With the price of fuel creeping over $3 per gallon, you might be thinking twice about when, how often, and how far to haul your horse to trail heads and overnight adventures. Use these 10 tips to help beat the cost of "liquid gold."
1. Maintain your vehicle. Keep your towing vehicle tuned up and in good working order. A well-maintained vehicle is fuel efficient. Keep track of your mileage; lower mileage than usual may mean your vehicle needs work.
2. Check air pressure. Maintain optimal air pressure in your trailer and towing-vehicle tires. Tires should sit on the treads, not ride on the sidewalls. It may make for a softer ride when tires are low but it wears them out faster. Plus, tires on treads will have less ground-resistance than those riding low; less resistance means better mileage. Tip: To find out how much air pressure is required, check your tires' sidewalls. Recommended pressure will be listed as "PSI," for pounds per square inch. Use a tire gauge to find out whether the air pressure is correct.
3. Think longer, and less often. Instead of hauling out for frequent day rides, plan a two- to three-day camping adventure. Tip: Go during the week when most trailheads, staging areas, and horse camps are fairly empty.
4. Save your change. Save your loose change in coffee cans. You'll be surprised at how fast $5, $10, and even $20 can accumulate. When a can is full, convert your change to bills, and start planning your next trail ride.
5. Double up. Ask a friend (or friends) to go riding with you to split the fuel cost. Post a "riding adventurers wanted" flier on the bulletin board of your barn or local tack shop. Include the time you're going, how long you plan to stay, and what the expected cost will be. Tips: Make sure all horses load well and are quiet on the road. Have your travel buddies sign a form that releases you from liability in case of accident. (Go to www.equinelegalsolutions.com, click on "Forms," click on "Purchase Forms," and scroll down to Item #25, Non-Commercial Equine Hauling Agreement. Cost is $29.99.)
6. Map your trip. Plan your route in advance. Find the shortest, easiest route to enhance your mileage. Avoid heavy traffic by taking alternate routes and by traveling at nonpeak hours. If you return home on a Sunday, leave the trailhead before 5 p.m. to avoid weekend-return traffic. Sitting in traffic consumes fuel.
7. Be a light foot. You'll get better mileage driving at 55 miles-per-hour than 65 mph or higher. And 55 mph is often the legal limit for towing. Don't make jackrabbit starts; it wastes fuel (and is hard your horse). After a stop, start slowly, and build gradually to the speed limit. When stopping, take your foot off the gas pedal, and coast, then gently brake to a stop. When you see a red light, slow down to give it time to turn green, so you don't have to come to a complete stop. Starting a rig from a dead stop eats fuel.
8. Top off your tank. When the fuel gauge drops to half, fill up. If you allow the tank to become empty, you may be forced to fill up at a high-priced gas station.
9. Turn down the A/C. Air conditioning requires fuel to operate. Travel in the cool times of day, and even the year. When possible, turn off the air conditioning, and open the windows.
10. Explore your own backyard. In between trips, explore your home trails. Contact your county offices, and ask for a list of trails that allow horses or are multi-use. Also, check out state parks and federal lands, which not only offer trails, but also horse camping. You might be amazed at what you can find down the road.
