This Old Rig

This young eventer stays on the show circuit with a 22-yearold tow vehicle thanks to the prompt services of USRider® Equestrian Motor Plan.

By Katrina and David Muga

At first, we weren’t worried. Through the local Ford dealership, my dad had installed a new engine starter motor in our 22-year-old F-250, which pulled our similarly old two-horse, straight-load trailer.

But a few weeks before a summer weekend eventing rally sponsored by our local United States Pony Club chapter, there were some indications of trouble. Anyone who’s owned or driven an old truck/trailer rig knows the feeling—the sense that if anything bad can happen, it will!

‘Small Things’

Small things kept adding up. For example, one afternoon after a riding lesson, I loaded my 9-year-old Thoroughbred, Tally, into the trailer for the trip back to the barn. My dad turned the truck’s ignition key, but the engine didn’t respond. It took a few more tries before the engine finally turned over. Then the problem happened again. My dad thought it must have something to do with the battery or ignition switch, but these were checked and seemed to be okay. He never imagined that the newly installed starter motor might be the culprit.

Crisis!

The crisis we’d sensed occurred the evening before departing for the weekend eventing rally. We’d just arrived back at our home barn from my last riding lesson before the event. After offloading Tally and hosing out the trailer, my dad wanted to park the rig in its usual spot, but he couldn’t get the engine to start at all.

I began to sense that my appearance at the eventing rally was in serious jeop- >> ardy. It was a Friday evening, just past five o’clock, and all the auto-repair shops were closed. And the local Ford outlet was closed on the weekends, so a Saturday-morning fix was out.

A barn aide suggested pounding on the new engine starter with a rubber hammer to loosen the starter’s motor internal valve, in case it was stuck. We were suspicious, but desperate. The aide then got under the truck and pounded on the starter motor while my dad turned the ignition key. Lo and behold, on about the fourth hammer blow, the engine started right up!

Fateful Stop

My dad now knew that the truck had a defective starter motor. So the next day, it was with great trepidation that we hitched up the trailer, loaded Tally, and turned the ignition switch. We were pleasantly surprised when the truck started like a charm. Off we went to the rally, about two hours away.

At the end of the rally, we approached the truck with a great deal of anxiety. We were all tired and wanted to return home. So we were relieved when the motor turned over and we were on our way.

But there was one small obstacle. Both of the truck’s fuel tanks—main and reserve—were low. To fuel up, we would have to shut off the engine and hope the engine would restart. My dad’s strategy was to get as far down the road as possible, then mobilize our local resources. That is, my mom could come and pick us up!

We made it to the interstate’s first off-ramp just inside the city limits. Fortunately, there was a service station right there. We sailed into the service station, and my dad reluctantly turned off the engine.

After refueling, the engine wouldn’t start, even after my dad pounded on the starter with a rubber mallet. Then the station attendant came out with a bigger mallet. But after an hour or so, the truck still wouldn’t start. We were 17 miles from the barn.

At this point, my dad called USRider. He was told a tow truck would be arriving in a few minutes. I wondered why we’d waited so long to contact USRider. It seemed so simple. And sure enough, within 10 minutes, the tow truck arrived.

The tow-truck driver suggested that we first, tow the trailer to the barn to put Tally out to pasture, then return to the station and tow the truck to the local Ford dealership for repairs. We accomplished these goals with great efficiency.

Happy Ending

In the end, Tally was happy to be back in her pasture after a long day, my dad was happy to have his cherished truck at the dealership for repairs, and I was most content to have had the opportunity to compete in the eventing rally—and to finally reach home safely after an exhausting and trying day.

However, this happy ending never would’ve been possible without the services of our USRider membership. Literally, within a few minutes of contacting them, we had a process in place to successfully handle the ordeal of a highway breakdown that could have had serious repercussions.

We’re so thankful that we had the foresight to sign up with USRider so that we’d have the membership when we needed it. This motor plan gives us confidence as we travel to rallies and Pony Club lessons, assuring us that should anything happen along the way, USRider is just a call away. USR

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