Selecting Brakes for a Horse Trailer

TROUBADOR68, You have made a wise choice in researching your options on such a matter that concerns the health and well being of your live stock and others that share the road. The terminknowledgey of the options don't really give a clue unless its brake front axel, brake rear axel or brake front axel and tagalong rear axel (no brake )? Or it could refer to the type of brake actuater that is used. Most all live stock trailers that I have used had the brake actuater built into the trailer tongue and when the tow vehicle would brake the weight of the trailer applied forward pressure on the hydraulic actuater and this is what slowed the trailer, it seams to be a very safe system and would be more reliable than electric. I would inquire about breakaway breaks for I'm not sure this type of system has them. Iwould let safety dictate version and not cost, if 4 wheel disc brakes are an option I would inquire about there use. I wish I could be of more help, this might give you a few more questions to ask. J.Conway

Hydraulic brakes with the actuator in the hitch do have a break-away feature if it hasn't been broken off the actuator. The 2 things that occur to me are 1) state requirements. Some states require brakes on all axles if the trailer is over a certain gross weight. If your state does not, your are OK to go into a state that does, but if there was an accident there may be some red tape to go through. The second is from my experience moving mobile homes years ago. In icy slick conditions brakes on all axles will make the trailer come around even with the controller set very low. It was common practice to cut he wire to a least one axle in slick conditions and even to put chains on one non-brake and one brake axle to get the best control and stopping power. -- JHF

Hi TROUBADOR68,

Welcome to the CR4 forum... hopefully you'll find this site very informative and become a frequent flier here.

I'll pretty much echo what Jerrell Conway said.

The only time I have run into the terms brake and drag vs. brake and brake has been with a tandem axle car hauler I had and that referred to brakes on one axle or both.

On a horse trailer it's highly likely the builder is using a typical surge brake setup (hydraulic) and I personally can't imagine why I would even consider electrics for a 2 horse hauler.

The thing to determine is your overall braking capability and needs. If you are carrying a couple of 13 to 14 hand mellow mares and pulling this trailer with a 3/4 or 1 ton truck then I wouldn't bother with added expense of brakes on the rear axle. You won't need them since the trailer isn't going to push you around. But... if you are sticking a couple of big Morgan studs in there and pulling them around with a Ford Ranger... down a 6% grade... well, you get the drift. Or you will when those horsies smile going past you.

Only you can decide whether you will need the extra braking power on the rear axle based on weight in the trailer, weight and power of the towing vehicle, and anticipated terrain where you're driving. Err on the side of of safety.

I'll also toss in some reading material for you're enjoyment.

http://www.championtrailers.com/brkart.html

Good luck and happy hauling.

Switchman, That was a very enformative link, keep up the good work. J.Conway

Thanks Switchman for your help. I spoke to the builder today and he said the electric brakes are on the rear axle only and that I should get an RV 7 prong hookup. I have to say the hydraulic surge brakes sound better to me although I don't know if that is an option. I have a 14.1 QH cross who weighs about 900 lbs. The trailer weighs 2200 lbs. Safety is my primary concern, but I don't want to make things more complicated than they need to be. The trailer being only 5 ft wide ( I will have a ramp) pretty much dictates I will only hauling my one horse. Do you think I really don't need the brakes?? I did read the champion trailer brake article.....Thanks

TROUBADOR68,

The primary concern being safety and the determining factors involved.

On wet or slick roads one axle may not have adequate traction for braking, the trailer should be able to stop the entire rig; you don't want the tail wagging the dog. In hilly or mountain roads you will encounter steeply banked sharp turns with debris or sand etc and considering the weight shifting that occurs you mind find it comforting to have two axles braking.

Electric brakes are far more reliable and if purchasing new why get the old model. Electric brakes are adjustable and the most controllable adjustment is the foot brake.

Don't cheap-out on brakes, there is good reason electric brakes have replaced hydraulics. If going down hill using engine braking the hydraulic type will actuate and now you have the rest of the story, how long the hill does it take to burn the hydraulic inertia actuated brakes?

You ALWAYS need brakes, even if your towing vehicle weighs 20 tons, an unbraked trailer will ALWAYS push you on. Even if you brake only 1 yard earlier (it will be significantly more during an emergency stop!), that can still make the difference between life and death!!

I would opt for automatic/overrun hydraulic brakes on the front axle and electric on the back - belt and braces!

I think th eissue of brake/ brake or Brake/Drag is settled pretty much. i descent on the electric Vs overide brakes though. the problem with horse floats is the horses are quite heavy and can shift there weight inconveniently at times. overide brakes operte by the trailer pushing the car, that motion pushes the master cylinder directly. Consequently, the brakes tend to come on and off as the brakes come on, then the trailer pulls up and the brakes release slightly, increasing the pressure in the cylinder again. the upshot of this is that the rear of the towing vehicle gets shoved around quite a bit and the towing vehicles centre of gravity shifts as well as the hitch pushes up or down slightly - making for rather uncomfortable ride and handling.

Wholly electric brakes or electric actuated hydraulic brakes, work directly from the brake pedal and can be adjusted so the trailer is neutral, neither pushing nor pulling the towing vehicle; making the driving experience much easier and more comfortable for both horeses and humans

One more thing to note is that the law(s) regarding maximum towing weight for Vehicles is often much less than the manufacturer's claimed maximum capability. Often, with one horse you will be ok but two horses and you'll be pinged! So check the legal towing maximum for your vehicle and get a weighbridge certificate for your trailer

Figuring 3500 lb between trailer, horse, and a saddle or two, I'd want brakes -- but having them on one axle should be fine.

I prefer hydraulic brakes because they brake harder as the truck brakes harder, rather than coming on full strength every time the brake lights come on. Hydraulic brakes typically have a fail safe system that applies the brakes if the trailer comes loose. I haven't looked into electric brakes recently but it would seem that you'd need a battery on board the trailer to provide this function. I used to tow a 6000# boat/trailer with an F150, and with hydraulic brakes, I never had the sense of being pushed along by the trailer, the way you do sometimes with a brakeless trailer.

(On the other hand, it's been awhile since I've worried about this stuff -- maybe electric brakes have full proportional control now?)

Upon looking over more resent responses, I'd say it would be good to ignore most of what I wrote here. I am clearly out of touch with recent technology in trailer brakes.

I must be suffereing from the "Gull dern it sonny, when I was your age, we just stuck a foot out the door and used shoe leather to slow down. If the roads were icy, we'd use golf cleats" syndrome.

I have a Prodigy proportional brake controller for the electric brakes on my horse trailer. The controller can be used for electric or hydraulic brakes. It is fully adjustable to ensure that the braking is properly balanced.

i have pulled many horse trailer in my time. the surge brakes have not been used for years on live stock trailer. you need to check with the DMV. you have to have brakes on both axles at a certain weight. the bigest consideration you need to look into is the brake controller in the tow vehicle. you can get cheap controller that are a time delay. they are the easist to install because the can be mounted anywhere or you can get a controller that works of interia. they are the best because the faster the vehicle slows down the more power is apllied to the brakes. i hope this helps.

You need both axles with brakes, the cost will not be much more. Then a good brake controller in the cab of the truck that you are using. Hydraulic brakes are outdated ,forget them! and I don't think they are even offered anymore. My concern is what you are going to pull this trailer with. if using a 1/2 ton pickup you will need a sway bar to stop it from swaying back and forth when the horses move a bit. But if using a 3/4 ton it should be fine depending on the sizes of the horses. I would always opt to put the sway bar system on no matter what. Daul brakes and the sway bar system is the best. and injoy the RIDE. Floor system is another great concern. Just the other day we were hauling cattle to the chute to give them shots and general look over. One of the steers broke it's leg in the trailer,WHY because it slipped and fell WHY because of the wood floor. the wood floors get very slick when pee is on them. you will need a rubber mat system to stop the horses from slipping . It is not a good thing to find one of you long time freinds with a broken leg and have to put them down. ie shoot them. So I had to do the dirty deed, The trailer know has a new rubber floor mat system install to stop this . about the cost of one steer. Safety fist then fun enjoy the ride.

In most states, in the U S A, trailers over a given weight (Varies from state to state) require brakes. If breaks are required, part of the trailer brake system is an approved break-away system. With electric brakes, that requires a battery on the trailer to activate the brakes in a break-away.

That said, experience and law don't always meet eye to eye. In many states the requirements are not well inforced. But, if there is an accident, the lawyers will read the law and there-in a problem lies.

I agree with brakes on one axle for a light trailer is probable best. It will have good stopping power and you will still be able to steer it. -- JHF

I have a horse trailer and use it for a lot more than our horses. I have hauled lumber, sand, bags of concrete, furniture, cabinets, appliances, motorcycles and of course, donkeys. I would install the electric brakes. I believe they perform better than surge brakes and are cheaper to install.

A very good answer from my humble point of view.

I would like to add my 2cents worth to this. "Anti sway bars" covers two very distinct types of equipment. Both are a strong advantage to a person towing a trailer. And the heavier the trailer is relative to the tow vehicle, the more they become important.

The first anti sway bar is connected between the trailer nose, and the tow vehicle. It helps to keep the trailer centerline aligned with the centerline of the tow vehicle.

The second anti sway bar is part of the suspension system of the tow vehicle. It is also referred to as an anti roll bar or stabilizer bar. It will try to keep the frame of the tow vehicle parallel to the road. Especially when going around a curve, or the wind is blowing hard on the side of the tow vehicle. They are commonly installed on the front of vehicles only. The more aggressive handling vehicles will have them on both front, and rear. When towing heavy trailers, or when towing long distances at higher speeds, the added resistance to leaning makes the tow combination ride smoother, and more controllable. Aftermarket anti sway bars are heavier than the stock one(s), and will make a big difference in a lighter tow vehicle.

Getting back to the trailer brakes, The electric controllers are adjustable to match the breaking needs of the combination every time the weight balance changes. You may not need to change it every time, but it is available to you if needed. Disc verses drum trailer brakes. There is nothing more annoying than waiting for some trailer specialty shop to locate the shoes you need, or be told those shoes are obsolete. There is a trailer brake option that is becoming popular in So Fla that uses Chevette front brake pads on the trailer. They have better stopping power than the drums that were fitted originally. Everybody has Chevette brakes on their shelf. Millions made. The trailer that we converted to disc was a hydraulic surge brake system.I do not know if they can be adapted to electric or not. Good luck.

The hydraulic surge brakes do have additional concerns that are not present with electric. The brake fluid always seems to be muddy, and contaminated. The original brake lines rusted through in 5 years. The master cylinder cover rusted through, and the plastic covers dry out. When backing the trailer up a hill, the brakes would lock.

I hope I have shed some additional light on your trailer brake concerns. Good luck.

Thanks so much Bob, as a matter of fact, my next question was regarding anti sway bars and weight distribution bars. My trailer will be ready at the end of the month and I want to do everything just right. I do have precious cargo! Thanks again

Reading all the US posts on electric brakes I tried looking for them in the UK. It seems they are not approved there nor in Spain. What I would like to ask is whether anyone in the states makes ABS systems for trailers?

Chas

ABS brakes are required on large over the road tractor/trailer trucks, in a typical US regulatory way. Trucks sold are required to be able to stop in a width no wider than 8 ft. under full apply stops.(not sure of the exact width, but I think it is 8.) I am not aware of regulations for lighter trailers.

I have 2 axle electric brakes on our horse trailer [34 years old?] as required by provincial code here. next door in alberta they are only required to have 1 axle brakes. I found them them to be foolproof. I have heard that some surge hydraulic brakes can have difficulty backing up with a heavy load [with a small uphill incline ?] in the trailer. they may lock up when you don't want them to. This happened at a place i rented when a gardener tried to get out of our driveway with a load of horse manure. there was a small dip in the driveway over the culvert and the trailer had to go up for about 8 feet to the roadway. the truck was facing down and backwards and the trailer was up and backwards. 4 wheel drive. i was unfamiliar with his brakes and it was dark and i couldn't understand what was happening until someone came by and explained. i adjust elctric brakes for minimum braking when mt and slower response and faster and heavier for loaded. good luck.