SubscribeGift a Sub
Enable cache 100

Trailer Emergency Kit

Click the image above to download a printable version of this checklist.

Dr. James Hamilton, DVM, coauthored Equine Emergencies on the Road with Neva Scheve and recommends the following items for your trailering emergency kit.

  • Properly inflated spare tire that matches the other trailer tires
  • Tire iron(s) that fits the lug nuts on both tow vehicle and trailer
  • Wheel chocks
  • Bottle jack or other jack for tow vehicle
  • Drive-on trailer jack (plastic or metal)
  • Electrical tape
  • Duct tape
  • Flashlight with spare batteries (ideally also with cigarette lighter recharger)
  • Three emergency flares or triangle signs
  • Sharp knife
  • Water: 20 gallons per horse (enough for drinking, cooling an overheated horse, cleaning wounds)
  • Bucket and sponge
  • Spare halter and lead rope
  • Extra fuses and light bulbs for running lights and interior trailer lights
  • Fire extinguisher rated for chemical and tire fires
  • WD-40 or other spray lubricant
  • Broom, shovel, manure fork, garbage bags
  • Jumper cables
  • Tool kit
  • Spare belts and hoses
  • Tow strap or chain
  • Cell phone or CB radio
  • Work gloves
  • Portable air compressor
  • Paperwork: proof of insurance, vehicle and trailer registration, health certificate, registration papers, negative Coggins test, brand inspection or permanent travel card
  • Road service membership and phone numbers
  • Stabling guide listing horse hotels across the country
  • Equine first-aid kit (View a list of suggested items to include here)

For winter travel:

  • Shovel
  • Kitty litter or sand
  • Red flag to attach to antennae
  • Horse blankets
  • Human blankets
  • Candle
  • Matches or lighter
  • Tire chains
  • Food and water



Further Reading


Horse Trailering Emergency


First Aid Kits for Horses and Riders

View Comments

  • You mention tool kit. As a woman, what types of tools are you sugesting to be put in this kit? Pipe wrenches, Hand Saw? A more detailed list would be much more helpful than just "tool kit".

  • This is GREAT!!!! It would also be nice to have a first aid kit check list as well. I have a portable tool kit that I made into a first aid kit and I would love to hear what are the best things to have in it.

  • With the advent on one fan belt. Make sure you have the proper socket/breaker bar to get you going again. AAA is great, but they sometimes take a couple of hours to respond. That's a long time with horses ina trailer.

  • This is great but why would you need kitty litter or sand??? and a first aid check list (horses and human) would be great too!

  • You would need kitty litter or sand in snow just in cause if the roads are ice/ slippery. It helps if u get stuck.

Recent Posts

An Overview of White Line Disease

It's often what you can’t see that leads to trouble, and that’s definitely the case with white line disease. Understanding…

12 hours ago

ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: My Man Ira

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…

1 day ago

Riding Lipizzaners in Hungary

Two hours’ drive from Budapest in the picturesque Bükk National Park lies Szilvásvárad, a beautiful little village that is home…

2 days ago

How Horses Helped Two Boys with ADHD

During the height of the pandemic and racial tension around the U.S., two boys struggling with ADHD found healing through…

3 days ago

Adopting a Companion Horse

When you think of the term “companion horse,” one that is versatile with the ability to fill a variety of…

4 days ago

Emergency and Natural Disaster Preparedness with Horses

Each year, hurricanes, wildfires, and severe storms force thousands across the country to evacuate their homes. When preparing for a…

1 week ago