank you - confirmed what I knew, but was secretly harbouring a forlorn hope that someone would say something like "Don't worry, the forecast is wrong, it will be a lovely calm day, go and have fun"

You have all disappointed me! :( :P
 
There does seem to be a bit of a split across the country for the weather. Anything South of the Midlands is less windy.

We are lucky with a couple of our competition centres in that they will hold over entries to the next date, but we are well known and spend quite a lot through the years.
 
As far as weather forecasters are concerned, they lie!

Or at least, they make mistakes which is fair enough.

I have visitors coming on Saturday who are flying south from Scotland on Sunday. The forecast said 25 - 30mph winds for Sunday. If I'd been asked, I'd have advised my visitors not to come. I've just checked the forecast again and they now say 12 - 15mph! That's a big difference.

Check with http://www.metoffice.gov.uk for your area and check again the nearer the time comes for you to leave for the show. You could get a nice surprise. Forecasts are pretty good these days but they still aren't always accurate.
 
i wouldn't go either, i took my trailer for some repairs in the wind before xmas, i know it was empty, but it was like driving over bumps all the way and the wind wasn't that strong.
I will not go out if its icy either, i know others at our yard think i am mad - but having had a very near miss without the trailer years ago, i will not risk my horse.
 
I had to tow home from a camp at Stockland Lovell to Cardiff in gale force 10 winds one year - had no choice as couldn't stay any longer. Crossing the Avonmouth Bridge was terrifying as the wind was blowing straight acorss it. The Severn Bridge wasn't so bad as I was heading directly into the wind rather than having it blowing across me but it was an experience I never want again! You're not a wuss, just sensible, is a rosette really worth it? Plus riding in that will be miserable. Even if it's indoors, you'll be tacking up and probably warming up outdoors and that's no fun!
 
Ive entered arena eventing by worcester sunday but will see what its like sunday morn before hitching up .
As others have said it depends where you are in the country as bit of a split in the forecast at the mo .
I always think of any pre entry fee as spent money wether I go or not as it then takes the pressure off me to go .
If in any doubt I would always err on the side of caution and not go
 
Thank you all, advice taken :(

Dry rot- I know what you mean about forecasts - the UK weather changes so quickly. It is the metoffice I look at mostly, and they are forecasting the 40mph gusts, but I also use xcweather.co.uk - they have great wind maps, but don't forecast the gusts, just the average. According to them, Sunday should be no problem at all, with only 20mph winds!
 
Cragrat said:
Thank you all, advice taken :(

Dry rot- I know what you mean about forecasts - the UK weather changes so quickly. It is the metoffice I look at mostly, and they are forecasting the 40mph gusts, but I also use xcweather.co.uk - they have great wind maps, but don't forecast the gusts, just the average. According to them, Sunday should be no problem at all, with only 20mph winds!
Click to expand...

…and they can change by the hour.

Apparently, there was a weather man at the airport on Orkney who got so fed up with farmers phoning for predictions, he'd reply, "It will stop raining at 11.23am". Well, we don't demand that level of accuracy, but it would be nice, would't it! :)
 
If there is ever an element of doubt in your mind about towing, don't do it. Forget what everybody else says, its you and your horses life's that you are risking and both are too precious to risk, car and trailer can be repaired.
 
Don't do it if you're worried but I'd wait until the night before to see what the forecast says then. Things can change quickly.
 
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