Your Barn

Before Hitting The Road

 

Preparation Tips for Travel Season

 

The 2008 season is upon us.  Did the winter affect your barn maintenance?  When was the last time you inspected your barn for horse hazards, cleaned out the hay room, or swept away the cobwebs?  Is your trailer ready for the road?  Before heading out for the first big shoot of the year sit down with a pen in hand and write a checklist.  Then, get to work.  Set aside a day to ensure that your 2008 hauling season is safe.

 

The mechanics of the trailer come first and foremost.  Do the tires still have good tread?  Good tires are essential for road travel.  Though expensive, new tires eliminate the worry of having flats and save drivers the frustration of stopping with horses on the trailer.  Many trailers come with tire size and ply recommendations.  Following the manufacturer’s suggestions is always the best option.  Remember “No hoof, no horse?”  Well, “No tires, no travel.”

 

Are the wheel bearings greased?  Older trailers especially require regular hub cap removal and application of axle grease to the bearings inside.  This job is relatively simple.  Set aside a bit of time to jack up and remove each tire.  Keep plenty of clean rags handy to wipe the grease from your hands.  Apply the grease liberally.  Newer trailers need only have the hub cover removed.  Use a grease gun attached to the fitting to grease the bearings.  Or, if you need to have new tires, ask if the tire dealer will check the hubs for you.  That will save you the time and effort for a nominal fee. 

 

Check the hitch, light plug and socket receptacle.  Be sure all your lights, turn signals and brakes are in working order.  Older trailers and stock trailers usually contain easy to follow routing.  The newer, higher end trailers have fuse boxes and might require a visit to the shop for wiring system checks.

 

Be sure to grease the ball in the bed of your truck for gooseneck hitches.  Check the hitch bolts and be sure that nothing is loose.  Bumper hitches also need to be checked for looseness.  If anything is loose make sure that a qualified professional does the repairs.

 

From the functional aspect to the structural aspect we move to the rear of the trailer.  Open the rear door.  Are there any protrusions for a horse to catch on while loading?  Check wood floors using a blade screwdriver or an awl.  Poke the floors, especially at the base of the walls, to hunt for softness.  Boards easily picked apart need to be replaced…even if they are only a few months old.  Floor mats should be removed on a regular basis and floors swept clean and allowed to dry completely.  (WARNING:  Do not clean out the insides of trailers at car washes.  In many states this is illegal.)

 

Many trailers these days have metal flooring.  Be sure to check the walls and floors for worn metal that might injure the lower legs of your horses.  Check the windows for broken or cracked parts.  Open all vents and windows.  Open and close the ceiling vents.  Beware of spiders known to reside in dark areas.  Oil what needs to be oiled.  Clean what needs cleaning.  Use warm soapy water for all cleaning jobs unless otherwise instructed by the manufacturer.

 

Although this section ensures only our personal comfort, if you have living quarters be sure to do a complete housecleaning including cleaning the refrigerator, toilet and bath area, cupboards and bed.  Open all the doors to check the water lines.  Fill the fresh water tank and check the water system.  Does the hot water system work?  Check the air conditioner, fans, lights and audio system.  Always check the fuse box before visiting any repairman.

 

What About the Barn
During the winter months, horsemen seldom go to the barn for much more than feeding and other mandatory chores.  As the days grow longer and warmer, it is time to don a dust mask and old clothes.  Now, before hitting the campaign trail, is the time for a thorough spring cleaning of the barn for safety and health reasons. 

 

Strip the stalls of all bedding.  Fill in any holes with dirt, crusher dust, or any substance that packs and drains well. If you choose to disinfect stalls with lime, be extremely careful to not breathe any of the dust.  Lime is caustic.  It will burn human tissue.  Use gloves and a dust mask.

 

Use a broom or a vacuum to swipe rid of all cobwebs and excess dust.  Using a vacuum hose will significantly reduce dust.  Cobwebs are a fire hazard.  Clean out the hay room down to the ground level.  The hay removed should not be fed to horses, but can be fed to cattle or burned.  Check every stall, the aisle way, and doors for sharp edges, protruding nails or screws.  Scrub all buckets with a chlorinated solution or warm soapy water.  If you have automatic waterers remove all removable parts and wash them down.

 

Once finished, you can get behind the wheel confident of reaching any destination.  Good luck and drive safely.
For additional safety tips, visit the Equine Travel Safety Area on the USRider website at www.usrider.org

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