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Emergency Preparation |
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Pack 'em Up -n- Move 'em Out!
Trailering your horse(s), almost by definition, implies a road-trip of some nature. It might be a few blocks or a thousand miles - but a road trip none-the-less. Every road warrior should carry a basic issue of survival gear, plus extras as the circumstances dictate.
While we've seen a few (only a very few - I must add) folks go overboard in their packing of "what -ifs"; most woefully under prepare for the emergencies and likely hassles of road travel.
Road-side Assistance Membership / Club
First and foremost, we strongly recommend that you buy and maintain a membership in a major name-brand road-side assistance club. If your travels will even maybe take you out of your local county / state, join a nationwide club. The only thing worse than not having a current club membership when you're broken down on the side of the road... is having one that is paid up - but no good in that area.
We neither recommend nor endorse any particular club, but AAA and Signature are two well known nationwide organizations. Find one that has a good reputation in your area of travels, and join it!
For the Trailer
Since EquiSpirit trailers come with spare tires, you won't have to worry about that... but make sure the spare is properly inflated and that you have all the required items (hand-tools and drive-up ramp) to change a flat tire! (After reading Feeling Flat?, you're not going to try to use a jack on that trailer.... are you?)
Always consider that you might get stranded somewhere for 4~6 hours (or more depending on the part of the country you're traveling through), and always remember Murphy's Law. With that in mind, here are some other trailer essentials to consider:
 | Copies of your horses' Coggins (Equine Infectious Anemia Test) Record |
| Your Vet's contact information |
| Insurance and Registration paperwork |
| Flashlight & working batteries (extras are good too) |
| Strong pocket knife (see A Point to Consider) |
| Road flares |
| Work gloves |
| Emergency warning triangle reflectors |
| Several chemical "glow" sticks (e.g., Cyalume) |
| A 5-pound fire extinguisher rated for A, B, and C type fires mounted in a handy spot (but out of the horses' way) |
| Extra "bungee" cords |
| Duct tape |
| First aid kit for the horses plus a hoof boot (such as the Easy Boot ™) for each horse on board |
| Extra halters (one per horse of the required size) and lead lines |
| A "stallion chain" is a powerful restraint that is sometimes necessary for even a typically mild-mannered horse |
| Plenty of clean hay, feed, and water to get through an emergency lay over |
| One clean bucket per horse |
| Electrolytes to replenish what the horses lose when stressed |
| Tools to clean out the trailer, even in-route (broom, pick, etc.) |
| A folding shovel like those sold at camping and military surplus stores can save the day yet take up little room |
| Your basic tack items of brushes, combs, currys, hoof-picks, etc. |
| An extra terry-cloth towel or two... handy for many things |
For the Tow Vehicle
In the tow vehicle, make sure you have the required tools for changing a tire and doing small repairs. Items such as these should always be in your truck:
| Jumper cables |
| First aid kit for people |
| Up to date maps for the areas you're traveling through |
| Facial / toilet tissue |
| Tire pressure gauge |
| Emergency medications for all passengers, especially allergy, asthma, and similar conditions |
| One quart of bottled water per passenger |
| Flashlight & working batteries |
| A tow strap (recommended) or chain (okay in a pinch) |
| Cell phone with 12-Volt DC power adapter (the batteries always run dead in an emergency) |
| A portable CB radio with 12-Volt DC adapter, in some areas, might be more useful than the cell phone |
If you will be traveling through rough terrain and/or in inclement weather, additional items such as blankets (consider the hi-tech Space Blanket), sleeping bags, rain gear, extra clothes, candles, food, etc. may be called for.
While this might sound like over-kill, we've been stranded on a mountain pass during a freak blizzard and were eventually rescued by the State Police. While the family spent the night (what was left of it) in a National Guard facility, Joe went out with the troopers rescuing others. Weird things do happen, and when hauling horses, you must look after their needs as well as yours.