If you’ve ever owned a horse trailer then you know just what type of maintenance is needed to keep it in working order and safe for your equine friends to ride in. However, I have found many people who really don’t understand the necessity of routine maintenance. Horrible trailering accidents can easily be prevented with simple routine upkeep of the horse trailer. Hinges can break causing the door to swing open, possibly letting the horse fall out into traffic. I’ve seen accidents caused by flooring giving way or tires blowing out. While accidents can happen at any time, lowering the odds with proper maintenance is really easy to do. One of the best horse gifts that you can give to give your horse is a safe trailer to ride in.

If you’re not mechanically inclined there are many trailer servicing places in most metro areas that you can take your trailer into for a good once over. It doesn’t have to be a big fancy garage. In fact, one of the best places around here is a little Mom and Pop garage just past the place that always has the cheap draft horses for sale. There are some really basic things to have checked out. Checking that the wiring and trailer brakes are working properly is a must. Having the floor boards checked out is also a must. Most places are very good at getting the mats back in place correctly. They can also check the brake bearings and the tire tread and pressure. A good garage will check for rust and will offer to repair it for an extra fee. They will go over all the hinges and lube them if needed or repair them if they’re damaged. Checking the welds and outer shells for breaks, rust, or damage is often included in the basic service, though fixing such problems might entail an extra fee. Whatever garage you use, getting the routine yearly maintenance checks can end up saving your horse’s life.