Regular Trailer Maintenance Can Save A Life
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196 – September/October, 2024
By Kristi Sanders
“Have you ever seen a trailer on fire?”
This is the question Farley McLendon of FM Show Horses in Texas asks when talking about why trailer maintenance is important.
“It’s horrific,” McLendon says. “Can you imagine having five or six horses on a trailer and trying to unload them?” McLendon travels by herself frequently and doesn’t want to risk herself, or the horses she is hauling. “I can’t hold five or six horses by myself,” McLendon explains.
Trainers and exhibitors travel with their horses frequently to get to shows, lessons, vet appointments, and more. Those miles can add up quickly and proper maintenance can help keep incidents, like a trailer fire, from happening.
Nancy Ditty, president of Coast to Coast Truck and Trailers in Florida, believes trailer maintenance is important to help keep everyone off the side of the road.
“Trailer safety is one of the most important acts we can do for our horses,” Ditty says. “We have all seen a trailer on the side of the road and thought to ourselves, ‘I’m sure glad that is not me!’”
Failure to properly prepare your horse trailer or towing vehicle can transform a pleasurable trip into a nightmare for a horse owner.
“Neglecting the upkeep of your truck and trailer can lead to traffic citations, accidents, breakdowns, and–in some cases–catastrophic injury to you or your horse,” Tammy Raak, with Twin Cities South Trailers in Texas, adds.
Most traveling with horse trailers happens in the summer months. The heat makes for nice, dry arenas, but the heat can also cause a harmful situation if a truck and trailer are stranded on the side of the road.
“The whole country is suffering from extreme heat and these horse trailers heat up like a hot box,” Ditty says. “We need to prevent getting stuck on the side of the road as much as we can.”
How often are inspections needed?
Click here to read the complete article
196 – September/October, 2024
