USEA Trailer Safety Seminar

Get There & Back Safely
Bill Hawe
Coyote Spring Farm
Katy Raynor, DVM
New England Equine Medical & Surgical Center
Roger Lauze
MSPCA Nevin’s Farm, Equine Rescue & Training Coordinator
1
www.CoyoteSpringFarm.com
USEA Trailer Safety SeminarOctober, 2015
www.USEventing.com
USEA Trailer Safety Seminar

Just because nothing bad happened,
doesn’t mean it’s OK…
2USEA Trailer Safety SeminarOctober, 2015

October, 2015 USEA Trailer Safety Seminar 3
Even in the old days, they thought about safe travel…
Face
protection!
Serious about
the task
Happy!

Sponsored by:
Farm, Horse, Equipment & Equine Professional Insurance
http://www.EatonBerube.com
Sue Berube, SBerube@EatonBerube.com
Travel Protection & Assistance for you & your horse
http://www.USRider.org (800) 844-1409
Car, Truck, Trailer Diagnostics & Repair
http://www.JohnsAutoRepairNH.com (603) 659-3415
4
Eventing, Training, Coaching, Boarding
http://www.CoyoteSpringFarm.com
(603) 769-3888 Jocelyn@CoyoteSpringFarm.com
Sport Horse Ambulance
MSPCA / Nevin’s Equine Ambulance & Emergency Rescue
http://www.MSPCA.org Roger Lauze Rlauze@MSPCA.org
New England Equine Medical & Surgical Center
http://www.NewEnglandEquine.com/ (603) 749-9111

Incidents can happen quickly…
But the path to get there started a long time earlier

What do trailer accidents
tend to have in common?
Potential Issues:
• Improper Maintenance & Configuration
• Driver Error & Distraction
• Weather & Road Conditions
Not random events or aliens from the sky…

“Never wait for trouble.”
– Chuck Yeager
• We train horse & rider before competing
• Let’s prepare & inspect the trailer before loading the horse
Seminar Goals:
1. Provide info to help your interaction with service professionals
2. Alert you to driving & trailer configuration considerations
3. Think about things before it’s critical to know them
4. Point you to educational resources
5. Connect you to professionals who want to help

Seminar Outline
• Mechanical connection between Truck & Trailer
• Electrical connections -- lights, turn signals, backup, how to test everything!
• Tires -- Truck vs Trailer Tires, Age Codes, Pressure, Wear
• Trailer brakes -- how they work & how to test them
• Wheel Bearings -- You should test them. You can! You will in this seminar…
• Truck + Trailer + Horses + Stuff = Lots of Weight
• Tools You Must Always Have
• Mandatory Annual Service Check List
• Mandatory Pre-trip Inspection List & Procedure. Every Time!
• Trips – 1 hour, 3 hour, day long, overnight (Aiken, etc)
• What causes trailer accidents?
• Staying Ahead of the Motion while Driving & Avoiding Mental Distractions
• Driving in Weather -- Rain, Fog, Dawn/Dusk, Snow
• Managing a Situation as it Arises -- accepting “Bad” to prevent “Catastrophic”
• Dr. Katy Raynor, New England Equine Medical & Surgery Center
 Your Equine Medical Kit
 How to tell if your horse is stressed while traveling?
• Roger Lauze, MSPCA / Nevin’s Sport Horse Ambulance
 What happens to a horse in an accident. Getting the horse out
• Our Sponsors & Internet Resources
• Door prize drawings!!!

Truck – Trailer Connection
From National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM)
1. Is the ball the correct size?
2. Is the ball & drop link secure in receiver on the truck?
3. Safety chains crossed over and securely attached to truck. Only enough slack to
turn. Not dragging on ground
4. Electrical connection securely attached to truck.
Not binding if turning. Not dragging.
5. Brakes working? (More on this later)
6. Emergency breakaway switch operational? More on this later. Do not connect
breakaway lanyard to ball. Connect to truck where safety chains connect.
Note (not included in NATM instructions)…
• When connecting coupler to ball make sure that coupler is locked with a secure
pin! (More on this later)
• Hook up Trailer as a SINGLE, UNINTERRUPTED procedure.
Do NOT talk to people while doing it…
• Trailer safety “walk around inspection” before driving (more later)

Hitch Receiver Classes
10
Receiver
Gross Trailer
Weight (GTW)
Tongue Weight
Receiver
Opening
Class I 2,000 200 1 ¼” x 1 ¼”
Class II 3,500 350 1 ¼” x 1 ¼”
Class III 6,000 600 2” x 2”
Class IV 12,000 1,200 2” x 2”
Class V 18,000 1,800 2 ½” x 2 ½”

Matching Trailer, Truck & Hitch
Be aware of need for weight distribution

Weight Distribution
Too much tongue weight
Poor Steering Control
Dangerous Trailer Sway
Balanced
Weight
Distribution
Bars

We Desire a Level Trailer….
13
“C”
(Drop)
Take care with this pin!
Make sure ball
shank is same size
as hole. Otherwise
ball will loosen !!
A – B = C
Periodically remove & spray
WD-40 into Hitch Receiver on
truck to prevent rust seizing

• Know your Ball & Coupler size!
• Write the Ball Size with a paint
stick on Coupler
• Periodically grease the ball!
14
2 5/16”
Note: shank sizes vary…

15
• Be careful with this style coupler
• Could have a “false positive”
• You think it’s connected, but it’s not
• This style seems to have fewer
“false positive connections”
• Visually clear whether it’s
connected or not

Do you think this will work?

What about this?
(taken from US Government site showing proper trailer hookup)
17
No breakaway
cable
Chains dragging
on ground
Rust everywhere
U.S. Government
plate

Trailer Electrical Connector

Trailer Electrical Connection
Which side is broken – the truck or the trailer?
Test truck first
with “plug tester”
Then, if truck is ok, the typical culprits are:
1. Trailer ground wiring
2. Corroded or bent pins in trailer plug
3. Corroded pins in truck receptacle

Trailer Electrical Connector
20
• A better place for Gooseneck connector
• Don’t pile stuff on the cable!
• Springs weaken over time
• Cover won’t stay closed
• Pins corrode (salt & debris)
• Spray with WD-40 periodically

1 Person Trailer Electrical Test
Before driving check…
• All lights on… walk around trailer
• Turn signals… go look
• Brakes?? If night time, can sometimes see brake light illumination
• Daytime??
• Often can see truck brake lights on front of trailer
• Note: 4-way emergency flashers activate brake lights… go look
• The single most important trailer light is Right Turn Signal / Brake
• Flat surface, truck in drive, foot off gas & brake….
 Manually activate brake controller
 Trailer brakes should hold rig in place!

Electric Trailer Brakes
Controller detects
“brake lights” to
activate trailer brakes

Test Your Breakaway Switch
WHAT DOES IT DO?
• Tethered to truck with a light metal cable
• Cable pulls out a pin in breakaway switch if trailer becomes
disconnected from truck
• When Pin pulled out, it activates trailer brakes
• Should lock trailer brakes on for 10 – 15 minutes
• Uses its own battery. Best to have a controller which tells
you battery condition. Check every time you hook up.
• Switch costs $5.60
TESTING IT:
1. Truck & trailer connected on level ground
2. Pull pin on breakaway switch
3. Try to drive away slowly…
4. Trailer brakes should be locked
5. Replace pin on breakaway switch
6. Note: Breakaway should function if trailer
unplugged. Test that too!
7. Note: Verify that cable on pin connects to truck
such that it WILL pull the pin if trailer comes off (!)
Switch Pin
Breakaway Battery
with Indicators

Trailer Brakes
Wire Splices like
these will corrode
Potential trouble spots
which get ignored…
Note: Ground wire / connector failure
can cause ground to be made through
ball & coupler. Then Break-away won’t
work if trailer plug disconnected…

Rubber Hits the Road
• Of all your truck & trailer tires,
which single one is the most important?
 Hint: It’s the Right Front (RF) truck tire
 Why…?
 A RF blowout will pull truck to right, off the road
• Are blowouts random events?
• Do trailer tires wear out?
• Is a softer ride safer?
• Can you lift up your spare tire?

Tire Pressure & Heat
• Air holds the trailer up
• Set tires at “cold PSI” rating
• Side walls flex on each revolution
• Side walls flex when corning…. A lot!
• Under inflation causes severe sidewall flex & generates heat
• Excessive heat causes tread to delaminate & tire to blow out
• Do Not:
– Under inflate to make a “soft comfy ride” for the horses
– Fail to check tire inflation every time you travel
– Fail to take care of a tire with a “slow leak”
(it can become underinflated and blow out before you get to destination)
– Reduce air in a hot tire, that was correct when cold
– Travel above 65 mph

Tire Pressure versus Weight
Table shows maximum weight tire can carry as a function of inflation PSI

Tire Load Ranges
Load Range determines:
• Weight carrying capacity
• Maximum cold PSI
• # of plys of radial bands (ie, strength)

Tire Age Codes
• Trailer tires generally “age out”, rather than “wear out”
• Ozone, light, heat & “heat cycles” prematurely age out a tire
• 5 years and they’re done…
• Replace them with (ST) trailer tires, not (LT) truck tires
• Write the age on the tire with paint stick or a post a note in the tack room
• Cover tires (including spare) during storage to prolong life

Dry Rot
30
BEFORE AFTER
The fender has also been destroyed.
Note: Check brake wiring for damage….
FYI: this tire looks
low too…

Valve Stems
Always get new valve stems when getting new tires
31
Typical
• Beware of cracking
• Maximum 65 psi
“High Pressure”
• Can also crack
• Limit about 80
psi
Best
• Watch for corrosion
& leaks at base
• Up to 200 psi
Note: spray Windex on wheels, tires, valve stems to detect leaks…

Flat Tire Changing
• Get fully off the road
• Never turn your back on traffic
• Do not take horse off trailer
• Vehicle Flashers on
• Spotlights, tools, reflective vest…
• Keep all people & tools on “curb side”
• Can you lift the spare?
• Setup Safety Triangles / flares
• Check air in spare tire before mounting
• Your co-pilot (!?) to signal traffic, while safely off the roadside
• Pre-tighten lug nuts with wheel OFF THE GROUND. Then fully tighten on ground
• “False tight” and not flush if all tightening done on the ground….
Wheel will shear off hub lugs then fly off while driving (may pass you on the
road)
You will not be able to mount another wheel
• Significant torque (with foot & arm) to tighten lug nuts!
• Consider calling 911 : “I’m disabled. We have horses on board. It is a dangerous
situation. We need police to divert traffic around us.”
32
Can they see
you here?

Safety Triangle Placement
1. Are others alerted to your location
BEFORE they approach you?
2. Do you have room to work?

Wheel Bearings
34
• Amazing what little hardware is holding your hub & wheel on!
• Only a Tang Washer or Cotter Pin
• 49¢ each
Steps to Failure:
1. Bearings lose or not lubricated
2. Wheel begins to wobble while rolling
3. Uneven / scalloped tire wear pattern
4. Massive heat in bearing
5. Bearing brakes apart inside hub
6. Dramatic wheel wobble
7. Entire wheel & hub flies off with drama

Wheel Bearings
Be Aware:
• Turning sharply or rotating the trailer places severe side load on tires &
bearings
 Particularly rear trailer wheel bearings!
• Bearings loosen over time due to this side load & from normal operation
• Must be repacked with grease & reset each season
• Reset torque on new bearings after “run in”
• Should be checked for proper tightness during season or around long trips
• Do not reuse cotter pins or tang washers
• Tight is tight. Too tight is broken…
 Too tight = too much heat = failure
 Too lose = too much free play = worn out tires + broken bearings
= failure
 “Failure” means entire wheel + hub flies off while driving

Wheel Bearings
• Service regularly
• Pay special attention to rear trailer wheels
• Trailer Hub Inspection & Service video
http://www.etrailer.com/tv-demo_trailer_hub_inspection.aspx
A quick check of your bearings:
1. Uneven wear pattern on tires?
2. Can you wobble it in/out or left/right?
3. Can you rotate wheel freely?
4. What do you hear in the hub when
rotating the wheel?
5. Do you see excessive grease/oil at hub?
(inside or outside)

Weight... It all adds up…
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
• Maximum vehicle “could weigh” (vehicle + stuff)
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
• Maximum weight an axle could take
Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR)
• Maximum allowed weight of truck + trailer + horse + dog + iPhone + stuff
Tongue Weight or Gooseneck Ball Weight
• Bumper Pull Trailer: 10% - 15% of trailer weight
• Gooseneck trailer : 20% - 25% of trailer weight
• Too much = trailer sway

Weight Example
38
2005 Ford F150 SuperCab,
4x4, 6ft bed, 4.6L motor, 3:55 axle
Curb Weight = 5,363 lbs
Max Towing = 6,100 lbs
Max GCWR = 11,700 lbs
2009 Featherlite 2 horse Gooseneck
GVWR = 7,000 lbs

What if I don’t fully load the trailer?
39
2005 Ford F150 SuperCab,
4x4, 6ft bed, 4.6L motor, 3:55 axle
Max Towing = 6,100 lbs
2009 Featherlite 2 horse Gooseneck
GVWR = 7,000 lbs
BUT… 11,700 – 5,363 = 6,337 lbs
6,337 – 6,100 = 237 lbs allowed in
truck
2 people + dog + stuff = 510 lbs!
Trailer can hold 7,000 – 2,950 = 4,050
lbs
2 horses = 2,200 lbs
Stuff = 1,000 lbs
2,950 + 2,200 + 1,000 = 6,150 lbs

Is this F250 big enough?
40
2016 Ford F250 Crew Cab,
4x4, 6ft bed, 6.2L gas, 3:73 axle
Max Front GAWR = 5,600 lbs
Max Rear GAWR = 6,290 lbs
Max Towing (gooseneck) = 12,100 lbs
Exiss 3-horse slant Gooseneck
GVWR = 14,000 lbs

Is this F250 big enough?
41
BUT… 19,200 – 6,828 = 12,372 lbs
12,372 – 12,100 = 272 lbs allowed in truck
2 people + dog + stuff = 510 lbs!
Trailer can hold 14,000 – 8,640 = 5,360 lbs
3 horses = 3,300 lbs
Stuff = 2,000 lbs
8,640 + 3,300 + 2,000 = 13,940 lbs
2016 Ford F250 Crew Cab,
4x4, 6ft bed, 6.2L gas, 3:73 axle
Max Front GAWR = 5,600 lbs
Max Rear GAWR = 6,290 lbs
Max Towing (gooseneck) = 12,100 lbs
Exiss 3-horse slant Gooseneck
GVWR = 14,000 lbs

Weigh your truck + trailer + horse + stuff
About $10 at Truck
Stop in Greenland,
NH off Route 95….
Pull up, stop, push
the button, go
inside, pay, get
scale report,
ponder what you
just learned…
Park with axles on
separate pads

Scale Report
43
Steer Axle ÷ 2 =
Front Tire Load
Drive Axle ÷ 2 =
Rear Tire Load
Trailer Axle ÷ 4 =
Trailer Tire Load
÷ 4 for Dually
Gross Weight

Understanding Scale Report
44
1. Is every tire within its load rating?
….Refer back to Tire PSI / Load Tables
2. Is each axle within its GAWR?
….Refer to Truck & Trailer Manufacturer Specs.
….Look on Driver Door Jam & Trailer Tag
3. Is the total rig within total GCWR?
4. How balanced is the rig? (weight distribution)
5. If loading a single horse, put him on “street side”
(ie, left side) not “curb side” to better balance
trailer due to camber of road

Tools You Must Always Have
 Screw Drivers (Flat & Phillips)
 Adjustable Wrench
 Hammer
 Knife
 Wire cutters
 Electrical Tape (or Duct Tape)
 Flashlight / Lantern (self standing)
 Hiking Headlamp
 12 volt Electrical Tester (with light)
 2 Wheel Chocks
 Blocks for Trailer Jack Feet (you may
need to disconnect trailer)
 Boards for Trailer-Aid ramp
(may need in soft ground)
 “Trailer Aid” Tire Ramp (Don’t use
as a wheel chock. You’ll forget it.)
 WD-40
45
 Small Tube of Grease
(for Hitch Ball & Bearings)
 1 set spare axle bearings & races
(pre-greased in sealed Ziplock bag)
 A couple new Tang Washers or Cotter Pins
for your axle hubs
 One Trailer Turn Signal Lamp
 A few Double Ended Snaps & Lynch Pins
 Gardening Pad, or towels, or something to
kneel on
 Work Gloves & Reflective Vest
(use Vest in the daytime too)
 Flares & Safety Triangles
 Fire Extinguisher rated ABC (5 lb min,
preferably 10 lbs). Easily Accessible!
 Jumper Cables
 Horse First Aid Kit
 Human First Aid Kit

Other Tools You Should Have
Trailer Electrical Connector Tester
http://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Tow-Ready/TR20117.html
Trailer Aid Ramp
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-Trailer-Aid-Yellow/29764285
23” Metric & SAE 4-way T-Bar Lug Wrench
http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/1200106/01036
Reflective Duct Tape (for tools & stuff out at night)
http://www.uline.com/BL_6350/Reflective-Tape
12 volt Work Light (20ft cable with cigarette plug)
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200581004_200581004
Tire Changing / Lifting Tool
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-44511-Tire-Changing-Tool/dp/B004L67L42

Annual Inspection
• Know your State inspection requirements
 NH requires trailers 3,000 lbs or greater to be inspected
• State inspection only tells you how things are on 1 out of 365 days…
• State inspection will not test all you need to
• Bearing free play & grease pack bearings
• Brake shoes & drums & magnet wear
• Usually cheaper to replace drum, entire hub assembly, bearings, etc. than to service
individually
• Breakaway operation (NH: hold on 20% grade for 15 minutes)
• Cheap electrical splices will corrode
• Tire age codes & operational condition
• All grease fittings (at least 2x per season)
• Trailer floor !!!! Clean 2x per season. Do NOT use lime.
• Hard brake lines on trucks in Northeast (corrode due to salt)
• Truck electrical receptacle & trailer plug
• Receiver, ball, ball mount, coupler, safety chains, breakaway system
• Do not leave ball mount permanently inserted

Pre-Trip Inspection
• FIRST adjust seat & steering wheel, THEN mirrors
 2 hands on wheel, slight bend in elbows
• MIRRORS:
 Aim at blind spot (your lane change location)
 Verify proper aiming while passing / being passed on highway
 DON’T aim mirrors at the side of your truck or trailer
 Aiming with trailer is different than with no trailer. Adjust them EVERY TIME
 Augment with convex side view mirrors
• Always check air pressures (including spare!)
Keep mental note to watch for slow leaks over time
• Electrical, including brakes
• Double check ball, coupler, receiver, chains, breakaway
• Hay or “stuff” in pickup bed can damage trailer electrical plug!
• Always use the same process in same order with NO interruptions
• If trailer is hardly ever used, odds are something has failed

Check Trailer Doors & Ramps
• Make sure doors & ramps stay closed
• Bar Latches can pop open
• Physically touch each latch, door & ramp
before leaving
• Secure with a Lynch Pin
• Double Ended Snap can come off
• DO NOT use a padlock if horses inside
Bar Latch
can pop open
Lynch Pins
How did 2 horses recently “fall out of the trailer door”
at speed on Route 95 in Maine?

Do Not…
• Load / unload horse on pavement (slippery)
• Take partitions out of slant load, bumper pull trailer to use as a stock trailer
• Change safety regime because “it’s only a short trip”
• Drive with tires which have dry rot, cracked sidewalls, slow leaks, unknown pressure
• Attempt to load a horse on unconnected bumper pull trailer
• Disconnect a bumper pull trailer with horses still inside
• Disconnect a trailer which doesn’t have wheel chocks in place
• Assume the trailer is ok use after it’s been parked for 6 months
• Hook up your trailer to a random truck, because “it should be ok”
• Hook up a trailer without knowing definitively the ball & coupler sizes
• Drive off without personally inspecting “soundness” of rig & trailer
• Travel with horse’s heads out the windows “to get some air”
• Travel in far left lane of 3 lane highway
• Put anything lightweight in pickup bed under the gooseneck. Low air pressure there!
• Travel with 1 hand on the wheel, 1 on the coffee, 1 on the phone, 1 on the iPod and 1
hand gesturing to your passenger about your fantastic Cross Country round
• Throw a cigarette out the window of your truck

While Traveling, avoid…
• All RV’s & Motor Homes (driven by daydreaming empty nesters)
• Following RV’s in the rain…
• RV Trailer towed by SUV (they have zero visibility with their mirrors!)
• Boat trailers
• Passing any 18 wheeler or bus on the right hand side
• Going between two 18 wheelers
• NJ Turnpike
• George Washington Bridge
• There’s no practical diesel fuel stops from mid-CT through to NJ
• Route 95 north of Washington, DC
(Note: if you go the mountain route there’s fewer services)
• Ruts from heavy trucks
• “Bridge-Road joints” & potholes in the Northeast
(particularly PA & NJ). They cause blowouts… Straddle them…

Highway-Bridge Joints
52
Joints here
Pot holes always in the
tire rut at the joint
Note they’ve tried to
patch these several times

Tips while traveling
• Lock your tack room at truck stops
• If carrying spare fuel, use metal can
• Printed map for any trip when you’ve not been there
• Get driving directions before leaving
• Have a map… Do not just depend on GPS
• Trucker Road Atlas useful for long trips
• Have a fuel plan (e.g., MapQuest “travel services along route”)
• www.FindTruckService.com useful for finding truck road service en-route
• www.USRider.com useful insurance for disabled truck & trailer and road
services

Driving Tips
Practice these every day!
• Do not loiter in someone’s blind spot
• Don’t let others loiter near you
• Accept that “4 wheelers” will cut you off, not let you in, hang you out, etc.
• Look through cars in front of you… consider them “translucent”
• Look through corners, especially on/off ramps
 Just like looking ahead while completing a jump on a horse
• Start a long descent at very reduced speed
• Brief repeated brake applications to prevent speed buildup down long
descent. Do NOT ride brake down the hill.
 Kinetic energy (Speed x Mass) must ALL be converted into heat in brakes!!
 Engine braking with gear selection (but beware of this in ice & wet)

Driving Tips
• Half on, half off road (or uneven lane pavement) :
 Do NOT panic
 Go straight, be gentle, slow down while on & off road
 Slowly & gradually return to roadway
• Soft road shoulders which “fall away” from road
 Extreme vigilance while driving
 Dropping wheel off road will quickly pull rig violently with it
 Hard to recover. Can roll over trailer
• Ocular driving & situational awareness :
 Be aware of trailer brake bias
 Anticipate actions of cars “way ahead”
 Plan an off ramp exit very far in advance
 Accept a wrong turn. Don’t swerve to get back on course!
 Can you see around / through the off-ramp!?
 Always have somewhere to go

Driving Tips
Groups or caravans…
• 3 or more rigs cannot stay together due to the “slinky
effect”.
• Rigs at the back have to go exponentially faster to
“stay connected” to the group
• Don’t need to stay in visible contact
• Just stay close enough to help if needed
Use FRS radios…
cheap, always work, no cell phone
hassle or dialing, safer, instant, long
distance

Driving Tips
Traveling Speed…
• 65 mph vs 70 mph
 3 hour trip : 195 miles @ 65 mph, 210 miles @ 70 mph
• 257 miles from UNH to Millbrook Horse Trials
– 3 hrs 57 min @ 65 mph
– 3 hrs 40 min @ 70 mph
• To “average 65 mph” & “make the time” you’d have to go 70, 75, or faster
• Google Maps : 4 hrs 9 min UNH to Millbrook
– 257 miles ÷ 4 hr 9 min = 61.9mph
– Doesn’t account for fuel stops
– Unrealistic average speed
• Fuel mileage goes down exponentially as speed goes up
 Aerodynamic resistance calculator:
 http://ecomodder.com/forum/tool-aero-rolling-resistance.php

Mental Concentration
Pay special attention to this in Weather
• Your brain as a computer, divides up your “processing power”:
1) Driving (steering, throttle, brake, controls, etc)
2) Tactical Planning (short term, a few seconds)
3) Strategic Planning (mid term, a few miles)
4) Detecting Conditions & Events
5) Reacting
6) Distractions -- Talking, Listening, Eating...
7) Daydreaming…
• These tasks interact. They are not independent
• In weather you need to be aware of this and reassign mental
tasks
This means more than just going slower

Slowing Down vs Thinking About It
• At 65 mph: you travel 95 feet per second
• Average base reaction time = 0.25 second Test your base reaction time:
http://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime/
• Braking:
1) Recognize the need : 0.75 to 2 seconds
2) Move foot to brake : 0.75 seconds
3) Deceleration… it depends
• #3 Deceleration… at 65 mph… for only a CAR:
 Recognition time distance = 120 feet (assuming 1.25 sec reaction time)
 Reaction time distance = 71 feet (assuming 0.75 sec time)
 Braking distance = 202 feet (from Computer Support Group
stopping distance calculator)
 Total stopping distance = 393 feet
191 ft to get ready…. 202 feet to slow down

Types of Trips
1. Less than 1 hour
2. Less than 3 hours
3. Day Long
4. Overnight

1 hour trip
• Do not take for granted. Use full safety process
• Don’t forget Equine First Aid Kit
 Anytime horse is transported
 Often moved between barn & trailer
• Don’t forget Mirror adjustment
 Will need to be different than without the trailer….
• Someone could come get you & horse if you break down
….Who?
….Do they know they’re “on call”?
….Is their trailer compatible with your truck?
….Is their truck compatible with your trailer?

Morning or Afternoon Trip
• Like 1 hour trip, easy to get lazy…
• Someone still might be able to come get you
• Water & hay for horses?
• What if you have to stay overnight?
• Fuel plan for no stops?
• A 3 hour trip to Millbrook can easily become a 9 ½ hour trip

Day long trip
• A friend can’t come get you
• But, try to know someone else traveling there & their plans
• Know when & where rush hour traffic will be
• 2 or 3 fuel stops?
 Don’t assume fuel will be open at night near the destination
• You can’t do any fuel stop in less than 20 minutes
 Time it & see!
• All fueled, loaded, packed, checked the day before
• Bring food & drink. Don’t waste time stopping
• Bring printed map unless you’ve been there before
• Consider staying over & leaving Monday after a 3-day
event…
• Try not to roll into Millbrook with a flat tire….
But, if you do, act immediately and many people will fix it for you!

Overnight trip
• Full trailer inspection 2 weeks before leaving
 Check trailer wheel bearings & brakes 2 weeks before leaving
• Consider bringing 2 spare trailer tires
• Full truck service 2 weeks before leaving
 Always change oil, oil filter, fuel filters, air filter
 Bring “Diesel 911” fuel additive in Winter
 Consider bringing spare can of diesel (with funnel)
• Major packing & loading 2 days before departure
• You must plan trip around weather & be willing to delay for it
• You have only so many hours you can be awake & driving. Bring a co-pilot
• Optimize human awake time or horse awake time?
• What is planned arrival time? Why?
• Consider evening & morning rush hour traffic in departure/arrival time plan
• Drowsy fatigue times! 3 am - 5 am & 3 pm - 5 pm
…Can you detect “highway hypnosis”?
• Fueling plan. Limit stopped time!
• Bring overnight food & drink with you

Overnight trip
• Equine First Aid Kit (more on this later)
• Human First Aid Kit
• Water jugs & buckets! Easily accessible at every stop
• Monitor horses for stress. Every stop…. (more on horse stress
later)
• 20 hours travel about the limit for a fit horse
• Going South in Winter = large temperature changes
• Bring everything you’d need in case horses have to layover for
2 days on route
• PAPERWORK:
know what you need for each State & to cross borders. Get it.
• REMEMBER:
you can stop in a rest area & sleep for an hour while horses rest

Fog, Dusk, Dawn
• Fog is statistically THE most dangerous driving hazard
• Obviously, slow down. But….
• Does fog make you think you’re going faster or slower?
• What is your transit time to your “visibility horizon”?
 Can you stop in that time?
• Experienced drivers go faster in the Dry, but slow down more in Fog
• Novice drivers have longer hazard response times & driving variability in Fog
• You are a ‘Novice Driver’ if you only tow your trailer infrequently
• Sense of “excess speed” can create “tunnel vision”
• At Dusk & Dawn you have a false sense that you are seeing clearly due to optical
sensors in eye retina
• Turn on lights
• Do NOT stop in middle of road. You’ll be rear ended
• Flashers may cause harm in Fog
• Some States do NOT allow driving with Flashers on (eg, MA, NJ, FL…)

Driving in Winter
• Avoid it. Then avoid it some more
• Recognize conditions which will cause freezing rain
• A wheel which is locked up (sliding) cannot turn or change directions
• Road camber and/or elevation changes can cause drive wheels to slide out
from under you to the outside of the road
• ‘Engine braking’ can cause jackknife
• Don’t let a “slip angle” develop between truck & trailer
• May not be able to back up trailer straight or in a turn, or not at all!
Plan accordingly
• Sometimes manual application of trailer brakes can help in certain cases
• Diesel fuel can gel. Carry “Diesel 911” additive. Make sure fuel filters are
new/clean
• Do you have everything you need if you are disabled for multiple hours!?

What Causes Horse Trailer Accidents?
(Based on a study of 800 accidents)
1. Tire Blowouts or Loss of Wheel
2. Poorly Maintained Equipment
3. Wrong Tow Vehicle for Size & Weight of Trailer
4. Inexperienced Driver or Driver Errors
5. Single Vehicle Accident (too fast, loss of control, etc.)
6. Driver Fatigue
7. Failure to Stop or Yield
8. Following Distance Too Close
9. Rear Ended by Another Vehicle
10. Incorrect Hitching of Trailer
11. Poor Weather
12. Inappropriate Trailer
13. Lighting & Reflective Markings

Emergency Responders Form
69
Keep with you in a
prominent place, available to
First Responders.
Available here:
http://images.equinetwork.com/usrider/USRider-Emergency-
Responser.pdf

Limited Power of Attorney Form
70
Available here:
http://images.equinetwork.com/usrider/USRider-Limited-Power-Of-Attorney.pdf
Keep with you in a
prominent place, available to
First Responders.
If horse is insured, review
these forms with your
Insurance Company!!

Recently…
Seacoast Area, NH
71
• No Horses on board
• People climbed out
• Truck was only going
about 15 mph
• What might have
happened?

Recently… NH Seacoast Area
72
• Ice on the Road… on a Hill…
• Which direction do you think they were going?
• Up or Down? Why?

Recently… Seacoast Area, NH
73
• Drive wheels lose traction up icy hill
• Truck rear tends to slide off right side of road due to road camber (crest)
• Common driver error : “more gas” to regain traction. This fails…
• Common driver error : wrong / late / slow steering corrections. This fails…
• Common driver error : panic braking…. Locked wheels always slide in last
direction they pointed. This fails…
• Trailer steers the rig at this point
• Gooseneck can hit cab & flip truck
• Truck can flip when it hits curb or ditch while sliding sideways

Nov, 2012… Wrentham, MA
• Horse trailer overturns on Rt 495 North ramp
• 1 horse dies, other in surgery
• How could this happen!?

Nov 2012… Wrentham, MA

76
Long off ramp
Sharp turn

77
Long off ramp
Sharp turn
Blind corner
Downhill

Trailer Sway (Fishtailing)
• Sway oscillations can develop quickly
only 10 oscillations until the crash…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMkq7PSQhI4
• Controlling Sway video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=148&v=GfeyBxuIZOU
78
Left
Right
Direction
of
Travel

Trailer Sway Causes
{More likely with a bumper pull trailer due to pivot point of connection}
Caused by…
• Too much rear weight and/or not enough tongue weight
• Excessive Downhill Speed
• Side aero loading (eg, a big rig passing you, or cross winds)
• Driver panic & improper braking
• Excessive trailer brake bias for slippery conditions
• Incorrect tire inflation
• Wrong truck - trailer combination and/or lack of sway control
Sometimes you can stop it by…
• Manual application of trailer brakes. (Won’t always work)
• Gentle everything!
• Don’t let it develop. Reduce speed immediately!

March, 2014… California
80
• 2 dead horses
• What could have happened?

March, 2014… California
81
• Mountainous switchbacks
• The driver said, “I followed my GPS….” 2 dead horses later…
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=27&v=S5yYVNZR8oY
Follow up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe5Kfqh_kkk

July, 2014… Hawaii H1 freeway
• 5 horses in a 40 ft trailer
• One falls through the floor(!)… dragged under the trailer… dies
• News Report: ”…the 4 other horses were not injured, so the
owner continued on the journey heading west on the freeway”

July, 2015… Millbrook, NY

85
• A cool idea!
• But it’s secured with 2 old, frayed, light duty
1” ratchet straps
• Working Load Limit
WLL = 400 lbs each
• 60 gallons = 501 lbs
• 35 gallons = 293 lbs
• If it comes lose, it could
go through a windshield
• Should secure with
metal straps for
permanent installation

June, 2013… Lexington, KY
86
Horse trailer was rear ended by a van with a fatigued driver

Your Equine First Aid Kit
Katy Raynor, DVM
MUST HAVES :
 Stethoscope
 Thermometer
 Bandage material
 Antiseptic
– Betadine, chlorohexidine
 Alcohol (1 liter bottle)
 nSaids
 Miscellaneous items

Is your horse stressed while traveling?
Katy Raynor, DVM
1. Heart rate
 Do you know how to take your horse’s pulse?
 Normal Equine HR is 36 beats per minute.
2. Rectal temperature
 Know your normals: 99.5 - 101.5° F
3. Respirations
 8 - 20 breaths per minute
4. Excessive sweating/dehydration
 CRT, mucous membranes, skin tent
5. Muscle Fasciculation’s
6. Excessive pawing / abnormal trailer behavior
7. Manure / Urine output?
MONITOR!

Nevin’s Sport Horse Ambulance

Roger Lauze
Equine Rescue & Training Coordinator
Massachusetts SPCA at Nevins Farm
Methuen, MA (508) 662-6615
rlauze@mspca.org www.MSPCA.org

If you can not safely get to the horses head to apply a lead
rope use something like a dwyer tool to attach a lead rope
to the halter

You will need to apply a rescue strap around the hips on the horse with
both ends passing between the horses legs, the safest way to do this is
to use a firefighters rake or pike pole so you can pull the ends of the
rescue strap without entering the trailer.

With the rescue strap in place we can now do a backward pull to get the
horse out of the trailer place the slip sheet on the tailgate or to make a
tailgate if necessary this makes the pull easier.

Once the horse is moved on to the slip sheet and hobble the horse, attach ropes to
the slip sheet and rotate the slip sheet to line up with the rescue glide (we call this
the DH twist) move your rescue strap to the front of the horse behind the withers
with the ends of the strap out between the horses front legs. Pull the horse from
the slip sheet onto the rescue glide you may have to foot the rescue glide so it
doesn’t slide. Finish attaching the horse to the glide

USEA Trailer Safety Seminar Door Prizes
1) US Rider Annual Membership
2) EquiMedic Equine Medical Kit
3) EquiMedic Equine Medical Kit
4) Eaton & Berube embroidered Saddle Pad
5) New England Equine Medical Center $200 discount certificate
6) Trailer Safety Kit
7) Trailer Safety Kit
8) Trailer Emergency Triangles
9) Trailer Tire Changer
10) Trailer Tire Changer
11) Trailer Electrical Tester
14) Trailer Hookup Alignment Aid
Sport Horse Ambulance

Useful Internet Resources
Trailer Parts
http://www.easternmarine.com
http://www.etrailer.com
Trailer Tires & Wheels
http://www.trailertires.com
US Rider “Hitch Up Magazine”
http://www.usrider.org/news/hitch-up-emagazine
Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue
http://tlaer.org
National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM)
http://www.NATM.com/trailer-safety.html
Understanding Braking
http://www.driversedguru.com/drivers-ed-training-exercises/stage-2/stage-2-understanding-
braking/
CSGN Vehicle Stopping Distance Calculator
http://www.csgnetwork.com/stopdistcalc.html

USEA Trailer Safety Seminar

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (14)

Similar to USEA Trailer Safety Seminar

Similar to USEA Trailer Safety Seminar (14)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

USEA Trailer Safety Seminar