Not really sure what you want to know.
But there's nothing to it. I was nervous when I first started doing it because it is after all transporting livestock and anything could happen.

As long as your easy with them going around corners and braking you won't have any dramas unless their the 'off their head' kind of horses.

I've done literally hundreds of trips since my first and its pi$$ easy. Some trips were over 3 hrs in one go and most of the time with different horses as we had 12-15 on the go at any one time.

Best I can offer is make sure your slowing down gently before sets of lights if you think theyre going to change to red. If it changes to yellow when your close to it then just keep going, never brake hard. People will move/wait for you to pass WITHIN REASON.

Going around corners make sure you go a little wider so that the trailer has enough room to come around and doesnt mount the gutter. (Trailer never follows the same line as the car, it will always cut the corner). And I always took sharp corners in FIRST gear.
Gradual corners I would go to second or third and just cruise around them. Slow right down so that you give the horses enough time to shift their weight accordingly.

And lastly take off nice and easy. If it takes you 100m to get up to 60kms/h then so be it. Who cares about the people around you, your towing animals, they can overtake if they want. Same as if your merging, some people will try and get up the inside of you but indicate early and give them fair warning, if they dont listen then just start to gradually drift over, they will get the hint.

Hope this helps.
Just relax but be aware and you will be fine.

Give me a call if you have any dramas on the day.
0432 523 370

 

Stick plenty of air in your rear tyres....around 50psi+,read you sidewall.What load rating are your tyres? e.g.121/122Q?

Do you have a brake controller,or is the trailer mechanicaly braked? If you don't have working brakes kiss your insurance goodbye.

 

Take it easy, brake very early as the Patrol brakes are rubbish and even with a braked trailer it is still a little harder to pull up, plus the horses will love you for it (or hate you less).

I've towed a float with my manual wagon (weighing about 3.2t alone) and the float had 2 thoroughbreds in it.

Expect people to be dheads around you and try to overtake you in stupid spots because you WILL be slower than the main traffic. Ignore them and drive to what your comfortable with.

If going up or down a hill, try and select the right gear before getting to the gradient. This is more important for going down hill, don't cook the brakes, take it easy.

So take it easy and you shouldn't have a drama. I've never had instruction on how to tow horses, I just took it easy and have never had an issues (even when towing through the Victorian spur roads).



BUT this is a must particularly for two horses! Ensure the floor of the float is not old and rot, I know a couple people that have had the floor break out of the float. Its a scarey thought about it (don't want to scare you too much), but it doesn't hurt to take a look underneath and at the inside floor to make sure that the floor is full intact.

Good luck, you should be fine

 

BUT this is a must particularly for two horses! Ensure the floor of the float is not old and rot, I know a couple people that have had the floor break out of the float. Its a scarey thought about it (don't want to scare you too much), but it doesn't hurt to take a look underneath and at the inside floor to make sure that the floor is full intact.

Take note of this , I've seen it happen ( not our horses ) , a horse going nut's because it's front leg has just been ground down a foot shorter by the road is something no one should have to see .

I'd tow a trailer with No Brakes over one with a sus floor .

Also , Ask the owner if these 2 travel well togeather . might seem silly . but one of my misses horses would not travel in the same float as her friends . both horses were fine with any other horse , just not each other . they would go nut's . Kick the crap out of each other , kick and buck in the float , almost caused a hugh accident and a few skid marks in my pants the first time we tried to float them togeather .

but other that that , it should be fine ( PS. I dont like horses , they cost me a friggin fortune , hence the negitive tone in my post :ranting

just take it slow and you'll be sweet

 

Thanks heaps for the replies guys - that was exactly the advice I was looking for! . The horses are very quiet and get moved around regularly, so I'm not expecting too much trouble from them. The trip is from Gatton to Warwick so not too far. I will just crawl around, nice and slow & easy. Corner slow & wide - should be OK. I will put some air in the rear's, not sure about the load rating will check tomorrow.

I didn't even think about brakes?? Oh crap! I don't have a brake controller, I think the trailer in mechanically braked though.. What's the go there??

Thanks again

 

Don't take off so quickly, don't go so fast around the corners, don't push the brakes so hard, watch out that light might go red, try to corner more gently, don't go over 90km/h, you're too close to the gutter...
I don't know if that helps but it's what I hear every time I'm towing the missus' horses.

I didn't even think about brakes?? Oh crap! I don't have a brake controller, I think the trailer in mechanically braked though.. What's the go there??
Thanks again

I actually prefer the mechanical brakes. It's what we got put on the new float - makes it easier to just use any vehicle to tow with.
They can be more jerky if you're not smooth on the braking. Just be gentle and you'll be fine.
Just remember to lock them off if you need to back it up an incline at your destination.

 

Some trailers are braked mechanically (piston in the hitch coupling), so if that is the case you should be ok.

 

The biggest thing I find with towing is use your gears and engine to your advantage.
As mentioned above use lower gears going down hills and let the engine hold you up, not your brakes.
But also use the engine during normal braking.


Sent from a device which doesn't always agree with my thumbs...

 

Hahahaha, I always do

P.S. I HATE horses, but enjoy company in bed more

 

Hahahaha, I always do

P.S. I HATE horses, but enjoy company in bed more

Wasn't aimed at you HeyHey - just a general note.

Oh, I'm not a big horsey person either (they taste good when dried), but jodhpurs rock..

 

Ok awesome thanks so much for the replies!

In a small panic mode about the brakes, is there any chance that the float will have only electric brakes? If floats have electric brakes do they normally have mechanical brakes too? Little bit of a panic is all.

 

Ok awesome thanks so much for the replies!

In a small panic mode about the brakes, is there any chance that the float will have only electric brakes? If floats have electric brakes do they normally have mechanical brakes too? Little bit of a panic is all.

Yes there is a good chance it has electric.
I've never seen one with both.
Just ask your friend and you will know if you need to panic more or not.

 

Check trailer wheel bearings. No1 cause of breakdowns. Dont be afraid to use low range when get going on a hill,etc. it will save your clutch.

Use your brakes for stopping and not slowing down. Gears are for slowing and brakes are for stopping. No point having half cooked breaks before you need them when some old duck pulls out in front of you and takes your safe breaking distance.

End of the day if you dont feel at least 90% confident dont do it, Get someone else to drive. If your carefull its relatively safe but if you panic itll end up in disaster and insurance wont cover if there is something faulty.
Watch the trailer width. If your draggin the left side of the trailer in the gutter/shoulder your wrecking the trailer and the horses. If you need a bit of the other lane just use it if its safe. 1 bad bump can send the trailer swaying.

Without trailer brakes your breaking will be worse than a semi. Just remember that,keep cool and pretend your driving a semi when you go around corners. And do it on a Sunday morning when there is no traffic around. Youll be a lot better off, as the few cars on the road are genrally pretty cruisy.

 

All I can say is unless u really have to don't let them out until you get to your destination. I brought 2 down from Alice to Adelaide and stopped half way to let them have a walk and they were impossible to get back in.

 

Most new floats have electric brakes

 

Ok, awesome.. It has electric brakes, no mechanical..

So forgive my noob question (as I said I'm new to towing heavy loads).. My car is stock, it doesn't have a brake controller in it.. So how does this work? I have no idea how electric brakes work.. If I don't have a brake controller does that mean that the trailer brakes won't operate? Obviously if this is the case it is illegal yes?

Apologies again for the noob question!

 

You will need a brake controller installed to your vehicle, you cannot operate the brakes without one and yes it is illegal.

 

It might have the controller on the drawbar,will be like a volume knob. I note the newer trailers seem to be opting for this setup. If not you are screwed and risk your insurance in an accident... Plus the horsey worseys might get hurt.

 

Problem solved - found an auto elec that can fit one for me on Friday morning!

 

I hope she's worth it.LOL

 

just take it easy. . . iv towed near 4ton with a commodore. no elec brakes.

 

Before you tow the float just have a look under the float as I've herd of hardwood floors rot and horses go though them. This is why a lot of hire companies don't have horse floats anymore. I personly build them and a lot of people prefer the alloy floors in them because of this. Most of our customers treat there horses better then there kids.

As for brakes by law there supposed to have electric brakes 2 tonne and over with a brake away system. All the contols should and are in the cab by law also. They don't put them on the draw bars as it's a part of the car or 4wd not the float.

Cheers Mick.

 

I never tow a loaded float in fifth gear. Fourth gear being direct is the strongest gear. Probably use less fuel too.

Must be either heavy horses or a heavy float to weigh 2.8t.

 

That sounds about the right weight.
My float was aroung 950kg and it was really light. Mostly sheet metal and wood. Not much steel on it. Plus with 2 Thoroughbreds about 600kg each your looking at almost 2.2t. And thoroughbreds are light horses...

I remember we had a Clydie in there once with a 17HH Thoroghbred. Needless to say it was an experience...

 

Not really, 500-600kg each horse with a normal duty float that can take it (maybe extended length and height) will weight 1.4t.

 

How? if each horse is 600kg and you have two then your saying the float will only be 200kg? :S
please explain

 

Oh and dont forget that theres double horse floats and then theres DOUBLE hors floats lol. I've seen some that you could live comfortably in and use it as a garage as well haha. Would hate to tow those things around

 

My missus has and extended one, big tack box, largeish area in front of the chest boards, plenty of head room

 

Sorry really poorly written
The float could weight about 1.4t by itself, plus the 600kg for each horse puts the total to about 2.6t

 

ahhhh i see now. Yeah some are luxury. I had a 4 horse truck at one stage and it was brilliant.
Had a huge sleeping compartment for those long weekend competitions.
Then theres MASSIVE semi's that are more living quarters than horse transport lol. Rich b@stards

 

Then theres MASSIVE semi's that are more living quarters than horse transport lol. Rich b@stards

Fark yeah, you go to the Olympic Qualifiers or some of the races and the rigs getting around there are big bucks!

 

Ok so I did the job over the weekend, towed from Toowoomba to the Sunshine Coast and back again. Everything went pefectly - no mishaps at all. Drove around like a grandma, cornered super wide and didn't have any problems. I didn't think the float towed too badly at all to be honest. As predicted there were some royal ****wits who drove like nobs and overtook in the wrong places etc. but I made sure to pull off where possible to let cars pass etc.

Thanks to everyone who posted their advice on this thread, you guys definitely put me at ease! I have only had my Patrol for a few months, and I've been on this forum for even less than that - but I'm already learning what an amazing resource this is!!

Oh and for those that were wondering, the float weighed 1.1T, 17HH TB x Quarterhorse 900kg, 16.2HH TB - 700kg = 2.7T.... And that's not including all the other horse gear we had to cart around..