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Horses are live cargo that move around when traveling and they haul very differently than “dead weight” cargo. In addition, horses, trucks, and trailers are all big investments, so it makes sense to use the best tools available to help keep horses and drivers safe while hauling down the road.

Aside from the actual truck and trailer, there are many useful towing tools on the market and Stephanie Pohnl kindly agreed to discuss her favourite trailering tips and tools. Pohnl is the Channel Marketing Manager for LIPPERT, which owns CURT Manufacturing (CURT), the leading manufacturer of USA-made custom-fit trailer hitches. She grew up around horses and remembers her grandfather bringing a newborn colt into the house to keep it warm, so she understands the need to keep horses safe.

Pohl says the most important consideration for safe towing is to ensure that the gross weight of the trailer and contents (horses, tack, hay, etc.) is less than the truck’s maximum towing capacity.

BetterWeigh Mobile Towing Scale.

“Exceeding the towing capacity of the vehicle by towing more weight than your vehicle is rated for is extremely dangerous,” she explains. But what if those weights are hard to find, or you regularly haul a different number of horses? There’s a really handy tool that can help. The BetterWeigh™ Mobile Towing Scale wirelessly links to a smartphone and provides real-time vehicle and trailer weights, payload, tongue weight, pin weight, and weight distribution — just the information needed to ensure your truck and trailer are not overloaded.

Pohnl adds, “Always triple-check that the trailer is properly hooked up, your safety chains are connected and crossed, and that your trailer door is properly latched. These things sound like common sense but when you do them often, it’s easy to go on autopilot and miss a simple step.”

Products that help drivers hook up bumper pull trailers correctly plus ensure horses travel comfortably include SecureLatch™ Automatic Coupling products, which streamline trailer hook-up, ensure a proper connection every time, and greatly reduce chucking and noise. Additionally, the Rebellion™ XD Adjustable Cushion Hitch Ball Mount absorbs vibration, jerking, and jarring; improves control during sudden braking; and helps prevent undesirable trailer sway — all producing a safer and more comfortable ride for horses. 

SecureLatch™ Ball & Pintle Hitch.

Pohnl says, “Combining the SecureLatch™ with the Rebellion™ unit will give your horses the most comfortable towing experience.” She also recommends using a weight distribution system such as the TruTrack™, which is made for bumper-pull trailers and combines a weight distribution system with sway control, thereby ensuring towing safety.

These products are solely for bumper pull trailers, but there are many useful towing tools for gooseneck trailers too, as well as a variety of other products that help drivers and horses stay safe while hauling. Regardless of the rig you’re using and whether you’re traveling to a local lesson or hauling to the next province, it’s worth protecting your horses, truck, and trailer — plus yourself — with the towing tools available. Enjoy a safe ride.

All of these towing products and many more can be found on the CURT Manufacturing website. Learn more at www.curtmfg.com.

Main Photo: Rebellion™ XD Adjustable Cushion Hitch Ball Mount.