Every Trailer should have a trailer inspection/service every 2 yrs at a minimum - if you use your trailer a lot yearly is a good idea - repack bearings, replace grease seals, check suspension, check breaks, break away switch, lights and battery
Also remember to check your horse trailer tires - look for wear and cracks - don't forget the spare tire. Tires should be replace every 6 yrs unless they need it sooner. You can also ask to have your trailer tires balanced - this will give your horse a better ride.
Covering the tires while the trailer is parked will also help with the longevity of your tires.
Also do an air check every 2 months - tires can loose air over time.
Items you might want to have in your horse trailer
Listed are some suggested items to have in your horse trailer. Some we think should be in all trailers and other items might make life a little easier when traveling with your horse.
Suggested must have items:
· Water for slant load trailers they make a corner water container, another type enables a saddle to fit on top or there are always the plastic containers made for camping. Remember a short hose if you have a container a hose can hook up to (the short RV water hoses work great). Also an end on the hose that lets you have more control of the water coming out is very helpful.
· Hay I always carry extra hay either in another feed bag or an old grain bag. Can come in very handy if you run out (if you let your horses eat while traveling) or if you break down the horse will have something to do while you wait.
· Bucket(s) for drinking water and for sponging off ( dont forget the sponge).
· Manure fork and/or rake (smaller ones are made and work great in trailers)
· Extra halter and lead rope
· Extra girth
· Extra reins
· Vet wrap
· Baling twine has all sorts of uses
· Rags small and large
Zip ties
First Aid kit for both horses and humans
The following items are not must have but nice to have in your trailer see what you think will work for you. Seems I am always adding to this list ( items are in random order).
§ Brushes
§ Sweat scraper
§ Hoof pick
§ Mane and tail detangler
§ Fly spray
§ Crop never know when one might come in handy
§ Saddle soap and sponge
§ Scissors
§ Mini clippers (runs on batteries)
§ Liniment
§ Medicine for cuts etc and thrush
§ Hydrogen peroxide
§ off spray
§ Wipes these come in very handy
§ Hand sanitizer
§ Hand Lotion
§ Sunscreen
§ Extra water bottle holders for your saddle
§ Hose for a spiket at a staging area or for camping
§ Shipping boots
§ Extra easy boot(s)
§ Extra bell boots if your horse wears them
§ Leg Wraps
§ Lunge whip and lunge line
§ Fly masks I put my old ones in the trailer, nice to have for after a ride and the flies are bad
§ Cooler(s) for the horses (again for those cooler days)
§ Extra saddle pad or two
§ Extra breast collar if you use one
§ Gloves riding gloves and I also keep a pair of all purpose leather gloves in the trailer
§ Jacket, sweatshirt, shirt etc never know when the weather changes, especially trailering to another location
§ Chair (s) the easy fold up fabric kind
§ Step stool for us short people
§ Hand and foot warmers for the colder weather
§ Poncho one that folds up small
§ Extra trailer tie if you use them
§ Trailer and truck extra light bulbs
§ Garbage bag 13-30 gallon plastic garbage bag, nice to have when needed
§ Duct tape
§ Flash light
§ Grain a small bucket full
Kleenex
Small fold up table
