Wednesday 20 August 2014

Necessary Accessories For Horse Trailers

By Linda Ruiz


Neither people nor horses truly enjoy trailering from place to place. However, these days it's seldom practical to ride everywhere we want to go. The proper accessories for horse trailers can make the process a whole lot safer, easier, and more fun for all.

The number one thing everyone should have is a trailer jack. These differ from the usual car jack; you don't crank the trailer up off the road but drive it or back it up onto the jack. Once the good wheel (trailers have dual wheels for safety and stability) is in position on the jack, the flat tire will be off the ground and easy to change. You don't even have to unload the horses, and the job can be done in twenty minutes.

Of course, you need all the regular tools, like a screwdriver to pry off the hubcap, a tire iron to loosen the nuts, and a spare tire. In fact, many people carry two spares, especially if they're traveling on rough roads or for long distances. A tool box is indispensable.

There are lots of other handy things for keeping your traveling tack room organized. Check out trailer-door caddies. These are similar to the ones people use in closets or for bathroom and kitchen supplies. There have handy pockets and pouches for grooming tools, liniment, or other small things best kept ready to hand.

Controlling the chaos is much easier with things like secured tack boxes. There are also cabinets, shelves, and bins you can install to keep everything in its rightful place. Saddle and bridle racks hold tack off the floor; they're nice for keeping multiple sets of tack separate.

Those of us getting along in years know that climbing up into the tack room may require a free hand to haul ourselves up. A great alternative is a lightweight mounting block that doubles as tack room steps. The block is a handy seat, as well, for pulling on boots, cleaning tack, or just taking a breather.

Since you've invested a lot in having a trailer, it's good that there are many support companies that make replacement parts as well as fun gadgets. You may need to replace window gaskets, for instance, or even the entire window. No problem; these kind of parts, as well as handles, latches, bar padding, and other things that are prone to damage or wear can be found in catalogs or online. Check out trailer care and maintenance videos online for more ideas for repair or perhaps improvements on the original design.

There are hundreds and hundreds of cool things to use when you and your horses travel, from slow-feed hay nets (or sling mangers that clip in front of the horse after loading) to easy-to-install locks to keep all your cool stuff secure. Peek around at your next event and see what others are using - like water tanks that hold enough to hose a horse down after a workout. In addition, browsing the internet or supply house catalogs is fun and informative.




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