Tow vehicles

["Corbelletta, Antonio" <Antonio_Corbelletta@affymetrix.com>]

I don't think anyone has touched on the subject of adequate brakes for the
truck pulling the horse trailer.  I don't believe that most half ton trucks
have enough braking power to safely tow a horse trailer.  Most of your "SUV"
types are based on truck chassis, at least the US ones, but if they are a
1/2 ton chassis they will have smaller brakes.  If you could get a Suburban
or a Ford Expedition 3/4 ton then that would be OK.  But a 1/2 ton is
marginal.  
Of course having enough horsepower is important too but with
today's V8's that should be no problem.
Make sure that the vehicle has a transmission cooler and oil cooler.  Also a
weight distributing receiver is a must.  Check before hooking up the
trailer, the ones from the manufactures may not be enough unless you order
it with the max capacity one.  
Remember that we are pulling trailers with large live animals in them.  It
is very different from pulling lets say a boat that does not move around.
When a 800lb animal is fooling around in the trailer, that will put some
additional stress on the vehicle.  Now put two back there fooling
around...That is why if I am going to be pulling horses I take everything up
a notch.  If I could get by with a 1/2 ton, I go 3/4 ton.  Heavy duty PLUS
everything.  Stabilizer bars are important too, get them!  
I know that this all adds $$$, but in the long run you will be saving much
$$$ in repairs
and/or other more serious problems going down the road.  I have used this
approach on both the trucks that I had and never was left at the side of the
road with horses(a real drag from I have been told) and the trucks ran
forever.  Both were Chevy's but I am sure other makes do just fine.  
Also, speaking of towing things, most salesfolks do not have a clue what it
is like towing horses, so they think it is just like towing a boat.  So you
need to realize where they are coming from.  Like I said above they don't
realize that these things move as you are going down the road!
This is from my experience towing horses and as a lifelong gearhead. If I
was towing a stupid boat and I lost it, who cares but if I loose my horses
that is a tragedy.   
Tony C