Trailer ties

What are trailer ties?

Horse trailer ties can be found in almost every trailer, or at least the trailers of people that travel a lot with their horses - like for competitions, training, lessons and clinics outside of your own stable or for some fun adventures in nature. Trailer ties are very practical to have in your trailer and help keep your horse secure during the journey. 

Trailer ties are usually made out of elastic material, so the rope still has a little bit of leeway of give in case of an unwanted situation, like the horse panicking a little bit. The elastic material itself does however differ sometimes. Bungee material is quite popular to use in trailer ties, for example. Opinions on whether trailer ties should be elastic or not differ, so we advise that you read up and educate yourselfs before making any purchasing decision. 

Non-elastic trailer ropes are also available. These are made of a metal chain at the core, which is surrounded by rubber or plastic. They do not give, like the elastic ties would. This however also means, that in the case a horse breaks free, they do not bounce back and therefore could injure the horse, as would be the problem with elastic horse trailer ties.

How do I attach a trailer tie correctly?

The trailer tie has two ends with snaps. In majority of the cases, these snaps are two different ones. One side will always have a panic snap. These snaps are very common in the horse industry, as they can easily open when pressure is applied. 

This means that the horse will not be stuck in the case that it panics, but is able to free itself by placing enough pressure on the snap - for example by throwing the head up rapidly or jumping backwards, as would happen when scared. The other side may feature various snaps, from standard snap hooks to heavy-duty snaps to bolt snaps and carabiners. There is no right or wrong to these snaps, they all just depend on personal preference and what fits best within your trailer.

The side with the panic snap needs to be attached to the halter of the horse, while the other side with snap hook or another variation of snap is being attached to the intended attachment points on the trailer walls on both sides. If placed wrongly, the panic snap would open in case of a spooking horse, but then hit back onto the horse due to the pressure used. It is therefore very important that you attach the panic snap onto the halter, not the wall.

Epplejeck trailer ties