Pre-Trip Checklist for Horse Trailers

Before you haul your horse, be sure to review our pre-trip checklist to make sure you have everything you need for your horse trailer.

• □ Wheel bearings serviced? (service every 12 mos./12,000 miles, carry spare bearing set).
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• □ Tires in good condition? (look for dry rot, replace every 3-5 years regardless of mileage).
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• □ Check tire pressure (including spares and inside tire on dual wheels).
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• □ Hitch locked on the ball? Correct size ball?
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• □ Safety cables/chains connected?
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• □ Plug and secure electrical connection.
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• □ Connect emergency breakaway system.
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• □ Emergency battery charged?
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• □ Test trailer lighting (brakes, turn signals, running, perimeter).
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• □ Check/test brake controller.
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• □ Prior to loading horse(s), check trailer for hazards.
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• □ Leg wraps, head bumper on horse(s)?
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• □ Secure and lock all trailer doors.
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• □ Headlights on? For greater safety – get noticed.
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• □ Drive safely – allow greater braking distance, and travel at generally slower speeds.

Neva Kittrell Scheve is the author of The Complete Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing a Horse Trailer and Hawkins Guide: Horse Trailering on the Road. She and James Hamilton, DVM, co-authored Hawkins Guide: Equine Emergencies on the Road.