New Horse Owner And Have To Move Them? Tips On Keeping Safe And Taking Care Of The Trailer
If you are a brand new horse owner and have to move your horses somewhere, you need to ensure you stay safe. You can do this by learning how to keep the trailer maintained. Below is some more information about this so you won't have to worry about anything while transporting your horses.
Keep Yourself and Your Horses Safe
Place reflective material on the back of the horse trailer. You will have lights on the trailer, but the reflective material will help other drivers see you much better. This will also help if you lose your trailer lighting due to electrical problems while you are driving because other drivers will still be able to see your trailer.
Make sure you hitch the trailer to your truck correctly. Use the right size and type of hitch to match the coupler. When purchasing a hitch, check that it can carry the weight of your trailer. You need to consider how much the horses weigh also. Your trailer should have a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating sticker on it. This number tells you how much weight your trailer can handle.
Check the Tires
Having tires that are in good condition can give you a much smoother ride as you are pulling the trailer. The tires themselves should properly match the load and axles. Inspect the tread for each tire. This is important, as having good tread allows your trailer to have good grip on the pavement. Check the tires closely to ensure they are wearing evenly.
Look for any bald sports or cracks in the tires. If you see the belt showing through the tires, you need to replace them. Look for any debris that may be stuck in the tires, such as rocks, each time before you leave. If found, remove the debris before it causes problems with your tires.
You also need to ensure all tires are inflated correctly. This is because under inflated tires can cause a blowout. You can install a tire pressure monitoring system on the trailer so you can easily check the inflation. With this, a sensor is placed on the valve stem of each tire. The stem wirelessly transmits information regarding the amount of inflation for each tire to a monitoring system that is installed on the dash in your truck.
If you want to replace the tires on your horse trailer, take it to a qualified tire service shop to ensure you have the correct tires installed.
These two tips should help your trailer last a long time for you.
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