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Load for Stability
PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO
As you load horses into your trailer, consider the weight distribution for stability. The lighter the tongue weight, the more the trailer is apt to sway and bounce.
The better you distribute the weight of different-sized horses, the more stable your trailer will be. USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion
As you load horses into your trailer, consider the weight distribution for stability. The lighter the tongue weight, the more the trailer is apt to sway and bounce. A tag-along (bumper-pull) trailer should carry 10 to 17 percent of the trailer weight on the tongue. A gooseneck trailer should carry 25 percent of the weight on the tongue. Horses are top heavy. Top-heavy weight that moves inside a trailer causes sway, which can lead to loss of control. And if you have to jerk your steering wheel or slam on your brakes to avoid an accident, or if the horses start to act up, the live weight shifting back and forth puts you at risk for a trailer accident.
Load up Right PHOYO BY CLIXPHOTO.COM
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Here’s how to load your trailer for optimal stability. • Two-horse tag-along. Configuration: A two-horse tag-along trailer has >> Summer 2019
