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trailer heartattacks!

3K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  MAG1723 
#1 ·
First post from my cell phone! Lliterally just happened. Driving from Broward to Orlando, both horses in my little ancient two horse trailer. We have redone the floor, we have reinforced the tongue and the frame. It'll hold up an elephant if it would fit. Turning onto Osceola park, and kadunk...screeeeeeeeech!
The pin in the ball of the hitch had shorn off. Was just gone. My poor trailer with both my horses was dragging behind us by chains and the grace of god. I was watching sparks fly and the wonderful boyfriend was holding the back of my shirt keeping me from jumping out in the middle of the road to see if my beasts were ok. Every horrible trailer thing I've ever heard ran through my head.
Finally got to the side to check on them, and they're munching away at their hay. Oooohf. So grateful for safety chains.

Anybody else have trailer horror stories?
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#2 ·
That's awful! I'm glad they were okay!

Really the only majorly bad one; we had two horses that we were taking down to a parade and when we made a turn we heard something fall in the back and horses screaming. Unlike your wonderful boyfriend who held you back, me and my boss threw the truck in park and on the side of the highway jumped out and ran to the horses. The back of her trailer (so the door) had come clean off and one of the other horses had spooked and fallen on his butt. We checked the horses over and they were fine (the one had a few scrapes but nothing serious) and thank god we were only about ten-fifteen minutes from home. We pulled the truck into a cornfield, left the trailer on the side of the road, and then took the horses down and in a last ditch effort we used the truck to bring them home. (Thank goodness we had enough fields and back roads to do it safely on!) One person drove, and the other was sitting in the bed ponying the horses back; we probably would have rode but we weren't sure if they'd had any internal injuries so safer then sorry. Never did find that door......or what exactly happened for that matter. :shock:
 
#4 ·
I had something very similar happen to me - although it happened on black ice and we went sideways into the ditch, ripped out 200 feet of barbed wire fence and did about three complete spins while watching parts of the trailer were flying over the cab of the truck and just praying none came through the windshield. Hit the ditch hard enough I snapped the axle off my truck.
Thankfully I delivered the horse just ten minutes before.
 
#7 ·
Back in cell service. Trailer accidents are some of the scariest bed time stories I've ever heard. I just can't believe something like a two inch cylinder of metal could cause so much panic!
WS, so glad there were no horses involved in that one! I'd have pooped myself.

We decided to go ahead and buy a solid ball before hauling back. We're on the road now, making the treck back to Broward. Very happy to have a new ball!
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#8 ·
scary stuff. never had anything like that, people pull out in front and had to slam on breaks, or truck stalled out in the mountains no power steering no power brakes.
are ball has a bolt and screw , the trailer part, lock we use a heavy wire and wire the lock down. I dont trust pins.
trailering scares me enough , mainly the other drivers who come up and honk and cut in and then slam on their brakes ..
 
#9 ·
Heard of one. Another military family in Germany drove out most weekends during competition season with their daughter and pony.
Arrive at competition, pony is quiet. Open back of trailer.
Ponies back legs had gone through the floor, and had been dragged for god knows how long. Obviously the poor thing was long gone.
And that is why I shake my head when people risk it with wooden floors.
 
#10 ·
I knew someone quite a few years back who had a tire blow out on the freeway and the trailer flipped somehow with a horse inside. Luckily the horse was a pretty calm, trusting horse; they were able to sedate it through the window of the trailer and then cut the trailer open to get the horse out. No serious injuries amazingly.
 
#11 ·
Duffy, there was a story like that here in fl a few years ago. Woman was hauling her two horses and the wood was new but the metal underneath had rotted out. Back half of the floor dropped off and by the time she heard the horses screaming they were both a foot shorter. She shot em both right there on the highway. Good decision on her part imo. That's also the reason I insisted on welding two extra support beams across the underside of mine when we redid the floor. Scary stuff.
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#12 ·
This is why you NEVER listen to salesman. AND, our shop checks out our trailer every year before we travel.
Our salesman that sold us our first stock trailer told US that he frequently trailered 6 horses...in a 4 horse stock.
We STUPIDLY took a vacation with 6 in our...4 horse trailer.
Fortunately, we were caravaning. Our friends behind us said that they saw something making the trailer shaking, so we found an exit ramp and stopped.
I don't know HOW this happened, and how NOBODY was seriously hurt, but here is the lineup, left to right:
Tyke, ?(can't remember--it was 1987, OK!!), Dandy Silver Moon
After we stopped, Tyke was in the middle, middle horse was on the right and Dandy was on the left, facing backwards!! This was in the middle of the night and we were using flashlights to unload and reload 6 horses.
We found a Vet to stitch up his cut above his left eye, but that was IT for injuries.
Now...to the trailer.
YEARS later we're driving out west, and I see tires smoking. I'm on I-90 westbound, July. I pull over to the shoulder, and drove on coast, which is 20 mph driving without my foot on the accelerator FULLY LOADED and that's why I recommend a Cummins diesel truck to haul.
We get to a service station. They tell us that our axle is bent and rubbing on the tires--no DOUBT bc of the 6 horse hauling several years before and wear and tear with just hauling 4, LIKE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO!!
They shave off the metal that is rubbing on the tires and tell us that we won't find help until we get to Rapid City.
At our horse camp, we dump the horses and tents at our Black Hills campsite, drive back to the shop and leave the trailer for one week.
This WONDERFUL shop, fixed the axle, put heavy duty semi-type shocks on it and charged....wait for it...




$300.00
Couldn't believe it. I was sure it was gonna cost over $1K
Our shop at home replaced the axle. Funny we spent $3K on this trailer, redid the floor and the above work, and took it to auction after owning it for 14 years and sold it for...$3K
TO THE GUY WHO SOLD THE TRAILER TO US!!
We didn't make eye contact--don't think he EVERY KNEW--but it makes a great story.
Children, DON'T DO THIS AT HOME!!!
 
#13 ·
30+ yrs ago, hauling 2 yearlings in 2 horse trailer, both tied in, the back door came open somehow, luckily we had just started to take off and wasn't going very fast, the filly on the side that the door opened, was running along with the trailer with her back feet on the concrete. Luckily dad, who was driving, saw the door swing and immediately stopped. And, more lucky she wasn't hurt at all, just scared sh**less!.

Same trailer years later came off the ball, even though the locking mechanism was engaged, and it hit the ditch, didn't have safety chains for some reason, neither horse was hurt. trailer got new safety chains and new hitch.

(door never came open again, someone must have not latched something...must have been dad, couldn't have been me!)
 
#14 ·
I haven't ever owned a horse or trailer, so I've had no accidents, but I heard that a guy let his horses stick their heads out the windows of the trailer, he drove under an over pass and stopped a while after for a rest, checked on his horses and their heads were gone O.O
 
#16 ·
After looking at several used trailers this summer and seeing rotting floor boards, rust, and 10 year old trailers that still had the original Made-in-China tires... I decided to buy a new one with fewer frills but that I knew was SOLID. Hopefully that (combined with regular maintenance) will keep me from ever having an accident like these :shock:
 
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#23 ·
Our 1st trailer was an inexpensive one and was stored outside. We replaced the floor after owning it only 2 years. We live in town and kept the trailer on the cement siding that was had laid down on the outside of our garage, which led to the tiny back yard. For the new floor we pushed it into the back yard, and we assisted our friend as he pried up the steel 2 inch pieces that held the wood down, pulled all of the floor, replaced with good quality 2 x 12 pine boards and we treated the boards 3x before putting the steel back down and then gave it one more coat. It don't think the original wood was EVER sealed, just painted, so it rotted FAST.
This is why I use mats and shavings on the floor of my current one, to redistribute the weight and help to keep acidic pee from the wood.
 
#17 ·
Not too much happens around here now, we have diligent Department of Motor Vehicle checks for dodgy trailers and overweight loads, constantly they have roadblocks. Which is a good thing. Closest call I had was when my horse was a yearling, he's 13 now, I was hauling him and another horse in a stocktrailer. I guess I didn't (I blame hubby but ultimately my fault) didn't latch the door properly. We were only going about 5 miles away, but the door came open, some one saw and waved us down. Neither horse, my yearling was at the back by the door, were injured, they just stood in there while the door was open and watching the outside go by. Good wake up call though, always do a once over before leaving.
 
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#18 · (Edited)
A well done rebuild can be just as safe as brand new, but your right verona, maintenance maintenance maintenance. New floors when they get cruddy, preventing rust, and repairing wear and tear go thousands of miles.

In hindsight, the trusty old pin and socket ball should have been traded for a newer solid ball when we redid the trailer. But we were so focused on the trailer itself, we didn't even think about the hitch that had already lasted years doing heavy duty work. I'm just glad it was one two inch piece of steel, and not my horses.

Who are unloaded and happy munching hay in their stalls waiting to be turned out with their buddies :)
Mission successful, and no more accidents!
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#21 ·
So, is there a "life" term on receivers and pins? I don't leave my receivers on my truck when not hauling. I put it into a bag placed underneath my back seat. I have in the past, I had to use a ton of wd40 and a sledge hammer to get it loose, lesson learned. Glad your horses were ok!
 
#22 ·
goneriding, i have no idea. boyfriend says the bolt underneath was turned the wrong way for our little claw thingy on the trailer. so when we hit a bump, the pin must have poked out, and every successive bump after that just made it worse. when we hit the bump at osceola, it just gave out.....

and omg yes, i was paranoid as all get out on the trip back. mr. wonderful was laughing his butt off at me cause he caught me staring into he sideview mirror like i was watching some horror movie. we stopped twice on our way back and both times i ws checking everything high and low. the horses were even looking at me loony. lol but everybodys home safe... :) yay.
 
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