Winterizing Your Horse Trailer

With the riding and camping season coming to an end, now is the time to winterize your living quarters horse trailer.

1. Remove items from your cabinets and drawers that may freeze and burst during freezing temperatures.
2. Mice love to snuggle in for the winter and live comfortably in your trailer; therefore, you should take out all food items, paper products, blankets, etc. A lack of food or nest building materials will have them looking elsewhere for their winter accommodations.
3. If you have a refrigerator in your trailer, you should clean it out and leave the door propped open to prevent mildew.
4. Drain residual water from the hot water heater by opening the relief valve and removing the drain plug. Attach a small hose and flush the water tank with clean water to remove any silt build up in the tank.
5. Drain water from the fresh water holding tank.
6. Remove and drain all holding tanks, both gray and black water.
7. Purchase RV-rated (pink) anti-freeze and circulate it through the water pipes and pour it into sink and shower drains, as well as into the toilet bowl and tank.
8. Remove batteries from any appliance that may remain in the trailer, as well as the smoke detector.
9. Remove fire extinguisher to prevent it from freezing.
10. Remove floor mats from the horse box for cleaning and deodorizing. Allow them to dry thoroughly before returning them to the box.
11. Clean and scrub the box floor after removing the mats. Allow the floor to dry completely before returning the mats.
12. Check the flooring for any weak or rotting boards and replace as needed. Also check the underneath side of the flooring and floor supports for weakness and rotting.
13. If you park your trailer on grass or dirt surfaces, roll the tires onto treated lumber that is wider than the width of your tires. This will prevent your tires from dry-rotting.
14. Make sure that propane tanks are turned off.
15. Turn the Power Main to off.
16. Remove and recharge (if needed) the breakaway brake battery and the main cabin battery. Store them in a warm, dry place.
17. Clean and/or replace furnace and air conditioner filters.
18. Use WD-40 on all hinges and locks to prevent them from corroding or locking up.

With the winterization of your horse trailer, you will be ready to hit the road for another season of riding with the arrival of spring.

Happy trails!

By: Darlene M. Cox (kyhomeagain@gmail.com)