Handling the Long Haul

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536 – September/October, 2022

By Megan Arszman

As Championship Season rolls around, it can mean an increase in time spent on the road for exhibitors and horses. This requires a lot of pre-planning and communication between all parties to ensure that everything is clean, packed, and ready for use at the next event.

Best Tire Forward

The first and most important step to packing for the long haul is to make sure your rig is in good condition and ready to handle the hours and miles on the road. Trucks and trailers should be checked on the inside and outside before packing even starts. Veteran Trainer Troy Compton is very particular about the condition of his trucks and trailers.

“You’ll never see me show up with a rig that’s not washed,” says Compton. “Why? Because when I wash my rigs and clean them up before I go to a show, I go over an inspection of my rigs, just like a truck driver would do. I try to do this at least a week out, so if I need to make a change with a tire or something doesn’t look right, I have time to take it to the shop. I have a great relationship with a trustworthy trailer place nearby. You can either make your horse show or break your horse show by getting there.”

Compton prefers to pack the trailer as soon as he returns from a show. “Preparing the trailer when you get home is so much more time efficient because you’re already unloading the trailer to clean items and restock,” he says. “So, it’s like when you’re going through a review of the show, it’s fresh in your mind for what you might have wanted to change in your equipment or setup, or what you perhaps forgot to pack and need for the next show.”

Horses for the Haul

Click here to read the complete article
536 – September/October, 2022