You may not be hauling your horses a lot this time of year, so take this opportunity to give your trailer a check-up. USRider, the national provider of roadside emergency assistance for horse owners, reminds equestrians to spend some time doing preventive trailer maintenance, not only in case an emergency arises but to ensure that their trailers will be in optimal shape for the upcoming riding season.
“A good roadside assistance program is something all horse owners should have but hope they will never have to use,” says Mark Cole, managing member for USRider. “To that end, our mission is to continually educate horse owners about trailering safety.”
A recent research project co-sponsored by USRider illustrated the importance of maintaining horse trailers. “The data showed that a leading cause of trailer wrecks is lack of proper maintenance,” Cole says.
Cole also reminds equestrians to check the contents of their equine and human first aid kits. “Any depleted and out-of-date items should be replaced,” he says. “A list of recommended items for first aid kits is posted on the USRider website.”
Horse owners should also ensure that their emergency contact information is stored in their tow vehicle. To facilitate this, USRider has developed an In-Case-of-Emergency form and posted it online for horse owners to print out. Simply fill in the blanks and store the paper in the tow vehicle as well as in the trailer. Additional recommendations as well as a Power of Attorney form are posted on the USRider website. For even more safety tips, visit the Equine Travel Safety Area on the USRider website at www.usrider.org.
Always bring your papers with you if your out on the road.Take it from me; i have been in an accident where they have been needed but they were not with me.All bad from there!!On the bright sidde it was a very imformative article!