I keep the basics in my runabout trailer. For a short haul he doesn’t need a hay net and if there’s water at the arena just carry an empty bucket. And if you clean the trailer every other trip, it won’t hurt anything.
For water, I use an Aquatainer. Google it. Available in the camping section at Walmart. Best thing ever.
Like many others have said, I keep an extra set of everything in my trailer (helmet, gloves, riding boots, grooming supplies, towels, tack cleaner, fly spray, buckets, saddle pads, horse boots and wraps, etc.). Usually I even have an extra girth and bridle, but I haven’t saved enough to purchase that for the new mare yet. When it comes time to load up, all I have to put on the trailer is my saddle (and now my bridle and girth). If I’m heading out early, I make sure that’s packed the night before. If it’s of an afternoon, I load it up with the morning feeding. When it’s time to actually load up, I like to have it so that the only thing I have to put on the trailer is the horse.
If I know I’m going somewhere, I hook up the trailer a day ahead of time. If your tow vehicle isn’t your daily driver, that’s a big time saver.
However, no matter how efficient you become at this, it’s still a time suck. It just is. When I trailer to my lessons (<10 mi from home), it still takes a certain amount of time to clean up the trailer and clean tack. I don’t know how to avoid that (except hire someone to do it!).
Most of the places I trailer to, the water is not easily accessible.
I would have to carry it from the tap to my trailer, which is much further than from my dressing room to my trailer.
Also, my horses seem to prefer “home” water.
You can get a big rectangular gas can and use it for water.
Extra brushes, hoof pick, crop, saddle pad, etc in the trailer at all times.
I’ve hauled out weekly for years, and multiple times per week.
My trailer is always hooked up in the “ready to head out” position. I put hay in the night before I go, or the morning of after I feed breakfast. If I want to do a big grooming I’ll do it the night before so the morning of is just a touch up.
I used to trailer out so much that I pretty much just kept my tack in the trailer at all times.
It sounds like you are over-doing it. Honestly, I don’t wrap or do a big clean out when I get home (except of course I remove manure). I don’t hose down after a ride just soak a towel in cold water and towel down. I don’t clean my tack or boots.
Make sure you have loading down pat so that doesn’t eat up time.
I go to the barn at 8 to groom and put my stuff in. I’m wheels up by 820. Go have a lesson and I get home at 1030. My lesson is 30 minutes from my house. When I get home I turn out, scoop out any manure, and I’m done. I put lunch hay out and fill water buckets in the morning so I just turn out and get ready for work.
I’ve spent more time the past few years riding at someone else’s place than at home. So I trailer very regularly
for me I use my trailer as a tack room. I did that when boarding and have continued at my own place. That way all horse stuff is there at all times.
My trailer has mangers so i so I just throw a flake of hay in every time I am feeding if needed. Just one extra stop
if hauling local I groom at home (my usual groom takes under 5 minutes). It’s done every day so they stay pretty darn clean. I haul there (if short trip) in tendon boots and bell boots and fly mask. Coming home the tendon boots are left off due to worry about heat
trailer is usually hooked up but if not I can hook up fast.
I always have have snacks and water on trailer. Replenish as necessary but that’s a rarity
I can get to the barn and out of there in under 15 minutes with two horses loaded if needed. Am heading to show tomorrow (and permanently moving 3 hrs) and am dropping yearling off on the way to show. Only thing I have to do to load all 3 horses is am feed, wrap legs and put my purse and dog in truck. Quick and easy. If I keep everything ready to go at a minutes notice. You never know when you will have to do an emergency vet trip (for this reason I fuel up as I am getting back into town. Currently it’s 1:30 to get to vet. At new place it is 1:00. And I want no delays in case of true emergency which I had last month unfortunately or when we had grass fires 1 mike from my home)
I haul for every ride 4-5 days a week, so my plans are different than yours (I use my trailer tack room as my tack room) but I’ll echo a few thoughts on how to do it faster.
- get good at hooking up your trailer
- duplicates of everything that you can so you don’t have to load and unload gear every time
- teach and expect your horse to load on the first try
Also, minimize what you do to only the basics - I have a hay bag in the trailer and fill it every other haul or so. I don’t wrap or boot to haul 20 minutes. I don’t offer water post ride unless it’s super hot or he worked super hard - he’ll be home and in his paddock within 45 minutes of the end of the ride (he rarely drinks even if I offer it). I often do post ride grooming at home rather than wait around at the arena for him to dry - I also don’t bathe after every ride, but do keep a bucket of water in my trailer to sponge off as needed. In the winter I’ll toss a cooler on him for the ride home.
I can roll in the driveway, change my clothes, add hay while the truck warms up, load him and be out of the driveway in 10 minutes on lesson days. I have the advantage of a dedicated tow vehicle that is usually hooked up, but if it’s not that adds less than 5 minutes because I’m well practiced.
one thing I have not seen mention is an emergency pack.
We used to do a lot of competitive trail-riding so always had a trunk of medical supplies that was easily accessible in the trailer… a horse first aid kit
Like others I have a complete set of everything in the trailer except another saddle. The saddle gets put in the trailer the day before. Everything is ready to go the day before.
One of the best investments has been a water tank with a pump that is in the dressing room. Also, the trailer has its own battery that runs the pump.
Yeah, that should just be living in your trailer regardless of what else you keep in there. That and a knife kept in an easy to reach, easy to find place.
On the big blue aquatainer, I had one of those for years and loved it until finally i somehow whacked the head off the top and broke it (I have mad skilz). I picked up a replacement at Dicks. As I recall it wasn’t any more expensive, held the same amount BUT it is taller slender rectangle (also has a pour spout like a gas can that fits inside). I like it a lot more since it takes up less space on the floor of the tack room.
