Safely hooking up your bumper pull horse trailer

Safely Hooking up your Tag along or Bumper Pull HorseTrailer

There will come a time in every horse owners life when he or she will have to make use of a horse trailer for one reason or another. This article will help you make sure that you and your equine friend arrive safe, sound, and ready for a ride.

One of the first things to remember, is never be distracted or in a hurry when you are hooking up your trailer. You may forget something, resulting in an equipment failure somewhere en-route. I always tell well-meaning friends, “ DO NOT HELP ME ” when I am hooking up my trailer. Well-meaning friends can cause you to lose your concentration and forget something or make you think that they hooked something up for you, when in reality they did not. And as we all know, an equipment failure when you are handling a live load can be especially disastrous. Here are a checklist and some pointers for you to use the next time that you “hook up” for that ride.

If possible, try to do your hookup and checklist the day or night before you actually leave. And in the morning, re-check all your lights and brake system. Early morning moisture can be a culprit and cause a poor electrical connection, causing light and/or brake failure on a system that tested perfectly the day before. If this happens, a quick spray of WD-40 will usually cure this.

The most basic thing, is to be sure that the vehicle that you are towing with is suitably weight rated for the job you require it to do. This information is usually posted inside the drivers door and outside on a sticker or plaque near the front end of the trailer.

If you are using a borrowed truck or trailer get out and double check that you have the correct size ball on the towing vehicle for that particular trailers hitch. It is extremely important to use the proper size ball for the trailer that you are towing. Always check the tire pressure on both the tow vehicle and the trailer. Tire pressure should always be checked on a level surface, with no weight in the trailer and the tires should be cool. Check them while they are cold as a hot tire will measure differently, the pressures imprinted on your tires sidewalls are for cold measures only. Be sure to include the spare tires on both truck and trailer. An automobile tire pressure guage may not be suitable for some of the larger trucks and trailer tires. Invest in one used for a semi truck. They are not expensive and are very useful. Plus they are bigger and easier for older eyes to read.

Be sure that your trailer tires are properly chocked and that your hitch has been cranked up high enough to accept your trailer ball. Line up and back up into your trailer’s hitch system and be sure to make your adjustments in small increments so that you do not accidently knock your trailer jack off any blocks that it may have been placed on for storage. This is a lot easier to do if you have a knowledgeable person to help you back up, however sometimes that’s not possible and we are left to our own resources. So a few extra trips in and out of your vehicle can mean the difference between an easy hookup and one that costs you more time and possibly money. If you knock your trailer off the storage blocks, you may have to spend lots of extra time re-jacking and re-lifting it into position to start over again.

Once you have the trailer and tow vehicle lined up, make sure that the hitch is set to an open position to receive the ball properly. Different trailers have different systems for this, but they are all pretty basic. Crank the jack down, until the hitch lowers onto and over the ball and watch to see that the trailer weight lowers the tow vehicle a bit, release the lock and listen for the sound it makes as it locks around the base of the ball. Always re-test your hitches grip by re-jacking the trailer upwards and make sure that the tow vehicle raises up with the hitch. This will visibly show you that you have a good solid and locked hitch. Put any locking pins into place to keep the trailers hitch from accidently coming open in transit. If you have a load leveler kit, this is the time to use it.

With the trailer hooked up, jack the jack as high as you can get it to go. Install the leveler bars onto the hitch end and then attach the chains to the clamps on the trailer. Make certain that you have an even amount of links hanging on BOTH sides of the trailer and be sure to see that your chains are NOT twisted when you hook them up. Set your keeper clips and then crank the jackstand up off the ground and into place as far as it will go. Be sure to keep your feet and legs away from the leveler bars while you are doing this. If your levelers chain snaps while you are lowering your trailer it will severely damage your foot. Some people will want to use an anti sway device. This is also the time to use it if you have it. Please follow your manufacturers’ directions. Many people are not aware that load leveler bars and anti sway bars are NOT the same thing. They do not do the same job, they are NOT interchangeable.

Inspect and hook up your safety chains if you have them. They are required in most states and are an integral part of your equipment. Make sure that they do not interfere with your leveler bars. Occasionally your chains will be to long for your rig. If this is the case, just twist the chains together underneath the hitch area before you hook them up. Making sure that you leave enough slack to make your turns without stressing the chains and keep in mind that once you load a horse you may have to re-adjust them as the added weight will bring the nose of the trailer down some, possibly causing the chains to drag on the ground and weaken or wear through.

Now plug in your lights and check to see that they are all in working condition including marker/running lights, turn signals and brake lights. Now that you have your trailer safely hooked up, you are almost ready to load and go. But there are still a couple things that you will want to check. Pick up the block or blocks that your trailers jack was resting on before you hooked up to it and place them in the trailers dressing room or in your truck bed in case you have to unhitch your rig later. Walk back and remove the chocks from behind your trailer tires and place them with the other blocks.

Walk inside and check the trailer for hornets nests and other things that do not belong inside an empty trailer. Be sure to check the manger and remove any old grain or hay that may have molded in storage. Look up on the ceiling and check your vents if you have them, some of them are adjustable for weather and you will have to decide how to set them up. Also, double check them for hornet nests, it seems to be favorite place. Make sure that your screens are in place, your floor mats are clean and dry and that you have shavings down. If you use, trailer ties be sure they are adjusted to a length suitable for the size of horse that you are hauling and that the emergency quick release end is attached to the trailer, and not used as the end that attaches to the horses halter. I have seen many cases where people used the wrong end on the wrong place. The emergency quick releases work best if you can get to them. If a horse pulls back or falls and you have to get to the snap, you will want it to be located in a place that you can safely reach. Out of the reach of thrashing hooves and teeth.

Fill and hang your hay bags if you use them, make sure your horse fits in your trailer and load up. Happy Trailering