Trip Tips

TRAILERINGTIP 6 Trailering Myths—Busted!

Consider a Dash Cam

Installing a dash cam on your truck gives you video proof that could help you prove your case if you were to ever have an accident. PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO A dash cam constantly reLook for aftermarket cords footage as you drive attachment options to and may also begin recordhelp you install your ing if your parked vehicle is camera securely by shaken or touched. Here’s suction, tape, or even as a rundown at what to look a screw mount around for in a camera and how to your rearview mirror. make sure it’s working well. Camera features: Look for such features as 4K resolution, night vision, and parked-car monitoring. An interior camera will document stored belongings and provide extra views if an accident occurs. While many dash cams are wireless—connecting to an app on your smartphone or transmitting video via Bluetooth on demand—you’ll need a cord to keep the battery charged. Memory: Once you choose a camera, get the memory card made for it; not just any micro-SD card will do. Check your camera’s manual for precise card details needed so you have a write speed fast enough for continuous video capture. You may also want to upgrade to a card with more storage space so that more of your trips are recorded before the files are overwritten. Attachment options: While your camera will come with some means to attach it, you may want to upgrade. Look for aftermarket attachment options to help you install your camera securely by suction, tape, or even as a screw mount around your rearview mirror. Find what works best for your truck and will keep the camera steady. You can also purchase longer power cords and small clips with sticky backing to help you hide the cords and plug-in in the truck’s backseat power supply—out of your way for everyday use. — Heidi Melocco Myth #1: Trailering is no big deal for your horse; it’s just like standing in a stall. Busted: Even under ideal conditions, trailering is mentally and physically stressful for your horse. Getting into and riding in a small, enclosed box on wheels goes against his natural instincts. And during the ride, his entire body is constantly adjusting to maintain balance. Myth #2: Horses prefer slant-load trailers. Busted: Horses prefer to stand at a slight slant in a large open space. Their first choice would be an open stock trailer; their second choice would be a wide, tall, straight-load trailer with a partial partition (a divider between trailer stalls) or no partition at all. Myth #3: A full partition (a divider that goes all the way to the ground) will keep horses separated and safe. Busted: A full partition makes it impossible for horses to spread their legs for balance. They’re better off with no partition at all. Myth #4: Ramps are dangerous; step-ups are much safer. Busted: For loading, either is fine. For unloading, a good ramp is safer than a step-up; it lessens the chance that your horse will slip off and/or slide underneath the trailer. Myth #5: Shavings on a trailer floor just create a mess. Busted: Trailer floors and some trailer mats can be slippery; shavings may give your horse much-needed traction. Also, most horses will drop manure in a trailer; nervous horses will drop wet “cow-plops” that make floorboards as slippery as sheet ice. Many horses are unwilling to urinate in trailers without bedding, but will urinate (and ride more comfortably) on shavings. Myth #6: You have to tie your horse high and short in the trailer, so he can’t move around much. Busted: If you tie your horse, leave enough slack in the rope so that he can drop his head to the floor to clear his respiratory system. Otherwise, he’s at risk for lung ailments. However, don’t leave the rope so slack that he can catch a leg in it. — Jessica Jahiel, PhD

PHOTO BY CLIXPHOTO.COM For unloading, a good ramp is safer than a step-up.

SEASONALTIP

Tie a Mud Knot

Keep your horse’s tail out of the snow and mud this winter—both inside and outside of your trailer—with a mud knot. Here, Andrea Scott Klug, who teaches, trains, and rides hunter-jumpers in Bradbury, California, shows you her step-by-step method for tying a secure mud knot.

Step 1. Holding the tail in your left hand, put your right arm underneath the tail. Step 2. Loop your right hand back over the outside of the tail in a clockwise direction, and bring your hand underneath the tail so that the tail is looped around your lower arm. Step 3. Hook the end of the tail between the first two fingers of your right hand, and pull the end through the opening you’ve created with your arm in slipknot fashion.

Step 4. Give a jerk on the end that’s still in your right hand to tighten the knot, which at this point should be about four inches below the end of the tailbone. Step 5. Fold the knot that you’ve created up to the end of the tailbone, wrapping the end of the tail around the tailbone and tucking it in. Step 6. Finish the job by putting a rubber band or tape around the tailbone at the top of the knot.

USRIDERMEMBERTIP

Peace of Mind

You enjoy all the benefits that come from a USRider Equestrian Motor Plan membership, including emergency roadside assistance, travel benefits, and Winner’s Circle Advantage discounts. Share the gift of peace of mind with your favorite horseperson with a USRider Gift Membership. Just go to the USRider website, log in, and click on Give a Gift Membership. Bonus: Your own USRider membership will be extended by one month for each gift membership you give.