By Heather Smith Thomas
When hauling horses, whether in a bumper pull or gooseneck trailer, make sure your hitch is in good shape, strong and secure, before starting your trip. You should have also have safety chains or some other back-up method to make sure the trailer stays attached to your pulling vehicle.
Every now and then we hear horror stories about someone’s trailer coming unhitched and going off the road, or swinging into the oncoming lane of traffic or even passing the pulling vehicle. You might think this could never happen to you, but it could–if you don’t make sure your hitch is in good shape. It always pays to check your hitches and latches before every trip. You don’t want to put your horses or the other vehicles around you at risk because your trailer parts company with your towing outfit.
Make sure the hitch assembly is strong and in good working order. If you have a bumper pull trailer and hitch, make sure the ball on your bumper is the proper size for the trailer hitch so it will make a secure attachment with no chance of working loose. Also make sure the hitch-up is at proper angle, with the trailer lined up level. You don’t want the tongue putting too much weight on the bumper or too much angle on the tongue of the trailer. The ball assembly should be securely attached to the main frame of the pulling vehicle, not just to the bumper.
Always use safety chains, and make sure they are strong (not worn, with any weak links) and well attached, and of proper length. You don’t want too much slack in them or they may occasionally drag, which will wear out the chains and create weak spots. Another good idea when hooking up safety chains is to cross them rather than hooking them straight. Then if your hitch should ever break, the chains crossed below the trailer hitch will form a cradle that will catch and hold the hitch up, keeping it from nosing down and stabbing into the road–which might flip the trailer and seriously damage it and injure your horses.
Safety chains are not meant to pull your trailer. They are there to keep it attached to your pulling vehicle in an emergency, allowing you time to get your outfit stopped and safely off the road, with trailer and horses still intact.
The chains should always be loose enough that you can turn either direction without putting so much tension on the outside one that it might break, yet not so loose that the chains could drag on the ground. If the chains are too short or too loose, adjust them or add extenders (which are safer than S hooks) or buy new chains of proper length. This little safety precaution may never be needed, but if you ever have a hitch come loose, it could save your trailer–and your horse’s lives, or even your own.
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