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

[2DogsFarm]

@Junebuggie

Also filling me with dread: not having my trailer to easily transport my horse, my barnmate’s horse, and our stuff.

Does barnmate travel with you?
If not, do they at least shadow you while you’re hauling the horses?
If you’re going to a show can you find someone to go with you, even if they’re not showing or bringing a horse?
Or find someone else hauling to the same show & caravan.

I haul solo & my longest haul is just a bit over 3h, but that includes navigating a pretty long stretch of a very busy 4-lane highway near a big city.
Lots of traffic, many impatient drivers who don’t want to be behind a horse trailer. So they pass & then pull in front so you’re nearly tailgating
I’m a cautious driver, especially hauling, but I need to regroup after the long drive.
Priority is always getting my horse settled & unloading what needs to be off the trailer. But then I need a sit-down.
Same coming home & I’m usually toast the next day.

While driving, I keep my radio on a talk station & have been known to sing to keep myself alert.
If I have trouble with the 99 Bottles song, I know I need to pull over.

You’re not alone.
But if you want to show & have to go by yourself, Buck Up may be your only option.

[FjordBCRF]

@LCDR

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

GREAT overall list. I wanted to chime in on the trailer camera, I got one when I got my new trailer, and that made a big difference and helped my peace of mind a ton. I now that that while my horse will take a minute sometimes to load on, he seems content on the ride. He eats, poops, pees, and naps. No concerns on that end for me anymore. Being able to see him helps me a lot.

[PonyApocalypse19]

I’ve been hauling the same gooseneck for over 10 years now. I’m very comfortable driving it, but I still get anxious on longer trips because of gas stations! I always try to pick the truck stop ones because I know I can get in and out.

One of the biggest improvements I made was when I got my new truck it came with trailer tire pressure monitoring. I knew instantly I had a tire going down last year. Luckily we were just coming back from getting it serviced so there were no horses on board. But the peace of mind for the tires has really helped if I hear any weird noises. My trainer was driving back from a horse show and had lost a tire. Drivers on the highway had to flag her down because she couldn’t hear it up in the truck. They do make aftermarket tire pressure monitors and I highly recommend them!

As for driving, it just takes time in the seat. You’ll start to get used the length and turning on your trailer. If you’re ever worried, just go slow so you can correct. Funny story from when I first started trailering a smaller gooseneck. We got off the highway going the wrong direction. Tried to turn around, but it was a dead end street. There was a garbage truck coming down the road and asked if we needed help. Driver got in zipped the trailer back around in a parking lot and got us on our way. I can confidently say I can do that maneuver now with my bigger trailer no problem!

[NC001]

I’m buying a truck next week. I’ve never driven a truck or hauled anything in my life and I’m in my 50s. Like you all, Im not worried about hauling the trailer I’m worried about anything happening to the horses - I could never live with myself if something happens. I’m hoping my husband will be up for doing most of the driving.
I’m going to practice with the empty trailer a lot and make sure everything is in proper shape and we have emergency road gear. I don’t plan to drive more than 2 hours anywhere or in the mountains or anything. Im also getting mroe truck than I really need so I feel more confident.

[outerbanks77]

@LCDR

• 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.
• 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.
• A battery powered air compressor is also a nice addition. Pick one with the same battery as the impact wrench. I use Dewalt myself.
• 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.
• Trailer monitoring camera if you do not have one installed already, for peace of mind.
• 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.
• Install fans in the trailer just in case you are caught in gridlock traffic on a hot day.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

This is a great list, thank you!

On the marker tape, I bought a HUGE sticker for the back of my trailer on Etsy. It has 2’ tall dressage horses and lettering - it looks plain black in the daytime, but is actually reflective in headlights. I’ve driven up behind it and it really makes the trailer show up in the dark.

For those with a GN, hang in there. I could 95% of the time back my bumper pull down the driveway (have to back up and make a 90 degree left turn) in one shot. A few years on with a 2 H GN, I can get it in one try about 5% of the time. It does get easier, but they are just trickier to back up. A fellow boarder with a GN used the word “delicate” which I think is right. You have to start straightening earlier than you think to avoid over-turning. However, it feels so much safer on the freeway than the BP, so I will never go back.

I am with many of you on the stress on longer hauls. I’m OK popping across town, but I do have to psyche myself up a bit to do the 2-5 hour hauls, and only once did I do a ~12 hour picking up a horse out of state.

[outerbanks77]

@PonyApocalypse19

I’ve been hauling the same gooseneck for over 10 years now. I’m very comfortable driving it, but I still get anxious on longer trips because of gas stations! I always try to pick the truck stop ones because I know I can get in and out.

Oh yeah, that stresses me out too! I wish my truck had dual tanks so I could go farther between fillups.

[RedHorses]

If you have a large empty lot or field available, consider getting some traffic cones from the dollar store and practice driving. Set the cones up to represent other vehicles, curbs, etc. If you misjudge you’ll just squash a cone.

Whenever you’re turning, either going forward or. backing up, watch the mirror you can see the trailer tires in. If you have tinted windows, roll them down for better visibility.

Don’t worry about getting out to see where the trailer is in relation to things. If you need to, just do it. By going to look you will better understand what you see in your mirrors, and need to do it less.

Bubble mirrors should be easily available in your local department store that has an auto department. They have tape on the back to stick to your mirror.

[svvdressage]

@Cowgirl

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).

Girl, trust me…it gets better I have a 4H Head to Head and had a LQ trailer with a 12’ short wall. I cant tell how many times people have had to back up so I can get around a corner…or the one time I turned too tight and the inside hind wheel was off the drive way, floating 3’ off the ditch below. It took a while but it comes eventual and my new truck has camera’s everywhere which I can’t put into words how much it helps. This is what I see when I turn my blinker on…it’s amazing

[PonyApocalypse19]

The first time my truck did the turn signal camera me and my mom were like WHAT! One of the best trailering features on the truck! I love it for changing lanes on the highway.

[NaturallyHappy]

I really don’t want a new truck…but what a great feature!!!

[candyappy]

@Junebuggie

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 :/.

It may never go away. It is stressful. You are hauling live animals, away from home and you have really no control over mechanical failures, accidents and what drivers you encounter may do.

We face this same stress wherever we get in our own vehicles to go anywhere but it seems to be ramped up when our horses are involved. It is just something we have to face and I am always worried when hauling any of my animals.

It helps us to acknowledge and face our fears and do it anyway and that is what I do.

I hope I didn’t make it worse for you .

[RAyers]

I come from very long ago when I did long hauls across the country with no cell phone. My first rig was a 1986 Chevy 1-ton and a 4-horse straight load trailer. I had a CB and books on tape. Didn’t even have A/C in that truck. My worst wreck in that rig was back in 1992, jackknifing on black ice in a Nebraska winter and going off a 30 foot embankment. The high that day was 14 degrees. The truck was crushed up to the cab. We were stuck for 5 hours in subzero weather until the state patrol found us. I sat on top of the trailer waiting for traffic I could flag down. The horses, the ENTIRE time contentedly munched on hay. Sadly, that is not my only wreck involving horses and horse trailers.

Because of that, the BIGGEST thing that reduces my stress is realizing is that with all of the modern advancements, I am rarely alone or stranded on a highway. If anything happens, there is a good chance I can reach help. Although, when I do the long hauls (12-16 hours per day) today I still make sure folks know where I am along the way. Many of them are willing to come help if anything happens.

As I have gotten older, I also mark where horse hotels are and route along those. This way if I am tired or something happens, I can go to a place that has horse handling capabilities.

LCDR has a very good list that when you follow reduces the fears of equipment failure and lets you know that you can handle things by the side of the road.

I still drive routes where I go almost 130 miles between any town, gas station, rest area. Those are the worst. But now I can listen to my local radio station because there is cell reception, reminding me I can call and get help.

[LCDR]

I watch an osprey nest live feed from Missoula. The nest is at the corner of a big parking lot near U of Montana. On weekends, when the lot is empty of cars, they use it to train semi truck driving school students. If you watch these students learning to back and park, you will appreciate the amount of practice professional truck drivers need to develop their turning and backing proficiency.

[kaya842]

Not too much advice but certainly some sympathy, OP. I’ve had a truck and trailer since I learned to drive and used to be comfortable throwing the horse(s) on and going basically anywhere (drove from MO to GA and back, through mountains with minimal stress and a MUCH older truck/ trailer set up than I have now). However that’s changed in the last 2-3 years. My main horse had a fall in the trailer (2H straight load with another horse in it) and I almost couldn’t get her up/ out (the other horse handled it beautifully and managed not to step on her while unloading). She is still working through balance issues in the trailer so every trip with HER is stressful. My other horse does not have balance issues but I’ve got some sort of PTSD about the fall with my other horse and now stress any time any horse is in the trailer. The trailer by itself is NBD - same as driving the truck/ car by itself is NBD.

Things that help my worry brain:

• Keeping a full first aid kit on hand. I bought an EMT style bag so that anyone horsey or not can immediately identify that it has first aid supplies and it stays in the trailer (trailer is parked in front of the barn so no need for 2 kits). Twitch, Ace, bute / bamamine paste, bandages (gauze and vet wrap plus actual wraps), etc all stay in there.
• Tool kit. I don’t have the air compressor or impact gun (but totally have them on my list to get) but even hand tools like a hammer, knife, multi bit screwdriver etc are very handy. And duct tape of course.
• Towing straps. These are in there for 2 reasons: to pull the truck or trailer out of a ditch OR to pull a downed horse out of the trailer. When my mare was down, I didn’t have anything strong enough or long enough to pull her out, even a little, now I do.
• Camera in the horse area. This is a must for my balance challenged horse.
• Phone charger and always charge my phone before leaving. My phone was dead when my mare fell and I couldn’t leave her to go charge it but that also meant I couldn’t call anyone for help.
• Vehicle servicing (both truck and trailer). In the past, I’ve had both looked over before any long trips 5+hours and get them both looked at no less than every 6 months.
• Sharing location on Google Maps. I do this partly as a safety measure as a woman traveling alone (when I travel alone) but it’s also helpful if I were to breakdown and need assistance.

I’ve found traveling with someone (my SO usually) helps a ton, even if he doesn’t and up driving at all. It helps keep me out of my head a little.

I like to think that similar to a green horse, I just need several short and positive experiences and I’ll be back to my same comfort level.

[Junebuggie]

Wow!!! This is why I absolutely LOVE the COTH forums! So much good advice. Great stories and incredibly encouraging to know that even us die hard horse people can be stressed out by the seemingly mundane task of hauling your horse. Thanks all for a bit of virtual handholding and commiseration!

[IPEsq]

If you have trailer tires like mine that take 80PSI, good luck with a portable compressor. Can’t even get up to full pressure at a gas station. I do have a full size spare and one of those Trailer-Aid thingies.

I hauled a lot as a teen and young adult all over the east coast, often by myself. Today, it’s mostly traffic and terrible drivers that get to me. Makes me a little more careful picking my route. But hey, at least I have nav and a cell phone, not just paper maps! I also seem to need more recovery time from horse shows, so I don’t like going much distance anymore mostly because it kind of wrecks me for doing the job that pays for all that.

@Cowgirl I’m happy to help you learn to drive your 2+1 better. It’s such a great trailer to have. Sure, you can’t quite fit it in everywhere you’d put a 2H bumper pull, but the pros of the design outweigh that for traveling solo IMO. Only way I’d get rid of mine is to get one with some upgrades.

[clanter]

one thing that I have not seen mentioned is to add Apple AirTags to the trailer. at least two with one sort in an area that can be found and then another buried

Cheap to buy but they add the to ability to recover stolen trailer (not guaranteed but sure do add to the possibility of finding it) We also added these tags to show trunks.

Years ago before these were available we had a trailer stolen even though it was chained to a steel post and had the locks in the hitch (portable battery powered saws are wonderful for the thief)

Two years ago we were at a national championship where multiple trailers were stolen from the guarded parking area

[outerbanks77]

What trailer camera do people use? My truck is a 2000, F-250, so no onboard screen, would need to hook to phone or tablet, or be self-contained.

[RAyers]

Tadi Brothers. Wireless camera. For me, installation was easy. I tied the camera into the trailer power harness so no battery needed. Comes with display for the truck.

[LCDR]

Make sure you have a current Coggins report with you, and any other paperwork each state needs about horse health. That should not be a problem if you are on your way to a show, unless you have sent your last copy of your Coggins in with your entry paperwork.

My most common trips have been crossing from SC to GA. On three occasions a GA Department of Agriculture agent has pulled me over at the state line and asked to see the Coggins. A fourth time I was hauling an empty horse trailer. They were hanging out at the “Welcome to Georgia” rest stop and at the truck weigh station a few more miles along I-20.