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Safety on the Road

 We just love loading up our horses and heading down the road for a trail ride, or some type of competition.  Since we invest not only our hearts into our passion of horses but our hard earned dollars as well, it makes sense to take some time to review some road safety tips.

One of the first things to check is both the truck and the trailer before you even leave the yard.  Check the tires on both for wear, unusual defects such as bulges or dry rot cracks.  Also make sure that the pressure of each tire is the same as the manufacturer’s rating on the side of the tire.  When you’re checking the tires, make sure you don’t forget to check the spare and should you have a flat tire, do you have the right equipment to change it?  Now if would you happen to have a flat tire while you’re pulling down the highway, try to drive to an off ramp or at least far enough to the side that you’re not in danger of being struck by a passing car or truck.

The floor of your horse trailer should be inspected several times a year whether it’s a wooden floor or an aluminum floor.  Floorboards shouldn’t be rotted or in a weakened condition.  Check all welds and bolts plus any screws that may have worked loose and are protruding into the horse space. Inspect hitch welds, safety chains welds, emergency break-away cable, pin, and control box making sure they’re in good working order.  All of the lights should be working and bright.  When was the last time you had the wheels pulled and the bearings checked and repacked? 

Some things that are great to have with you are a flashlight with extra batteries, cell phone, road flares (don’t store flares in the horse trailer because of the fire potential), safety triangles or reflectors, first-aid kit for both you and your equine friend, extra fuses and an extra truck key kept in a safe place.  It’s always good to keep a list of numbers with you for your vet, lost credit cards and Triple A or another plan if you have it.

Depending on the season and state where you’ll be hauling, some other good items to have with you are extra water, power bars, a blanket, jumper cables, a small tool kit, a knife, warm clothing, and an extra halter and lead rope.  

Now that you’re ready to hit the road, here are some on-the-road tips to keep you safe and help you arrive at your destination. 

When you stop for fuel, take a look around before you stop and get out of your truck.  Is the fuel stop well lit if it’s a night, and is there someone else fueling their vehicle or are they just hanging out in front of the store?  If you should go inside the store and no one is going to be in your truck, lock all of the doors and windows, even in the day time.  You don’t want anyone to get in and drive off with your rig, steal something inside or hide in the back seat. Don’t carry your keys in your hand because you’ll be more inclined to set them down somewhere or leave them in the bathroom.  Now when you’re walking back to your truck, keep them in your hand, ready to open the door.

Should you go inside and use the bathroom, again look around especially late at night.  If you have a traveling companion, tell them where you are going and then walk with a purpose. If you go into a restaurant, cover up your CDs, and your other valuables, don’t leave them in plain sight screaming, “steal me.” 

While you’re fueling, pay attention if someone is approaching you.  If that person seems suspicious, get into your truck and lock the doors or walk into the store if you have time.  If you are contacted by a suspicious person, don’t feel that you have to be polite and don’t feel embarrassed if you need to draw attention to yourself.  If you think someone is actually stalking you and you have a pocket knife, walk with it open in your hand but only if you’re willing to use it in a desperate situation.  You can also grab a riding crop or mace if you have it.  Be aware that mace doesn’t always work on everyone. 

Defense weapons can be anything that can do damage and give you time to get to a safe place to call police.  As for guns, check the laws of your state and/or any state that you’ll be traveling through should you choose to carry one.   

While you are traveling, stay on the main roads and it’s a good idea to travel with someone or with another rig.  Dogs are a great deterrent for those would-be auto prowlers or someone out to harm you.

If your truck breaks down, try to get off the road as far as possible and if it’s at night, in a well lit area.  If the area isn’t the best of neighborhoods, stay in your truck and call police to come and assist you.  If your cell phone doesn’t work, make a sign that says “call police!” If it’s at night you can try to get someone’s attention by using your flashlight.  Should someone stop and you’re not sure about their intentions, roll your window down about 1-2 inches and tell them to call police.

Everyone has heard stories about “fake cops”, so how do we tell a fake one from a real one?  First, the officer’s vehicle should be somewhat consistent with what you’re used to seeing .  If a person is trying to stop you and you think they’re impersonating an officer,  drive up to the nearest grocery store with the wide open front doors and park your rig on the sidewalk. Also you can call 9-1-1 and ask the dispatcher if they have an officer trying to stop a vehicle that matches the description of your truck and at your location.  You can also ask to see his ID card and his badge since officers are required to have both.  Don’t let the officer flip them quickly at you, but look at the picture on the ID card and see if it matches the officer at you window.  If you’re still unsure, you can roll down the window approx. 1-2 inches to talk to the officer and give him your information.  You can also keep your truck in drive with your foot on the brake so if he is a fake cop and tries to break your window, you can quickly drive away. Remember, your truck/car can be used as a deadly weapon.

If you are approached by a suspicious person or stopped by someone that you aren’t sure is a real police officer, please call the police as soon as possible.  Some people think that it wasn’t a big deal and they don’t want to bother the police, but the police need to know of the incident.  They can link similar incidents if there are any and they can also be on the lookout for the suspect and hopefully stop him before he commits a worse crime against someone else.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The most important tip, arrive safely.

By Linda Ghent

Linda Ghent is a 22 year police officer (retired) who now is part owner of Star Amazing Grace Performance Horses with Terri Kinney.  Linda has a full time Equine Sport Massage practice.  You can contact Linda at  www.StarAmazingGrace.com  or StarAmazingGrace@aol.com