Horse Trailer Accidents on the Road

dynamics surrounding trailering really arent all that mystifying but there are a few points that we need to always keep in mind. When the weight of a moving vehicle is doubled the distance it takes to stop is doubled. When the speed of a vehicle is doubled the stopping distance is quadrupled. When both the speed and weight are doubled it will take at least eight times longer to stop. Cornering changing lanes stopping and accelerating are all altered when we hook up to that trailer. While we may get used to these changes the other guy may not have the slightest clue about what we need.
Motorists seldom have any idea about what we encounter when transporting horses. They dont realise we need to slow down more gradually take curves and turns with greater care and are unable to speed away from stops like they can. The best piece of advice I can offer is to concentrate on your horses and let the traffic take a back seat. I am not entirely ignorant of the traffic behind me when hauling but they are of less importance to me than the horses whose lives I am responsible for.
Great exposure to risk also occurs while loading and unloading. Constant practice at walking your horse calmly and quietly on and off the trailer is the best way to minimize that risk.
Two of the other most common contributors to trailering incidents are improper coupling and unsafe or inoperable braking mechanisms. The simplest way to reduce your risk of an accident while trailering is to perform a basic safety check before hitting the road. Is the hitch coupled securely? Are the electrical cable breakaway cord and safety chains securely fastened? Is the trailer loaded correctly weight balanced static loads such as hay secured doors and windows closed and latched etc.? Have you checked the tires lights and mirrors and tested the braking systems on both tow vehicle and trailer?
If you have to pull over for any reason take a moment to survey the road in both directions for potential hazards. Avoid stopping near the crest of a hill near a curve or any place where you are not clearly visible for at least half a kilometre. Make every effort to get the rig well off the road but if you must stop on the side of the road get as far away as possible from