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Horse Trailer Safety and Maintenance
When it comes to selecting horse trailer parts for your horse trailer your first considerations should always be quality and safety. Quality horse trailer parts will add greatly to the safety of not only your horses and horse trailer but also other road users as well.
Some of the most important trailer parts to consider are wheels, tires and brakes. Wheels bearings should always be tensioned and greased correctly as well as being periodically checked and serviced. The tension on your wheel nuts is also vitally important as under tightened wheel nuts can come loose, while over tightened wheel nuts can cause studs to break.
Tire quality is always important as well. Sometimes it may be tempting to buy used tires which are half worn for a lower cost but one day you may have to stop in a hurry and the difference between new and used tires might just be the difference between a favourable or a not so favourable outcome.
Good quality brakes, like tires, also add greatly to the ability of your horse trailer to pull up in an emergency. Correct brake selection for the size and weight of your horse trailer is very important. Some lesser quality horse trailers may have inferior brakes fitted right from the start so if you’re looking at purchasing a horse trailer test it first to see how well the brakes work. Keeping your brakes serviced as well is also important not only so they work as they should but also so you get the maximum life from them.
Other horse trailer parts that should be regularly checked are suspension, lights, jacks, wheel chocks, and fenders. When fitting suspension consideration should be given to how much weight you plan to carry. U-Bolts should be quality and tensioned correct as just with wheel nuts, over tightened bolt can lead to failure.
Lights are also another consideration especially stop and turn lights. Connectors should be checked before use as they can become contaminated with dirt and other objects when the horse trailer has been out of use for some time. This can lead to lights shorting and not working correctly so all lighting should be checked before heading off.
Jacks and wheels chocks are horse trailer parts that are often overlooked. Quite often when you need to replace a tire it will always be at the most inconvenient time and place. Most road sides have uneven and in some cases soft ground. A set of chocks and a good quality jack that has a long reach and can handle uneven ground is essential when replacing a tire.
Fenders are another item that are also overlooked on a horse trailer and are often used as step which can eventually cause them to become loose. Check the security of your fenders from time to time. A loose fender can rub against a tire and case damage or it could become detached when in transit and become a real hazard for other road users. Another point about fenders is, when replacing wheels and tires with wider ones, make sure the new tire still fits inside the fender and doesn’t rub. Sometimes this is not obvious until tested on the road, so consider this and replace your fenders with wider ones if need be.
These are just a few considerations relating to the quality of you horse trailer parts. So if you’ve just purchased a used horse trailer or haven’t had your trailer serviced for some time then it may be a good idea to get a professional to service it and check all your horse trailer parts are in the best condition possible, so you and your horses can stay safe on the roads.
Please find below a selection of books about horse trailer parts, maintenance and trailering your horse.
