Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
trailer brakes alone, stop the rig properly and use your brake pedal, which activates both
the towing vehicle brakes and the trailer brakes.
Tires.
Rotate and balance tires at least once a year to equalize wear. Check for bare
patches, bulges, and other defects.
Suspension.
At least once a year, grease springs and shackles. Check the bushings for
wear where the spring ends are pinned to the shackles. Check shock absorbers, if present
on your trailer, and replace when necessary.
Floor.
Check the floorboards at the beginning of the season for rotting, splintering,
shrinking, or warping. Replace any boards that are remotely suspicious. Use clear (no
knots) planks that match the dimensions of the rest of the floor. You may wish to treat the
floor with a preservative to combat the effects of manure and urine. Use resilient mats with
“life” to help absorb road vibrations and shock. Replace mats when they have become ex-
cessively chewed up by shod hooves or compressed from long use.
Sideboards.
The bottom 2 to 3 feet of the side-walls of your trailer get abuse from the in-
experienced or scrambling horse. If the walls are metal, check for rust. Consider installing
¾-inch plywood or rubber kickboards over the metal walls for added protection for both
the horse and the trailer.
General.
Be sure that the hitch, safety chains, chest bars, tail bars, dividers, doors, and
windows work properly. Each time you use your trailer:
• Sweep out the stalls of the trailer and remove the mats so the wooden floor can dry out.
The mats can be hung over the stall divider.
• Clean mangers of old hay and grain to prevent mold (danger to the horse) and rust.
• Check tire pressure. (See the specification on the sidewall of your tires.)
• Check to see that wheel lug nuts are tight.
• Check tires for irregular tread wear, bulges, defects, or weather checking (cracks caused
by sun, moisture, and freeze and thaw).
• Check the spare tire and jack and know how to use them.
• Oil any hinges, latches, and other moving parts that do not function freely.
• Check running lights, turn signals, brake lights, emergency flashers, and brakes.
• Check the inside of the trailer for things such as hornet and mouse nests.
