Horse owners will usually find it necessary at some point in time to trailer their horses. Trailering may be necessary at time of purchase, for horse shows, trail riding, or a medical emergency. Whatever the need, it is important to be prepared and knowledgeable about trailering safety.

Prepare your horse for trailering in advance. This will make loading and the journey more pleasurable

Poor preparation of the horse, trailer or towing vehicle can turn a pleasurable outing into a horse owner's nightmare. Poor truck and trailer maintenance can result in traffic accidents or breakdowns. In more extreme cases, broken welds can cause a trailer to become detached from the towing vehicle.

Perhaps the most serious problem that can result from improper trailer upkeep is having a horse fall through rotted floor boards, especially during travel. This fact sheet will provide the basic concerns involved in trailering safety.

Prepare the horse

• Practise loading and unloading the horse in the trailer well in advance of any scheduled events; especially if the horse is unfamiliar with trailering. A battle getting into the trailer is an unpleasant way to start a journey or end what had been an enjoyable day. (For a more detailed discussion on how to train a horse to load, read the May/June 2010 issue of
  SA Horseman.)
• Horses should be trailered in a leather rather than a nylon halter. In an emergency situation (such as the halter becoming snagged), a leather halter will break more easily and is less likely to injure or burn the horses head.
• Wrapping a horses legs for travel not only protects the legs from injury, but adds support. It is important to ensure that the wraps extend below the coronet band to protect this area.
• Always remove all tack (saddle, bridle, harness) from the horse when trailering.
  Loading the horse
• Whenever loading or unloading horses, it is best if two people are available to do the job.
• Use a cotton lead rope or leather lead when loading or unloading horses. This is advisable in the event that the horse rushes backwards, pulling the lead through your hands. Nylon leads will blister, burn and cut hands when pulled quickly.
• Before walking a horse into the trailer, make sure that chest bars and escape doors are open for the handler to exit safely. Never climb under or over dividers, chest bars or the horse to exit the trailer. Never leave yourself in the position of being trapped in the trailer with the horse between you and the exit.
• Make sure that the trailer is securely and properly hitched to the towing vehicle before loading a horse. Never load a horse or leave a horse in an unhitched trailer. Do not unhitch a trailer with a horse still inside. Trailers are very unstable and can easily tip on end.
• When loading a single horse, place the horse on the right side of the trailer. When trailering two horses, place the heavier horse on the right side. This will make towing the trailer smoother and the ride easier for the horse, because of the crown contour of the road surface.
• When approaching the ramp make sure the horse is in the centre of the ramp so that the horse does not step off the sides.
• Always secure the butt bar/chain before tying the horses head. If the horse pulls back before the butt bar is in place, it won’t break the tie, the halter or fall down. Do not stand directly behind the horse when hooking the butt bar, in case the horse flies backwards.
• When tying the horse’s head, use a safety-quick-release knot (see the DIY-section in this edition of SA Horseman) or a tie with a panic/safety snap. Make sure the horse has enough rope length to permit head movement for balance, but not to get its head down or over to the horse travelling alongside.

Travelling safety

• Most horses take to trailering naturally, while for others it is often a traumatic experience. It is important that a horse is happy and secure when trailered. One bad experience is all it takes to make a horse a bad hauler. And a bad hauler is hard to cure.
• Before starting to travel, check to see that the horse is comfortable, that ventilation is adequate, and that the hay bag or manger is securely fastened so that the horse cannot become tangled in it.
• Test all doors to make sure they are secure and that the hitch is tight.
• Turns, starts and stops should be very slow and steady.
• Do not exceed the speed limit. Remember to allow extra stopping distance when towing a trailer. Moving horses and the weight of the trailer, will push against the towing vehicle.
• Do not allow anyone to throw lit cigarettes or matches from the window of the towing vehicle. Wind currents often suck the cigarettes or matches into the trailer, causing a fire.
• Check on the horses regularly. At this time also check the hitch, safety chains, lights and hay bags.

Unload the horse

• When lowering the ramp, keep your feet and hands out of the way.
• Untie the horse before lowering the butt bar.
• Do not stand on the ramp or directly behind the trailer when a horse is exiting, in case it leaves the trailer quickly. It is not advisable to allow a horse to fly back quickly, as this soon becomes a bad and dangerous habit.
• Try to keep the horse straight as it backs down the ramp, so that it does not step off the side. Walk the horse around after trailering for an extended distance, to restore circulation and ease stiff muscles.

Other safety precautions

• When tying a horse to the outside of a trailer, use a safety-quick-release knot or panic snap. Make sure the rope is short enough so that the horse cannot get a leg over it, but long enough to allow free motion of the head. Never tie a horse to a trailer with a rope length long enough to permit grazing. This is where the most serious trailer accidents occur.
• The ramp to the trailer should be in an up position when tying a horse to the outside of the trailer, especially when the tie rings are located towards the rear. A ramp in the down position leaves space between the back of the trailer and the springs where a horse can easily get a foot or leg stuck.
• Never leave a horse tied to the outside of a trailer unattended. When leaving a horse inside a trailer, make sure the chest bar and butt bar are secure, especially if an escape door is left open.
• Do not tie a horse to the outside of a trailer when it is unhitched from the towing vehicle. Horses are stronger than we think and a panicked horse can and will drag an unhitched trailer behind it.

(This document is part of a series from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.)