The priority when towing a horse trailer is getting your horse or horses to their destination safely.
The tow vehicle needs to be in good condition and capable of towing a trailer that weighs around 1,300 kg for a single horse and 1700kg for a twin horse box with two horses.
To find the maximum tow weight of your vehicle, you can check the vehicle handbook, or the vehicle’s VIN plate, usually located on the driver door pillar.
The trailer requires regular servicing and should be checked to ensure everything is working before hitching up and driving off.
Don’t forget to check the trailer tyres for wear and to make sure they are inflated to the requires levels.
Always get someone to confirm the trailer lights are all working as they should. (Make sure the trailer electrics plug is clean before connecting to the tow vehicle socket.)
Before connecting the trailer to the tow bar you should check the tow bar neck and ball for any movement or signs of damage. If you’re using a detachable neck tow bar check that it is engaged properly and that you have locked it. (Locking the detachable neck helps to ensure the neck is engaged.)
Always remember to attach the breakaway cable to the tow bar. Clip the cable to the approved breakaway cable connection on the tow bar, don’t loop it over the tow ball.
Legalities of the Towbar:
Since 1998, ALL tow bars must be type-approved by law. This government approval covers the tow bar, the fitting of the tow bar and accessories that are attached to the tow bar (tow balls, drop plates.)
Using a tow bar that does not have type-approval or is not fitted to type-approval instruction is illegal and carries a heavy fine along with points on your licence. A type approval label must be visible on the tow bar.)
In general, fitting a drop plate is both illegal and dangerous.
Unless the drop plate carries a type-approval number, it will be illegal and dangerous to fit on the tow bar. We have seen many drop plates on pickups that are both Illegal and dangerous. Many are only connected to the tow bar with two bolts; the drop plate then has a tow ball connected to it. Lowering the ball height. The issue with this is that the metal between the tow ball connection and the connection to the tow bar flange is vulnerable to snapping, due to the stress caused when towing a trailer. Not great if you are towing with a horse in the trailer.
There are two options available for those wanting to lower the tow ball height. Use a type-approved height adjuster or have a multi-height tow bar fitted.
Recommended tow bar for a horse trailer
If you’re planning on towing your horse trailer most weekends or want to tow a two-horse trailer, then our advice is to have a fixed flange tow bar. The reason for this choice is that the tow ball can wear over a few years of heavy towing and changing it is easy with a flange-style neck. The other reason is that the flange style of tow bar appears to be stronger.
Detachable and fixed swan necks are fine if you just need to tow occasionally or don’t need a heavy-duty tow bar.
Tow bar electrics for a horse trailer.
If your tow vehicle is less than 15 years old then we highly recommend only having approved electrics fitted. These are approved specifically for your vehicle and are more reliable and a lot safer than the cheaper alternative (universal electrics)
We advise you to have 13-pin electrics fitted. Although many horse boxes only use a seven-pin plug, having a 13-pin connection on the vehicle has a couple of benefits, you get a reverse light feed on the 13-pin (If you have reverse lights on your horse trailer, you need the 13-pin connection, plus… fitting a 13 pin connection on the vehicle future proofs you. All new trailers are being fitted with 13-pin sockets. To get a seven-pin plug to fit a 13-pin socket, you just require a 13 to 7-pin adapter.
Towing your horse trailer.
If you’re new to towing there are a few things you need to be aware of when towing.
Make sure your vehicle insurance company knows you have a tow bar fitted to your vehicle.
You must not tow anything that weighs more than the maximum tow weight of the towing vehicle, best practice is to tow no more than 85% of the maximum tow weight.
Speed: The MAXIMUM speed you can legally drive whilst towing is 60mph. (This includes Motorways and dual carriageways.)
The maximum speed you can travel on a single carriageway is 50mph.
The lights on your trailer must match those of the towing vehicle, if your vehicle brake lights are on, then so should the brake lights on your horse trailer.
If the horse box is wider than your tow vehicle, then you will need towing mirrors. The law requires you to have a clear view to the rear of the trailer.
If you don’t feel confident about towing your horse box, then book yourself in for a trailer driving course, see link > Horse box towing training https://www.hgvt.co.uk/horse-trailer-towing/
If you need a tow bar for towing a horse box, then get in touch.
You can call us on 0114 360 7080,
email us at info@ultimatetowbars.co.uk,
or get an online quote from our website at www.ultimatetowbars.co.uk
The article above is for guidance only and is relevant at the time of publication. The information should be used for general advice and is not legally binding.
