Haven’t Had Your Trailer Checked This Year?





If you are like most horse people, you probably have your horse on a regular maintenance schedule. This includes Spring and Fall shots, worming on a regular basis, dental work, and visits from the farrier. And because you value your horse, you wouldn’t overlook these things – especially if you are showing. But when was the last time you had the bearings on your trailer checked?


My guess is you can’t remember. Yet, horse trailer maintenance is no less important than maintenance of your horse. While the reasons should be obvious, let’s just consider a scenario. Let’s say that you are driving to a horse show about 2 hours away. Halfway into your drive, you notice that there is smoke coming out of your trailer’s front right tire. You pullover, inspect the tire, but everything looks okay. So your start up again, and as soon as you do, the smoke returns. You pull over again, mystified. Your horse starts to get irritated in the trailer, the cars are flying by on the freeway, and the clock is ticking. It’s not looking like you are going to make it to your horse show, or anywhere, for that matter.


Does this sound like fun? My guess is no. But when your bearings go out on your trailer, this is exactly what happens. And you are stuck. Call AAA all you want, but changing your tire won’t fix the problem. Not just will you have to unload your precious horse in a very unsafe area, you will have to get a ride for him, and get your trailer towed.


Again, not fun!


See, the thing about bearings, is unlike a tire low on air, we don’t see when they are getting worn. (Do you know how to check your bearings? I didn’t think so.) So, we don’t think about them. And we forget to get them repacked. Until it’s too late.


So how often should you be getting your bearings checked? The best recommendation is 12,000 miles of every 12 months. Just like your horse needs new shoes, shots, worming, and dental work, your trailer needs regular maintenance, and your bearing are just one part of that. In the next blog we will explore three more things you should be doing to maintain your trailer.


Until then, happy riding!

For more information on keeping your trailer operating correctly or to ask a question about trailer repair, just visit us on Facebook.

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