Preparing for Smooth & Safe Horse Trailering

Once you have the horse and a trailer to transport them, you’re almost ready to hit the road. If it’s your first time transporting a horse, you’ll want to be sure that you’re as prepared as possible to ensure yours and your horse’s safety. Here’s some basic advice for getting yourself, your trailer, and your horse ready for the horse trailering journey ahead.

Prepare Yourself

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to trailering your horse but beginning with yourself will help you in managing all of it. If this is the first time you will be transporting your horse, you’ll want it to be a smooth ride. Practice driving the horse trailer around by driving gently, making turns and reverses, and practicing parking.

You want to be comfortable with the driving because, if the ride is bumpy, the horse will struggle with balance and feeling safe. This will cause stress on the animal and you. Prepare you mind ahead of time to consider the animal throughout the drive.

Prepare Your Trailer

The safety of yourself and the horse should be the first priority when horse trailering. You’ll want to be sure that you both are protected with some simple precautions. Check the trailer condition by inspecting the screws, tires, loose parts, and any damages. Also, be sure to check the hitch and lights to make sure they are working properly.

The trailer floor and ventilation are other safety precautions to take. Ensure that the floor is clear of any safety hazards and that the trailer has proper ventilation to keep the temperature cool and comfortable. Be prepared for any situation by making sure your first aid kits are stocked and that other safety essentials are accessible such as a fire extinguisher and extra water.

Prepare Your Horse

Horses tend to have a flight instinct and, without properly preparing them to be loaded onto and off of the trailer, you may risk injury to yourself, the horse, and others. It will take a lot of patience and training, but it’s worth it to practice loading and unloading.

Another aspect of preparing your horse is in securing the horse into the trailer for transport. Secure the horse in the trailer in a way where they don’t feel tightly restrained and aren’t in danger of being trapped or tangled. Practicing this ahead of time will also give you piece of mind as you travel, since you cannot see the horse during transport.

Take these three areas into account when you preparing for horse trailering and you will make it a safe, simple, and smooth ride for the both of you.