What Do Wednesday; Trailering

Another week, another Wednesday, another blogpost asking my readers What Do?

Recently, a few fellow bloggers have acquired something wonderful; their own horse trailer.

I was incredibly lucky to have my POS (literally awful) stock trailer throughout my teenage and college years as a younger equestrian. Having grown up in the BF of nowhere OH, I think my parental units got overwhelmingly exhausted driving my brother and I all over creation for track, football, scouts, 4-H, school and horse shows. Essentially, the second I turned 15, my father bought a rig and taught me how to drive it. Many hours were spent in parking lots, learning trailering essentials like backing and stopping distances. Then, as soon as I obtained my license at 16, I was on my own. It was terrifying, but also liberating.

I always kind of felt like the equivalent of an equestrian peasant, because I didn’t have a super fancy featherlite, but I was mobile and I could go anywhere, and did. I even trailered my horses to MO with me when I went to college, and back when I came home after. I got really used to driving the trailer and it became second nature, loading up the beasts and hauling out. I soon learned that it WAS expensive, but rewarding and liberating. I also soon learned that literally everyone was begging for rides, but I was always happy to oblige since my POS had room for 3! I remember one time hauling my friends half-perch, my OTTB and then a small Quarab to a show…my poor rig was groaning haha.

Then, the wonderful day came, two and a half years ago that I was able to trade in my POS truck (RIP Big Sexy) and POS trailer for my super hot and powerful SUV and lightweight straightload. Love at first sight. I still love my rig…

my  BA vehicle

my pimpin trailer

Yankee approved

…but now that I’ve been driving a trailer for almost ten years, I’m pretty much over it and I am no longer excited about it. Coupled with a horse that literally hates to load more than anything else in the world, its an exhausting experience and no longer stimulates joy in my brain. I actually dread hauling and all it entails. Checking tires, brakes, connections, emergency equipment, ball & chain safety, maintenance, rust removal, tire replacement, hooking up, etc etc. it is not a freedom I enjoy as much as I should, because I know a lot of people struggle to have mobility.

Moving to OH from MO

These days, I tend to make decisions on trailering out and show/schooling opportunities based off the ease of said trailering. I don’t have the time like I did back in “the day” to spend hours maintaining my rig and preparing for an adventure does take time. Especially because my trailer lives outside, and I don’t go places often, each trip requires extensive checking. For me, this usually occurs after work, at night, perhaps battling cold or rain. Not fun. Also keeping in mind, until recently, Bacardi was an ass pain to load. Like actually took literal hours sometimes or huge fights leaving both of us exhausted. It hasn’t been easy by any means lately.

Example A, bashing face on said trailer 

Example B, 1.5 hours later and dripping sweat

God I miss Yankee more than usual sometimes, and his self loading self 

Now coupled with the discovery that Bacardi easily loads into my trainers trailer, I’ve been using her to haul him everywhere, happy to pay the fee to not deal with any of it.

I know, I am the worst type of person.

So now, most of my decisions are based off “is my trainer going?” instead of “do I feel like going?”, which is huge and weird for me.

For example, I had fully intended to attend the last Lochmoor Snowflake Series schooling show of the year this weekend…but based off the fact that Supertrainer is heading to FL the day before, she will not be taking a trailerful of students to a show here in OH. Therefore, I most likely will not be going. I can ride without her, I’m not one of those people that NEED their trainer to be there at all times, but I have been using her as a crutch to haul. In addition, no one else from the barn will be going, since Supertrainer wont be going, and I LOATHE going to shows 100% alone, now that I’ve experienced the other side (I used to go alone always) .. Especially in the dead of winter, with a semi- fractious horse who doesn’t load well. Not a recipe for success.

So anyways, “luckily” that’s the last show offered until she get back, so I don’t have to worry about transporting until then. But what I want to know is what everyone else does. Do you have your own rig? If so, what is it (I LOVE hearing about trailers) and do you love or hate it? If you don’t how do you find rides? Friends? Trainer? Tell me dear readers, what do?