Posted 2006-05-14 8:07 AM (#41680 - in reply to #41637) Subject: RE: explanation of brake controllers please....
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
"90% of boat trailers have no brakes Mine included."BTW, the reason that many boat trailers have no brakes has to do with the fact that electric trailer brakes don't last long when constantly dipped into water.
Posted 2006-05-14 10:57 AM (#41691 - in reply to #41680) Subject: RE: explanation of brake controllers please....
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
Originally written by hav2ride on 2006-05-14 8:07 AM
"90% of boat trailers have no brakes Mine included."BTW, the reason that many boat trailers have no brakes has to do with the fact that electric trailer brakes don't last long when constantly dipped into water.
Posted 2006-05-15 11:33 AM (#41736 - in reply to #41597) Subject: RE: explanation of brake controllers please....
Veteran
Posts: 198 Location: Iowa
I'll probably get hammered for this, but sometimes I just think we, as a society, have become so incredibly correct and righteous about everything, that you see these kinds of arguments on every dang forum you go to. Yes, I certainly agree you should have a brake controller, and I do...it's safer, better, the right thing to do, etc.
But even though our parent's generation was probably "unsafer"...I sometimes wonder if they didn't enjoy their horses and hauling more than we do...even though they were doing it with little half ton pickups pulling steel "tagalongs" that didn't even have brakes, let alone brake controllers! And for years, my Dad loaded horses and calves and hauled them in the BED OF THE PICKUP!! It's like we've all gotten so hung up on everything being exactly perfect, and done to 100% safety margins, etc. I guess I kind of envy my Dad and Gramps...they just hooked 'er up and hauled...and they never had a wreck, or caused a wreck in 40 years of hauling. I know...safety first...it's the right thing to do...ust seems like we get kind of obsessed with all this. I think the same goes for our horses..our generation overanalyzes everything...remember when you were a kid and just jumped on the damn horse...didn't worrry about if the saddle fit perfectly, or if the hooves were at exactly the proper "angle" or if the horse had been fed the proper supplement for that kind of riding...oh, you get the picture! Seems like it's all gotten so dang complicated. Well, talk to ya later...I gotta go weigh my truck and trailer at the CAT scale again, and after that, my equine psychologist is coming over to talk to my gelding!
Posted 2006-05-15 1:53 PM (#41743 - in reply to #41736) Subject: RE: explanation of brake controllers please....
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
No hammer here! I couldn't agree more! All this time doing it right takes away from the play time......I looked at the OP and came to the conclusion the gal was still in high school. Not much experience! She did check into it! Good sign. A brake controller is cheap!...If it was me I'd pull it no problem.... But i'd get tired of the white knuckles....then I'd buy a controller!
Posted 2006-05-15 2:04 PM (#41745 - in reply to #41597) Subject: RE: explanation of brake controllers please....
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
Flooper, My Point EXACTLY.They did it just fine back then. Now I can go wash my Crew Cab Dually(with brake control) and 4 Star 14' Shortwall LQ trailer and go off to the "Ranch horse Show" and know that I'm not alone in this world.
Might even let my 6yr. old sit in my lap and drive down our dead end road.
Posted 2006-05-15 2:16 PM (#41746 - in reply to #41736) Subject: RE: explanation of brake controllers please....
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
Hmmm, being 51, which I HATE to admit!, I think I kinda fall into that generation you are talking about. I grew up without seat belts, bike helmets, chest protectors for baseball, and riding helmets only when jumping. But I do wear a seat belt, would wear a bike helmet if I were riding in a dangerous area, don't play baseball any more since my son is grown, and would consider wearing a helmet when not jumping if I were riding a lunatic horse. The difference between these things I have mentioned and hauling improperly is that When I haul improperly, I could harm others, not just myself. Case in point, last fall I was hauling my large LQ on a highway in MO. I was going 70mph (the speed limit) and had to pass a tractor trailer that was going very slowly in the right lane. As I passed, I noticed a pick up, about 50' ahead in the right lane, with wood sides on the bed. I saw something black kind of flapping over the top of the wooden side on the drivers side of the truck. At first I thought it was a tarp that had come loose on that side but as I got closer, I saw that it was a full grown steer that was trying to escape from the pick up bed. That steer had his front legs and much of his torso out over the side of the pick up bed! How the driver never noticed, I don't know but if that steer had fallen out, he would have caused quite an accident on that interstate! The only way the driver knew was I started blowing my horn and flashing my lights at him till he pulled off on the road side. Anyhow, my point is, if you want to endanger your own life, go ahead. But don't do something that may endanger me or my family. I'm all up for debates on trailer brands, features, etc. I've learned a lot on this site too. But so far everyone that has posted said that they would personally use a brake controller to haul a horse trailer. Doesn't that say something??
Posted 2006-05-15 3:22 PM (#41749 - in reply to #41597) Subject: RE: explanation of brake controllers please....
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
Just like XYZER said, I am guessing this girl to be in high school, She is pulling a 2 horse bumper pull trailer with 1 horse in it. I think a Suburban can pull it to local show no problem. But, after thinking this through while my 6 year old was steering back up the road from the bus stop. You are probley right, Not only is it wrong to try that, it's probley wrong for her to try to show her old horse. Why I bet it hasn't had any professional training, just what that young girl was able to teach it out back in the pasture. I also bet she don't have any of that fancy silver on her saddle, God forbid she try to show her horse after just cleaning the old saddle she has. Maybe she has a pair of Wranglers she can wear, I hope they are not to worn looking, I would hate it if she had to do chores or any kind of work in them also. You know she probley don't have any friends in the show, why would she want to come someplace where she doesn't know anyone, and nobody there really wants to know her. So like I said she shouldn't pull that trailer, or show that horse. I mean look who she would be associated with then.
She reminds me of my wife(little grit in her gut), and mother to that little boy who just steered me home.
explanation of brake controllers please....
They did it just fine back then. Now I can go wash my Crew Cab Dually(with brake control) and 4 Star 14' Shortwall LQ trailer and go off to the "Ranch horse Show" and know that I'm not alone in this world.