Trailer manufacturers will usually specify the height at which the trailer should be attached to the towing vehicle. If the tow bar is too low for your horse trailer, it’s likely to result in too much stress being placed on the rear axle of the towing vehicle. It can also affect the front axle of the trailer by overloading it, leading to poor control, excessive tyre wear and reduced braking action.

Setting the tow bar too high transfers the load to the rear of the trailer and can lead to the towing vehicle becoming detached from the trailer. Before you hitch the trailer to the towing vehicle, make sure that the tow bar is set up to provide equal distribution of weight between the towing vehicle, the coupling and the trailer. Grease the tow ball and check it for signs of wear. You should be able to check tow-ball wear by looking at the wear indicators in the trailer’s hitch. If you have any doubts at all about the condition of your tow ball, get professional advice.

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