How to Haul a Horse Safely

knew someone who considered himself to be an extraordinary driver yet the horses he hauled always had more than their fair share of mysterious nicks and bumps and every horse that stepped off his rig was sweated. I tried to tell him that it isnt about handling his rig as if its a sports car its about providing the horses in his rig with the most comfortable ride possible. He scoffed and poohpoohed this until one day Id had enough. I opened my trailer door and asked him to step inside on the pretense of helping me with a divider. Once he was in I latched the door from the outside and said See you in 15 minutes. Then I took him for a rather spirited drive. He stepped out with a very different mindset about how to haul a horse trailer.

Lets think about this for a moment. Humans get inside a trailer and know what to expect. We recognize the sound of a passing tractortrailer or the siren of an emergency vehicle and we understand all the sounds caused by the bumps cracks and rain on the road. If we know all these things how can that 15minute ride still be terrifying? Because during the trip our safety and wellbeing is entirely in someone elses hands. We dont know where were going or when to brace for changes of direction and were not able to anticipate a swerve or braking action.
My first driving mentor had a simple but very effective teaching method. Hed place an open cup of coffee on the metal dashboard of the old truck we drove back then and tell me to drive without spilling it. I got really good really fast! When hauling horses if you drive as if youre trying not to spill a cup of hot coffee sitting open on the dashboard the horses behind you will get the best ride possible. This is the exact approach I use when teaching my students.
Cornering should be done with deliberation and planning. Dont wait until youre half a block from the turn before braking. Begin a block or so early by easing off the throttle then softly apply the brakes increasing the pressure gradually. Releasing the brakes should be done just as smoothly and your foot should be completely off the brake pedal before you enter the turn. But dont just let the pedal pop