Horse and rider © Benkert

Driving technique

Even driving with a small trailer is a real challenge for many drivers - and it becomes even greater if you don't pull a mini trailer with the boards from the hardware store, but a full-grown vehicle with a lively, nervous animal weighing 750 kilograms.
If you have a lot of respect for it - that's good! A little basic knowledge and above all a lot of sensitivity and caution are the best prerequisites.

In the following, we would like to give you tips to help you master your trailer journey!

1. Imagine your passenger is a pile of books
   With this inner picture you ride in such a way that your horse can breathe easy. In curves, the mental pile of books must not tip over and sudden braking is taboo, otherwise there will be books all over the place.
2. Why a Shetty is secretly riding in the trailer...
   ...or at least maybe the weight of a Shetland pony. In a test, trailers were sometimes around 200 kilos heavier than specified by the manufacturer. Because used trailers do not include additions from the previous owner, the weight here can vary significantly. Tip: place the hanger on the scale.
3. Moving boxes in the horse trailer: is that allowed?
   Inquire. It can vary from country to country. Often it is only allowed with certain license plates and corresponding approval. In Germany, for example, if the trailer has a green license plate, it can only be used as a "special trailer" to transport horses.
4. Measure the tread depth
   Inquire about the prescribed tread depth of the tires in your country. Worn tires can be expensive.
5. Driving a trailer is no walk in the park for the horse!
   The heart rate increases during transport: The first 30 minutes in particular are stressful for the horse. In a study at the University of Vienna, the heart rate increased significantly in all test horses during this period (approx. 80 beats / minuteA). In the further course of the transport it took off again. In the case of long journeys of eight hours, however, the frequency increased again in the last thirty minutes of transport. The reason could be stress from fatigue.
   Volume in the trailer
   As loud as a chainsaw: There is a noise level of over 100 decibels in horse trailers. This is the result of tests with 7 different trailer models. This noise level corresponds roughly to the volume of a chainsaw or that in a discotheque.
   Driving trailers - a bumpy thing
   If you are approaching a pothole on your bike, use your body to prepare for it. A horse in a trailer, on the other hand, never knows when the next “rumbler” will come. Sideways movements are even more difficult to intercept: If the trailer wobbles, the horse hits the side and partition walls.
6. React correctly in critical situations
   The trailer lurches: You drive past a truck and your trailer lurches due to the draft? "Brake briefly and sharply immediately," advise driving safety experts. The ABS is allowed to react calmly, as the trailer stabilizes again at lower speed.
   Avoid obstacles properly
   Never swerve with the trailer without braking first. Brake to about 30 kilometers per hour before steering around the obstacle in a controlled manner. Depending on the situation, you need to slow down even more.
   Emergency braking
   Before you risk a collision, always use the emergency brake even with a trailer! The trailer behaves fairly neutrally in emergency braking, say driving safety experts. The vehicle remains stable, thanks to the ABS, the overrun brake also brakes the trailer.
   Take tight turns
   Brake clearly on the straight and rather accelerate slightly when driving out. If you are too fast in the curve, it becomes dangerous: as an emergency maneuver, you have to brake hard for a moment. The car remains stable, but the trailer can tip over.
7. Put an end to the chaos of reversing - Left, right, straight ahead?
   Short rule: If the trailer is to be turned to the right, you must steer to the left.The rear of your car moves to the left and pushes the trailer to the right. As soon as the trailer has positioned itself in the correct direction, follow it. Means: You steer in the other direction until you come just in front of the trailer. Do you have to try longer? Completely normal!
8. Brake comfortably
   Instead of starting too timidly, increase the pressure evenly right from the start. This prevents heavy post-braking. Double the speed = 4 times the centrifugal force. The faster you drive into the curve, the more violently the centrifugal force pulls your trailer outwards.
   And: the sharper the curve, the greater the forces. Be careful especially when it is wet and slippery!