Menu

Subscribe Now

Unlimited access >

Menu

Advice? Pep talk? Tips? Trailering to far away horse shows

Dressage
#1

I’m not quite sure this is the right category, but I’m a dressage rider, so I will start here. After a year of figuring out my NQR horse, we are finally on the right track and considering a summer 2024 show season. But here’s the thing: while I absolutely love showing, I do not love the stress of transporting my horse there. I have a really nice rig (Chevy 2500 with a Hawk gooseneck) picked out for maximum ease. It pulls like a dream, but I just worry, worry, worry, and then find myself worn out by any trips longer than around my area. I’m in the NE so show season is short, and during the colder months we really don’t travel, so just doing it all the time (other than trips around the block) to gain experience isn’t really an option.

I am not a shrinking violet, and while I feel that I’m a strong, independent woman, the scenario of getting to shows in the coming months is already filling me with dread. Also filling me with dread: not having my trailer to easily transport my horse, my barnmate’s horse, and our stuff. Ugh! I’d love any commiseration, stories about how it gets better, or maybe that I need to find an alternative solution, and that’s ok.

I’m happy to buck up, and I probably will, but it might be nice to know I’m not alone?!

5 Likes
#2

I trailer out a lot for trail rides and camping. The more you do the more comfortable you get. Go drive your empty rig for practice. Learn to park it. Take some lessons. You can take your horse places in the winter if it’s not too icey. Go trail riding. Go to other facility that rents indoor. Just put miles on your rig. That’s the only way

Going any distance I’d suggest getting a stall so you aren’t arriving and leaving the same day. Stay two nights.

How far are you needing to go?

What scares you? Is it just the stress? Are you a confident driver otherwise? Could you go the same distance in a car and enjoy it? Can you drive to the venue in your car and learn the route? Do you have other anxiety issues for instance about travel generally?

Time practising is the only thing that will make you feel.comdortable but it may not be enough. If you have generalized anxiety or intrusive catastrophic thoughts, you may want counseling help.

You could also enlist a calm confident friend to drive, or hire a commercial shipper.

How do you feel about loading?

Are show nerves transfering to driving nerves?

My mare has learned to load eagerly and travel well. I mostly trail ride, so some 3 to 5 hour trips into the mountains for camping. But I worked up to this and also rode along with my coach to overnight clinics and was comfortable with the concept before I got my own rig.

8 Likes
#3

Thanks for the input @Scribbler . My mare loads and travels well. We’ve actually travelled quite a bit to horse shows and facilities for other activities 4-6 hours away over the last few years. It’s fine and I do it…it’s just I still feel that stress. I’m just wondering how to mitigate it…will it ever go away? Maybe more of a rhetorical question than anything :/.

2 Likes
#4

You’re not alone! I stress taking the horse and trailer anywhere—even to the vet. I have NO problem driving 14-17 hours straight by myself on a road trip in my truck, but hauling my horse just is super stressful. He ships great, I have a great trailer too, but it’s the other drivers and big trucks that make me really anxious. If my horse could be IN my truck with me, I’d feel better, but…

11 Likes
#5

I’m the same way.

For me, it’s if something happens I know it will haunt me forever. Short of taking my horse to the vet, we’re traveling because in large part, it’s something I want to do and totally unnecessary.
for him. Right now, an hour haul is about my max. Luckily, we have plenty of places to haul to within a 30 min drive if we need a change of scenery or an adventure day. I just bought a new 4 Star last year to not have to worry about old trailer issues which I had several of and that helped ease my thoughts a little bit. Expensive though LOL.

7 Likes
#6

You’re not alone. Trailering is stressful. I just try to make sure I’ve done everything I can to make it as safe as possible - keeping up to date on my trailer maintenance, checking my tire pressure every time, planning my route, etc.

But if it is really taking the joy away from showing, maybe try a commercial hauler for one show and see how that feels.

5 Likes
#7

Oh man. I feel you. I hauled years ago to shows monthly but never owned my own rig until 5 years ago. It is terrifying. BUT! It gets better! I am fortunate that I have 6 locations less than an hour from me that I go to regularly to school or trail ride, and I take full advantage (there aren’t any real trails out the back gate at home). Like others say, you just have to do it. Get so comfortable hauling an empty rig that you’re bored. Then add the horses. Do what @Scribbler said and go for short trail rides or schooling sessions to friends’ farms.

I’d also echo staying another night at the show. I always hauled home on Sunday until one time I thought “4 hours post horse show on Sunday sucks. I’m going to pay the extra $25/stall and leave Monday morning.” MY GOD I’ve never been happier. There’s something about having a beer while everyone else is packing and loading on Sunday afternoon. :rofl:

I got a new trailer last January - I upgraded from a 2H BP to a 5H H2H GN. I will never forget the day it was delivered and the professional driver could barely get it in the driveway. I spent the whole day thinking I had made a mistake and couldn’t sleep that night because I was so scared of it. The next day, I ripped the bandaid off, loaded up Mr. Demerara as a spotter, and drove to one of my local trail riding spots. It was scary for about 6 months and then I got a handle on it.

You can do it!

New, massive trailer:

PXL_20231120_232934784.MP
PXL_20231120_232934784.MP4080×3072 2.96 MB

13 Likes
#8

This gives me hope. I am way stressed out traveling with the horses by myself. Part of it is the rig, part of it is the other drivers and part is the stress of loading everything up and unloading everything by myself. I just sold my two horse bumper pull Hawk and designed a 2+1 reverse ride Balanced Ride gooseneck trailer with all the extras. When that thing pulled in, I thought no way can I drive it, especially since I have a new truck with split mirrors that I HATE. I practiced with the trailer (which I have had since Sept) and have had two minor accidents with it UNLOADED. HAHA. I bent a running board in the first one, which has been replaced. I crashed a fender into my front fence by turning too sharp in the second one (and it is way too far into deep winter to fix anything at the moment). I had given up on it (only did one trip with a horse), thinking that after I fix it, I will sell it and get another two horse bumper pull. I am not doing well with the gooseneck. It is easier to back up and put into my 12 foot wide barn aisle (yep I did that) but I can’t see around it to see how close I am to things and the advice I get seems contradictory. If I will get good at it after 6 months, I might hang on a little longer since I have 3 horses at home and there is tremendous comfort in knowing I can evacuate all of them if I need to (we have fire danger here).

4 Likes
#9

Oh no I’m so sorry about your accidents! That would definitely make me nervous too. I have my large trailer so I can evacuate all 5 of my stalls in one trip - I also bought it after a big fire in my area and designed it myself.

Goosenecks are a different beast than bumper pulls. You have to make SUPER wide turns otherwise, as you found out, you’ll run into something. You mention you hate the mirrors on your truck - do they have a bubble mirror? I have split mirrors also, with a small bubble at the bottom and I LOVE them. However, all that matters is that you can see. Do they telescope out, would that help? If you can’t find a way to make them better, could you get them swapped out for a different style that are more useful? I’ve also considered getting a back up camera for mine - right now I ask someone to spot me or stop and get out a million times to check where I am. :rofl: Frankly, mine is sitting in the middle of my driveway right now because I have a crazy driveway/mud situation in the winter and I tried to turn it around by myself this morning and it wasn’t happening.

Loading everything for the show is definitely a chore. I always enlist Mr. Demerara or a client to help. I also found that a dolly or wheelbarrow was crucial.

As far as other drivers - I always stay below 55 and in the right lane. I also tell myself “other drivers also don’t want to get in an accident.” I used to be really worried about other drivers, thinking maybe they would hit me intentionally(?!?!) but then realized that they’re not going to do that. So I drive slow, especially in town where there are stoplights, and I ignore the horns and people speeding around me. :slight_smile:

5 Likes
#10

My truck is also a 2024 and brand new when the trailer arrived and yes, the mirrors pull out (the first accident was because I did not know this!!!). I do not have a bubble. Is that something I can add? I find the trailer is just too freaking long!!! I got it at the end of September and just haven’t been able to consistently practice. The first accident was in a school parking lot where I was trying to practice, but I wasn’t aware that the turn to get out was a hairpin. I had two teachers coach me to get out of there after I bent the running board. I am nervous that I will get in somewhere I can’t get out of when I have horses in there. That’s what scares me the most. The trailer is 8 feet longer than my old trailer, but boy did that make a difference and a goose is very different to drive.

3 Likes
#11

I used to haul by myself to shows all the time. Now, I won’t go without someone with me, preferably someone that can help drive. It makes a huge difference to me, having someone else with me.

I make a list of everything I need days in advance, so I can add on as needed. Duplicates of things if possible. My favorite people to haul with have cameras in their trailers, which is great to be able to have the passenger keep an eye on the horses en route. Driving up a day early and leaving the day after. Lots of little things to mitigate stress. You can also sit and write down everything that you are worried about, then come up with a solution for each.

Example, I’m worried the truck will break down on the highway and we’ll get stuck. Solution: have a road service that can assist horses like USRider or others; fill up canisters of water you can give the horses if they are stuck in there for a bit; have a roadside kit with warning cones, tire jacks, etc and make sure your spares are in good condition; etc.

Another example: I’m fine for short distances but just stress out after about two or three hours. Potential solution: Scout ahead on your route for places to stop and take a break. Maybe someplace you can stop, grab some food, let the horses rest. Bring a friend that can swap out driving for a bit. Plan your departure so you have a HUGE buffer for stops and delays and don’t feel pressured to get there by a certain time.

Just things that have helped my anxiety brain. I have huge driving anxiety, which is oddly better when I’m hauling horses but I still have to have someone to share the driving if it’s further than an hour. My brain just can’t handle it, my senses start going haywire.

6 Likes
#12

Yeah. One of our annual favored horse shows is 9 hours away. And a fairly wretched drive at the far end. Its fun when we get there, but I do question whether it’s worth it.

It usually takes me an hour or so longer than everyone else to get there and I’m fine with that. Me and my horse are much happier just pootling along rather than making a race out of it. And I recommend taking an extra day so you’ve got some recovery time. Ideally I’d take an extra day at the end too so I wasn’t riding a class and then hitting the road. But sometimes you’ve just got to get home.

Some of our shows are 15 minutes from the barn, though, which is just perfect.

3 Likes
#13

I have an F350 - mine came with regular mirrors and bubble mirrors at the bottom. I’d go to the dealer or if you want to save some money, an after market shop, and ask what the options are. The bubble mirrors are my favorite and now I even want them on the car!

The other thing with the longer trailers is that it takes a while to respond to a turn of the steering wheel, especially when backing up. Go incredibly slow and turn the wheel just a touch at first and see what happens.

You’ll learn after driving it a bunch what is a safe turn and what is too tight, but it just takes a lot of driving. Unfortunately that’s the best way to learn! I’d try some more and try to not get into small places - a school parking lot does sound like a good option. Bring someone with you, get some mirrors that allow you to see the trailer tires, and go really slow.

2 Likes
#14

Tips from experience. Probably 99.9% of trailering trips go well. It’s the 0.1% that everyone should be prepared for. And just having all these bases covered will help you feel more prepared and hopefully lessen your stress. Though reading the rest of my post will raise your blood pressure temporarily.

  1. Buy and carry a second spare tire and wheel. If a trailer tire blows the added stress on the remaining tire on that side often blows out as well.

  2. Ensure you have all the tire changing tools and jack that you may need. A battery powered impact wrench is a nice addition to your trailer emergency supplies.

  3. A battery powered air compressor is also a nice addition. Pick one with the same battery as the impact wrench. I use Dewalt myself.

  4. In a prior thread someone also recommended carrying a reciprocating saw to cut metal to free a trapped horse in a damaged trailer. I have added one, also Dewalt, to my trailer kit.

  5. Trailer monitoring camera if you do not have one installed already, for peace of mind.

  6. A handheld CB radio. I know it sounds old school, but truckers still use them, and you can contact a passing trucker for help. And I find one useful in standstill traffic jams to listen to the truckers talk about what is going on just up the road.

  7. Install fans in the trailer just in case you are caught in gridlock traffic on a hot day.

  8. Make sure both truck snd trailer have recent servicing. If any tires, especially the ones on the trailer are over five years old, really consider getting new ones regardless of how the treads may look.

  9. Check the condition of the conspicuity tape on your trailer. Trailer makers sometimes chap out on brand and they may be faded. I replaced all of mine with 3M and added more tape to make my trailer meet the requirements for a semi just as added protection.

  10. My trainer was hauling with a client from SC to a show in Texas when the truck caught fire and was a total loss. This is extremely unlikely to happen, but luckily his client had readily available money to purchase a new truck that same day and continue on to the show. So maybe either have finances in place just in case or at least someone to contact to hook up your horses and trailer. And carry at least one easily accessible fire extinguisher.

  11. Make sure any emergency service policy you have covers your horse trailer as well as your truck. I changed a tire on the interstate in the rain for a woman taking a colicky horse to the vet school emergency clinic who learned the hard way that her AAA card did not cover road service for her horse trailer. She also had no jack for her trailer; luckily a trucker also stopped who had a suitable one we used.

9 Likes
#15

Those are great suggestions!!! I designed my trailer with those in mine and also–I have a solar panel and dual batteries on my trailer so that if I have to turn my truck off, I can still run fans and lights for a long period of time and if my main battery goes, I have a backup.

3 Likes
#16

Thanks so much!!!

1 Like
#17

Of course!

1 Like
#18

I do like the lower reversing mirrors on my truck (Nissan Titan diesel.) The bottom section of the mirror dips on reversing so I can clearly see the trailer wheels.

I think its always worth noting that there are an awful lot of people both dumber and less well equipped who trailer extensively and obliviously and are perfectly fine. Having a little healthy respect for the prospect is no bad thing, but don’t scare yourself to death.

4 Likes
#19

These are all excellent points.

I smelled something burning while hauling once (it ended up not being me) and immediately was terrified that I didn’t have a fire extinguisher. I now have one in the truck and one in the trailer.

I’d also add, when you’re checking your truck and trailer for service - check the air pressure on your spare tires!! I had a flat while hauling once and thankfully had a friend nearby to come pick up the trailer, but my spare was FLAT. Hard lesson learned. And definitely have an extra spare - my neighbor told me that so I designed my equispirit with an extra under the gooseneck.

I also have a great toolbag that goes with me whenever I haul (horses or travel trailer). We have lots of miscellaneous tools, straps, and these great battery powered, magnetic flairs: https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Roadside-Flashing-Magnetic-Batteries/dp/B09MCSSRBG/.

1 Like
#20

My mule skinner buddy hauls two or three times a year from IN to WYO or AZ to take her mules packing --she has a massive rig. She told me, “I always am so nervous hauling the trailer.” I was shocked --she drives 10 hour stretches three or four days in a row and SHE is nervous? I haul a LOT shorter distances and I am good with it --sometimes I have to remind myself there’s a horse back there --actually, that’s not true. I haul so often (once or twice a week, hunt club or horse park) --and usually have my trailer on my truck --what’s hard for me is remembering I DON"T have my trailer --extra wide turns, waiting for a longer break in traffic, slowing way ahead of signals —LOL --as @Scribbler said, you will get used to it. Great suggestions here! OH you might practice changing a trailer tire --I found keeping a tarp (very small) in my trailer gave me a place to kneel beside the trailer and keep my breeches clean.

2 Likes

Get your Digital Subscription here - only $21.95 / year

Subscribe here
See gift options

Sign up to our monthly newsletter!

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.

Copyright © 2023 The Chronicle of the Horse