Horse & Hound Reminds Horse Owners to Check Tyres

Horse & Hound magazine is reminding horse owners to check their tyres before transporting horses in either a trailer or horsebox. The few minutes it takes to ensure safe tyres is time well spent when you consider the dangers of under-inflated or worn tyres.

The magazine’s Martha Terry, who wrote the May 2 article, explained that as many as 78% of all UK horse owners were putting their animals at risk with unsafe tyres. Terry maintains the two biggest issues are under inflation and tire wear. Both can cause big problems even at moderate speeds.

Horseboxes and horse trailers are especially vulnerable to tyre issues for two main reasons:

• Heavy Loads – An adult horse can eventually grow to weigh in excess of 1 tonne, depending on the breed. Every animal you add to a horsebox or trailer makes handling the vehicle more difficult. Load shifting is an additional challenge to consider.

• Seasonal Travel – The other problem is the seasonal nature of travel. During the winter months, tyres can begin to wear from this use. Some of that wear may not be plainly evident until after the first trip of the season.

In order to ensure safety for yourself and your horses, always check your tyre pressure before heading out. There should be a mark on the outer wall of your tyres designating what the pressure should be. If you cannot find it, contact the tyre manufacturer and ask. You may have to increase the pressure by up to 4 PSI to achieve the stability you are looking for.

Also, be sure there is enough tread on the tyres to drive safely in any weather. Lack of tread makes it far too easy for you to lose control at high speeds, particularly when there’s precipitation involved. By no means should you ever travel if tyres are balding.

Trailer Towing Lessons

The average horse owner in the UK does not need an enhanced licence for operating a horsebox or towing horse trailers. If you are unsure where you stand, you can always call us or pay a visit to the GOV.UK website. If you do need an enhanced licence, we can provide the training you need to pass your tests.

The HGV Training Centre also recommends annual training even for those horse owners not requiring a special licence. Towing a trailer is a special skill that requires practice and experience to do safely. Moreover, after a dormant winter season, your skills might be a little rusty. Going for some refresher training will make you safer.

Our training programmes cover a number of important issues including braking and accelerating, turning, backing, proper loading, and vehicle inspections. Our training enables you to approach transporting your horses with the confidence that you know exactly what you are doing.

We invite you to sign up for classes before the season gets into full swing. You and your horses will be better off for it.

Sources:

Horse & Hound – http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/tyres-road-safe/