No matter how much you enjoy riding away from home at shows or on trail rides, you probably cringe at the gas pump watching the total spiral ever higher when you have to fill up your tow vehicle. Tow vehicles aren’t known for their fuel efficiency, but there are things you can do to improve your gas mileage while hauling a horse trailer so you can pay less at the pump. Routine maintenance, attention to detail, and better driving habits will all lead to a trip that is a little lighter on your wallet.

Watch The Weight of Your Horse Trailer

One of the first things to consider is how much weight you’re loading onto your rig, which means you need to know what your trailer weighs when empty and loaded. The heavier a trailer is, the more it will cost in fuel to tow it.

Trailer weights are printed on the manufacturer’s statement of origin if you purchase your trailer new. Otherwise, it might be listed on a sticker inside the frame of the trailer. If all else fails, you can take your trailer to a public scale and weigh it. It’s best to do this both when the trailer is empty and fully loaded.

“What’s going to really kill your fuel mileage is if you’re asking too much of your tow vehicle,” says Shane Jensen, sales manager at Trails West Manufacturing in Preston, Idaho. “For instance, say a half-ton truck has a towing rating of 8,000 pounds from the bumper hitch. If you get a big three-horse, 8-foot wide trailer that is 7’6″ tall, it already weighs around 7,000 pounds. Put three horses in it, and it’s going to cost you.”

Even if you have a trailer well within your vehicle’s tow rating when loaded, anything you can do to lighten the load will improve your mileage somewhat, says Chad Toney, who owns The 20X Custom Shop LLC. His business, located in Elizabeth, Colo., does trailer repair and fabrication and sells towing accessories.

“The best ways to improve fuel mileage are to limit engine load and limit weight,” Toney says. “Weight is tough to manage, but if you’re chasing MPGs [miles per gallon], it’s worth leaving what you don’t need at home.”

Once you’ve calculated your vehicle and trailer’s tow weight correctly, you will need to make sure the trailer’s weight is distributed evenly on its axles. Too much weight on the tongue will cause it to weigh down the tow vehicle and ride more on the trailer’s front axle. This lowers fuel efficiency because the aerodynamics of the trailer are designed for level towing.

“If you’re really squatting down your tow vehicle, you should ask your dealership for a weight distributing hitch,” Jensen says. “What that does is distribute the weight off the back end [of the vehicle] and push it forward, so the front axle of the tow vehicle is helping handle the weight. On top of probably saving your fuel mileage, you’re safer [due to reduced sway and] you’ve got better steering stability.”

Slow Down to Improve Gas Mileage

Just like weight, speed is another factor that can cause a huge decrease in the gas mileage you get while hauling your horse trailer. When you’re on the road, it can be tempting to try to get there as quickly as possible, but that only leads to more money and time spent fueling up.

Alex Taft, a non-pro reiner who shows in limited-age events, hauled to 18 shows last year chasing National Reining Horse Association Rookie Year-End titles. She estimated she spent more than $2,000 on diesel while driving her rig, which consists of an F-250 and a two-horse gooseneck trailer.

“We got the best mileage when we drove on the highway at times of the day when traffic was at a minimum,” Taft says. “That way, we could keep our speed around 60-65 mph, which seemed to be where our MPGs improved the most. Anything over that, and you could almost watch the fuel needle drop as you drove.”

Toney agrees significant gains in mileage can be found by keeping your speed around 60 mph. Plus, your trailer’s tire speed rating, which tells you how fast you can run on the interstate, is likely in that range, too. This number won’t affect your gas mileage as much as it will prevent you from having a tire blow out, but anything you can do to help your horse trailer or tow vehicle run more efficiently should show mileage gains—and save your wallet.

“Speed really kills you on fuel mileage,” Jensen concurs. “You can get a higher speed rating on a higher ply tire, like a 14-ply or a 16-ply for the tires that go on big living quarter trailers, but you’re not going to push them over 70. If you stay within the rating, though, you will save fuel mileage and problems.”

Air Up Your Vehicle & Horse Trailer Tires

Just like your horse’s routine farrier care can affect his well-being, how you maintain your tires will improve or worsen your mileage and risk when towing. Under-inflated tires have more friction on the road, which lowers fuel efficiency and increases the likelihood of a flat.

“In most cases, we recommend you run your trailer tires at near [PSI] capacity or whatever the sidewall [of the] trailer tire states,” Jensen says. “The sidewall will state the maximum PSI, and our specification is to air them up to the max. It does help your fuel mileage when you’re aired up properly, but you’re also less likely to have blowouts.”

Regular tire maintenance and rotation is one of the best ways to make sure you’re getting maximum performance out of your rig.

“Correct size and weight-rated tires will help,” Toney adds. “Larger and heavier tires take more power and fuel to start and keep moving. I see a few folks that want to run 14-ply tires on smaller trailers, and that will probably affect mileage and brake wear negatively.”

Take Care of Your Vehicle

Weight, speed and tire maintenance can all help add MPGs, but when you’re not towing, the best thing you can do to boost mileage is maintain your vehicle in general. Towing adds stress to a vehicle, so parts can wear out quickly. When things aren’t in working order, your mileage tends to suffer.

“We make sure our oil changes are done when needed, rotate tires regularly and keep the air filters clean,” Taft says. “When you haul horses, you typically are in dusty areas. A clean air filter can make a huge difference in how your engine performs.”

The type of vehicle you drive will factor into what you spend on maintenance, which could diminish your fuel savings. Diesels usually cost more to purchase, fuel up, insure and maintain than gas vehicles. If you’re only pulling a small horse trailer, it might actually be cheaper to tow with a gasoline-powered vehicle.

“Modern gasoline trucks are closing the gap in towing with the diesel trucks,” Toney said. “Those with a two- to four-horse trailer, even a smaller living quarters, should be happy with the newer gas trucks. Diesels will continue to be preferred for hauling larger trailers, but for the average horse owner, it’s well worth a serious look at newer gas-powered trucks.”

At the end of the day, hauling horses is always going to come with costs. But if you’re mindful of how much you’re towing, lower your speed, and keep your equipment in good order, your savings at the pump will really add up given today’s fuel prices. Then you can keep trucking down the road, best friend in tow.

This article about improving gas mileage while towing a horse trailer appeared in the June 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Improve Your Gas Mileage While Pulling a Horse Trailer appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Download our checklist now so you know you’ve packed everything you need for a successful show.

Once you get to the show, you’ll want to be sure your horse is safe in his stall. In addition to giving him fresh water in a large bucket and ensuring he’s fed his usual ration, you can add an extra layer of safety with this handy stall card.

Print one stall card for each horse at the showgrounds so that all their important information is readily available while they’re away from home. That way, if something happens to your horse when you’re not close by, someone can contact you, your trainer, or even your veterinarian if needed.

Once you’ve downloaded and printed both of these helpful items, you’ll be ready to start packing for your next horse show. Good luck!

Download the Horse Show Checklist >>
Download the Horse Show Stall Card >>

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Update Paperwork and Plan Your Route

Without the proper paperwork you won’t be legal to go anywhere. Make sure to pack these before you hit the road: your truck and trailer vehicle registration; proof of vehicle safety check (where required); driver’s license; proof of insurance coverage, and your horse’s health papers, vaccination records and a negative Coggins test report.

Other things handy to have with you are a copy of the horse’s registration papers, copies of your association membership cards and horse recording numbers, roadside assistance club membership information (make sure that your service will also assist with trailer problems), an atlas or maps for the areas you will be traveling through, a GPS system and a cell phone and phone charger. It’s also a great idea to have your state’s equine liability law posted somewhere on your trailer.

If you plan to travel far from home, download an overnight stabling directory to your smart phone or print out the locations of horse motels along your route. The American Association of Equine Practitioners also has a “find-a-vet” function on their website so that you know where emergency veterinary help is available as you travel.

Pack First-Aid Kits for Horses and Humans

I always figure if you plan for the worst, at least you’ll be prepared if an emergency arises. Consult your veterinarian on what to pack in a trailer first-aid kit for your horses and likewise pack a kit for humans too. Make sure to pack a big jug of water from home, not only to offer your horse a drink, but you can also sponge him down if he needs cooling off or use the water to flush a wound. Make sure to have plenty of towels, a sweat sheet, cooler, and several weights of horse blankets too, to dry and cover your horse if he is wet and chilled or shocky from an accident. Extra leg wraps can be used to put pressure on a wound or hold an ice pack in place. Throw in a twitch, regular and chain lead ropes and extra halters.

Gather Safety Gear to use in Emergencies on the Road

As you pack, take a few minutes to consider what items you will need if you have a break down. Road flares and reflective triangles with weighted bases are great for alerting other drivers of your presence.

Have the emergency numbers for the areas you will be traveling and the number for your roadside assistance program programmed into your phone.

Also, you should stow a fire extinguisher (check yearly to make sure it is charged) in both the truck and trailer. That way if one of the two is on fire already, you have a fire extinguisher you can get to without putting yourself at risk. Over the years I’ve actually passed by at least half a dozen vehicles on fire, so better to be prepared!

One item we’ve had in our trailer for years, which was recommended to us by our farrier, is an extra-long, really thick cotton rope with a heavy-duty snap on one end and a loop hand hold on the other. This rope is useful to wrap behind a horse that doesn’t want to load and can be used to help rescue horses from a wrecked trailer.

Always carry a set of tools and replacement parts and supplies (light bulbs, fuses, electrical tape, extra fan belt, radiator and windshield wiper fluid, etc.) with you that might be needed to make repairs on the truck and trailer. A good jack and a tire iron that works with your truck and trailer lug nuts, jumper cables, a heavy-duty auto tow rope and a portable air pump or a fix-a-flat emergency tire repair kit should all be on your list.

Taking Precautions to Prevent Emergencies on the Road

On one trip home from the Kentucky Horse Park we had to rescue a friend whose trailer had a flat tire but the wheel had locked lug nuts. They had left home without the tool to unlock them, so we had to purchase a hacksaw to take the tire off on a Sunday evening – not an easy task. So, if your trailer has these, make sure to have the unlocking tool packed!

Looking ahead to next winter, I recommend bringing an airtight container of pet-friendly ice melt with you. One winter day we found our truck tires frozen fast to an icy puddle we had inadvertently parked in the night before and another time we dropped our ramp to load horses and it was covered with a sheet of ice. Applying some ice melt can fix these situations in a fairly short period of time.

Finally, the more visible your trailer is, the safer you are on the road. Besides maintaining working lights, Little says you can add reflective tape to the sides and back of your trailer. This is usually required on trailers over a certain weight class, but makes any trailer much more visible. You have several brands to choose from, but make sure your trailer is clean and dry before applying it.

Good luck and smooth sailing as you travel with your horse this season!

The post Road-Ready Tips for Hauling Horses – Part 3 appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.