Trailers - how do you organise yours?

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LansdownK310

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Afternoon – those of you with trailers, how do you “transport” your tack and equipment to an event, do you use tack packs or put it in the back of your 4x4? How do you ensure that your loading/unloading is as slick and easy as possible?

Trailer is awaiting my OH to pass his towing test.

Any tips greatly appreciated :)
 
My husband lets me borrow his Rav 4, it has a dog guard in the back and I am only allowed to use the boot or the back seats if they are down.

As the dog guard used to be a pain to remove, I bought some removable hook on single saddle racks and put two onto the dog guard - this makes it easy to travel saddles. I also carry my boots/hat/jacket and horses boots/bridle etc in the back of the car. Although I can use the boot, the door isn't great when the trailer is hitched so I tend to leave it empty.

In the trailer I have a mini wheelie bin that travels in front of my horse. I used to use a tack pack but found that it never really fitted two saddles - especially when saddle cloths are attached.

in the wheelie bin I have shoe removing kit, first aid kit, spare bridle, woollen rug, two mini tub trug buckets, wash down kit, stud box and quarter markers - no idea why now as I have a grey horse :D

I also carry hay in a bag next to the bin, under this is a grooming box and water container, they are all jammed in the front and my horse can't reach them (he doesn't really paw either) and everything is fastened down anyway.

does that help?


Cx
 
I put nothing in my trailer as I like it to be light as possible. My kit falls into two categories: kit which I only ever use when I am out (body protector, armband, number holder, XC boots, show jacket, black silk, show numnahs, water cannisters). This all lives in my car, permanently.

Then I have kit which gets used both at home and out (saddles, bridles, grooming kit). This gets loaded up before an outing and unloaded after one.

I use the following storage system:

Anything that I wear goes on or around the passenger seat.

Saddles, bridle, numnahs go on the back seat and horse boots go in the footwells.

Bulky things (grooming kit, water, body protector) go in the boot.

Passengers take their chances and clear a space where they see fit.
 
Hi, I'm not a fan of tack packs rattling around, and would struggle to get my two past one anyway.

We keep spare leadropes and headcollars on the hooks in the trailer, as we've had so many snap at shows/events over the year, and a tub of water at the front of the trailer (Bungee-d to the hooks which keeps it still). I once saw someone who had put a bar across the "seat area" inbetween the wheels of an ifor 510, and kept his water carriers there. We also keep spare number strings in the trailer for when at normal shows. When at pc/rc/local shows, I tape the schedule up inside the trailer on arrival, so we can see times whenever we want.

In the disco, we have a saddle tramp (Derby house??) that holds two saddles and bridles, with a plastic container (really useful one??) underneath containing stud kits, grooming kits, washing off kits, and first aid kits. These things are permanently in the "trailer tub" Hats, boots, numnahs, gloves and no bibs etc live in each person's repsective boot bag. Double seat is folded down, and two labs go there, child goes on remaining back seat, and hubby and I in front! Picnic crammed in along with deckchairs too.
 
Either get a pick up truck - all tack loaded into back leaving the " car bit clean" no wings if you share, or get a trailer like Batesons Ascot with tack locker in front. I used to tow with a Defender (van version) absolutely no room for anything let alone tack, dog, water container etc used to drive me nuts as everything used to fall out, the door would bang back on my elbow - serious sense of humour failure. Land Rover met an untimely end so got a pickup - loadsa room for everything including dog!!
 
I have a fautras trailer which has a separate area at the front for tack, 2 saddle holders and loads of hooks. Must say it is one of the best features on it as it means I keep most of my kit in there and I never arrive somewhere with anything missing (I've arrived without stirrups, bits, hats you name it in the past!)

Before that I used to rely on making lists but as you can see it didn't always work!
 
I have an IW but only ever travel one horse.

I have a water container secured at the front and then a few circular tubs secured in the side I don't use.

Tack and my kit goes in the car.

I would love a trailer with living and it is on the wish list, however equi-trek seems to have the best design and the worse build quality!!!
 
I have the ascot deaville - it has saddle racks in the nose of the trailer but I haven't had the courage to use them with new boy after my previous horse did his utmost to chew my tack. Water holder, muck cleaner, wash bucket (and gear) plus drink bucket travels in the trailer. Tack is put on the back seat of the car (dogs are in the boot in a crate) - saddle is put on the left hand side (where horse unloads) as saves time walking around the Jeep!. Bridles on the head piece. Clothing hung up on the right hand side. Horse travels with whatever boots he needs underneath his travelling boots. However when I (fingers crossed) go back to eventing again, I will revert to my previous method of crates - when I used to go, I would have 2 crates - 1 full and layered in the order I am going to use my gear, and 1 empty to start chunking used numnahs/boots in and keep that out of the way. I always travelled in competition clothes covered up by a truly flattering loose polo shirt and tracksuit bottoms. What a catch!
 
i only have a IW505 which doesn't have much room in the front of it so only have a water bucket and haynet. everything else in my large 4x4 - saddles on back seat, everything else in the boot.
 
Only thing in the trailer is horse(s) and hay bag. Everything else goes in the back of the trooper. 1st aid kit, spares box and comp only hat/boots/crop/gloves/number/hairnets/grooming kit etc live in the truck. Everything else gets loaded in the morning we head off. I did buy a saddle rack for the boot and it is the most useless thing ever! Think it was called a saddle tramp from Derby house, all it does it take up too much space! Travel with the saddles over the back seat now instead which works loads better!
 
We put the seats down in the 4x4 and everything goes in there bar the horse and the haynets!

Clothes, hats etc right behind the front seats (so I can change on the way if we are running late), then tack next, water at the back and everything else in between.

I have a lot of the large plastic boxes (about 1ft x 2ft x 1ft) which pretty much everything goes in bar saddles and water- keeps everything very organised, easier to get in and out of the car and much easier to find at the event itself.
 
I only travel 1 in my trailer so in the empty side I have fixed in a saddle rack. In the front I have a rack that holds 4 bridles/headcollars which hooks onto a bar & underneath that I have one of those material shelving things that hang in wardrobes (has about 5 shelves/cubby holes. I keep his boots, stud kit, waterproof sheet & other stuff in there, although I've learnt not to keep anything edible in it or he will pinch it while travelling!!
 
I don't put anything in my trailer other than my horse. My show jacket goes on the back seat of the 4x4 along with my hat bag which also includes gloves, hair net, checklist and dressage tests. I the back of the truck ( ford ranger) i put my saddle, which is on a carry stand thingy which you can put some stuff inside, my bridle in a bridle bag, water carrier, buckets etc.
 
I normally just bung all tack in the car, but I do have a cunning swing-out saddle rack (fits two saddles) installed in the front of my IW505 which I can use if I am short of space in the car. I bought the rack on ebay after seeing one fitted on another 505 at a show and pouncing on its owner - it is a brilliant piece of kit and I am amazed that I have still never seen another.

Under my saddle rack I keep a water container and bucket, but that's it.
 
I fitted fold down saddle racks to the front of our trailer (Ifor 510). They are really useful and never had a horse chew my saddles. Will also hang my bridles. I stick everything in the front of my trailer. Always have done and never had any problems. Everything is packed into rug bags to keep it clean from hay.
 
Tack and all my riding stuff goes in the boot, and I have a massive box on the unused side of the trailer which I put grooming kit, bandages, rugs, you name it (!) in :)
 
I bought three big clear boxes with lids from B&Q - very cheap, about £5 each. I have one for each phase, dressage, show jumping and cross country. I basically put everything I need for each phase in the corresponding box (I've named them with sharpie!) in the order order it goes on the horse. So for example in the dressage box I have my stud box, then bridle, then nummnah, then saddle and girth. Then in the XC box I have boots, boot tape, grease, breastplate, bridle, saddle, Ice tight, cooler, bandages etc for after. You get the idea! All my clothes go in a separate bag in the car, hat bag contains my hat, silks, spurs and gloves and hair nets are in my stock pin box.
The plus side of doing it this way is it means that if I'm nervous and faffing everything I need is wear I need it to be, it also means however that if we've arrived late for whatever reason then I can run round the xc or sj and dad can simply open the box I need and get the horse ready for me because although he isn't massively experienced he's knows how to tack up etc and if I've left everything he needs in the order it needs to go on its very easy and saves everyone a lot of grief!
 
star said:
i only have a IW505 which doesn't have much room in the front of it so only have a water bucket and haynet. everything else in my large 4x4 - saddles on back seat, everything else in the boot.
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This. I don't like to have anything in the trailer unless it can be properly secured so I certainly don't put things down the spare side. As for the car, in theory I put tack on back seat behind drivers seat so it's easier to go in and out for it. My riding clothes go behind passenger seat, other horsey paraphenalia like grooming kit goes in boot. When I arrive (if it's BE) I unload horse then put partitions back up and put tack on the front breast bars and horse gets tied outside trailer. My horse doesn't then usually go back in trailer until I'm finished riding.

However it's such a pain and I am changing to a lorry. Which I realise doesn't help much, but I can't wait :rolleyes:
 
I always put things in the spare side of my trailer :o I have an intricate system of bungies and baler twine to secure it, but it is only when I'm going away over night, so things like a wheelbarrow or a bale of hay/straw.
 
CaleruxShearer said:
I bought three big clear boxes with lids from B&Q - very cheap, about £5 each. I have one for each phase, dressage, show jumping and cross country. I basically put everything I need for each phase in the corresponding box (I've named them with sharpie!) [/PHP][/PHP]in the order order it goes on the horse. So for example in the dressage box I have my stud box, then bridle, then nummnah, then saddle and girth. Then in the XC box I have boots, boot tape, grease, breastplate, bridle, saddle, Ice tight, cooler, bandages etc for after. You get the idea! All my clothes go in a separate bag in the car, hat bag contains my hat, silks, spurs and gloves and hair nets are in my stock pin box.
QUOTE]

I like this idea - how on earth do you manage to fit your saddle in the box as well?
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We have one of those plastic saddle racks (that look like dog kennels!) and put a saddle on top of each other. Bridle's go inside it with whatever else can be stuffed inside (grooming kit etc) All my stuff then goes in the boot beside that.

In the trailer we have a box right at the front with whips/spare grooming kit/ first aid box/trailer jack. Then it gets rugs and other extras put in :)
 
I have a big plastic tub that has travelling/competing essentials in it- medical armband, hairnets, lunge lines/chiffney (not needed in years, but always there just in case of refusal to load!), boot tape, gaffer tape, safety pins, superglue, bailer twine, treats, gloves, passport, hoofpick/spare brushes, BE rule book, spare reins, XC hat silk... it is full of lots of weird and wonderful things! ;)

I have another box that holds boots, gaiters, spurs, hat and stick. Then always take a few buckets for drinking water/washing off which get horse boots chucked in for storage. I used to put saddles on back seat when I had a car, but now have a Fourtrak van, so looking to get a rack bought for those instead. Clothing (jacket, body protector) hangs up behind passenger seat.

Cool box is filled with ice (for horses legs after XC) and drinks (may as well take advantage of the ice!) and picnic usually stowed along with it. Water canister goes behind drivers seat as it's just the right size not to rattle about there, although I'm tempted to find a friendly welder who can make a holder on the outside of the trailer in front of the wheel arches!

I try to start the day off as organised as possible, so everything comes to hand, but as you go through the day it all just gets lobbed in any old way...! :p

I have a single trailer (IW401) so only thing in there is horse and haynet. If going overnight, can tie up a bale of hay under her haynet in the nose cone area though. :)
 
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