hum...thoughts on this? IMHO..truck too small for the load.  <:{

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/16102312.htm

 yeah sure, everyone knows you need a dually for a 2h trailer.  gimme a break, love these threads.

well, it is hard to say... I saw a HD truck pulling a bobcat have something similar happen, all of a sudden the trailer starting swaying back and forth and it was a classic case of "tail wags dog".  All of us on the highway were safe, but the truck/trailer swung around about 3 times before the truck/trailer, still hitched together, ended up stopping in a ditch, still upright.  Across the interstate, at pretty much the exact same spot, was a travel trailer that must have had the same thing happen, only it flipped over.  The police were cleaning up that accident when the Bobcat truck had its little episode (that was darn right scary) but the amazing part was that no one on our side of the interstate was hurt or even knocked into.  That was the scariest thing I ever saw, that Bobcat/trailer just easily swinging that truck around.

Why would that happen?  Same thing? not enough truck for the trailer?

Jbsny

There's no way to know whether or not that 1/2 ton truck was overloaded, but chances are that the truck's suspension was pretty close to it's max weight rating.  Yes, just about any fishtailing trailer can pull a truck around, even an HD, but the heavier the truck the more it's going to take to affect the truck.

I've hauled bumper pull trailers with 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.  In my experience, the difference in stability between a 1/2 ton & 3/4 truck is really significant, expecially when something happens that puts additional pressure on the suspension.   This is why I will not pull a horse trailer, even a 2 horse, with a 1/2 ton truck.

And no, I am not saying you need a dually to haul a 2 horse trailer, but I wouldn't pull a horse trailer with anything less than a 3/4 ton truck.  A fishtailing trailer that may be recoverable with a larger truck may not be  recoverable with a 1/2 ton truck.  When your lives and your horses lives are at stake, you prepare for the worst, you don't go in unprepared and hope for the best.

My thoughts: Perhaps not too small a truck, but a truck and trailer not properly balanced and/or equiped.  The second paragraph of the article talks about the horses shifting weight.  Further reason to remember that horses are NOT a load of bricks.

Back in the days when we pulled a 2-horse trailer, a 1/2 ton pickup could easily handle the load.  I would think that still applies. 

Happy trails

well, in the 1970's, I pulled a two horse with a Ford Bronco 4X4.  I didn't know better and it pulled fine. I only took one horse most of the time and had a very small Stidham two horse walk through.  Nice trailer, rig pulled fine. I pulled a lot of miles in those days.

Jbsny

Maybe he didn't have his horse tied in the trailer wandering around....hangs out in the back of the trailer....Less tounge weight....guess what?! A load shift!

several states have "truck with trailer" speed limits.

I have no problem with the rig used. Although there are cases of tow vehicle being inadequet for the trailer they are towing, I find more often than not the accidents occur from driving too fast (especially in wet weather of any kind), fatigued driver, alcohol, or driver distractions (lighting cigarettes, talking on the phone, etc...

In this case a half ton should tow a basic two horse just fine. Now once you start adding tack rooms, more than two horses and such, probably not a a good idea. I drove thousands of miles literally (towed to and from Chicago, IL and Minot, North Dakota when I was in the Air Force. Amongst other places when I was camping a lot with my old horse and barrel racing a bit.) with a little bitty two horse and a 1991 Chevy S10 manual trans 2.8 liter engine, rated a half ton. I did add helper springs to it for added stability. Never had a problem due to size of truck and trailer. Did get a lot of 'Did you tow that here with that?' Um, Duh? how else would my horse and I have gotten here? It was great for squeezing into parking spaces at shows. ;) Much as I love my 3/4 ton now and the horses enjoy the larger trailer I'm sure too, (next one's gonna have a tack room ;) ) But, damn I miss getting nearly 24 mpg towing. Heck it got 29 when I wasn't towing, should never had sold that little truck.

a fully loaded 1/2 ton will be in no more trouble than a fully loaded 3/4 ton. people often confuse personal comfort levels with safety. thats why ratings are given by the manufacturer.  i would also guess, that when it goes bad a 5500# 1/2 ton pulling 5000# of 2h bp would be in a better situation than a 7500# 3/4 ton pulling 15000# of 3h lq...........dont you think?  the whole tail wagging the dog thing you know............

"The trailer started going to the right, and I turned the wheel to straighten it, and it went back on the other side even worse, and then I was flipping over."

It sounds like he overcorrected.  You can flip any vehicle, with or without a trailer, doing that.  I watched a SUV flip end over end after he passed me because he went to far over and caught the edge of the road, over corrected and ended up in the air.  And he wasn't speeding.

I don't think I got away with anything. The S10 used to be a bigger small truck back then. Doesn't look too small for that old tiny trailer I had back then. Just came across this old picture, so figured I should share. Like I said, I really miss the fuel economy I got with this outfit.