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).

□ Tires in good condition? (look for dry rot, replace every 3-5 years regardless of mileage).

□ Check tire pressure (including spares and inside tire on dual wheels).

□ Hitch locked on the ball? Correct size ball?

□ Safety cables/chains connected?

□ Plug and secure electrical connection.

□ Connect emergency breakaway system.

□ Emergency battery charged?

□ Test trailer lighting (brakes, turn signals, running, perimeter).

□ Check/test brake controller.

□ Prior to loading horse(s), check trailer for hazards.

□ Leg wraps, head bumper on horse(s)?

□ Secure and lock all trailer doors.

□ Headlights on? For greater safety – get noticed.

□ 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.