Towing a horse trailer - please help me understand towing weights!

[fluffysocksgoodbookwine]

I'm in the fortunate position of now being able to buy a trailer to get my rising 5yr old mare out and about. I'm wondering which trailer to buy, and would appreciate your thoughts and advice please:

I have a Volvo XC60 D4 AWD, 2018 model:
kerb weight 1836kg
max towing capacity 2400kg
max tow ball load (nose weight) 140kg.
85% kerb weight 1561kg.

My mare is my only horse, and we're not likely to buy a second horse, so most of the time it'd just be her to transport. She still growing, currently 15.3hh and 530kg, but likely to make 16-16.1hh and around 550kg when fully grown.

We are also very lucky to be able to borrow my friend's lightweight cob (15.2hh, 510kg) for my DS to ride, and friend has said she'd be happy for me to take him for beach rides/ pleasure rides. (It helps her out to get him exercised, he loves a trip out, and he's a fabulous and unflappable schoolmaster, both for DS and for my mare).

I also have a good friend with a 15.2hh heavyweight cob (620kg), who would love to have the opportunity to get out and about more with him, and it would be more fun for me to be able to take a friend with me sometimes.

I'm not sure whether I should buy a single trailer just for my mare, which would mean I was always towing a load within the recommended 85% kerb weight, or whether to buy a double trailer, which would still keep within the 85% KW when just travelling my mare, but would take us up to 2200kg if taking friend's heavy cob along too.

I've had many conflicting opinions about this, as to what is best to do. Some people say they would never two above the 85%KW, others who nonchalantly tow up to their vehicle's max towing capacity all the time.

I have towed a double trailer with two horses in the past, but not in the past couple of decades, and it was my dad's car and trailer, so I don't know what the relative weights were.

I have a pre-1997 driving license, so I don't need to do a trailer test, but I'm planning to have a lesson or two with a local towing instructor once I have a trailer, just to ensure I remember it all, before I try to go anywhere with horse(s) in the back.

If buying a single trailer, I like the look of the Cheval Liberte Touring One.

If buying a double, I'd look for a second hand Ifor Williams Hb506, or possibly a CL Touring (although it looks like a bit of tight fit) and then get single breast/breech bars for when travelling just one horse.

I'd appreciate the opinions and expertise of experienced horse towers please!

Definitely go for a double trailer as they are more stable. We had an IF HB505 classic (think that was the model) which was great. We used to tow our thoroughbred 490kg plus a friends heavier horse with our discovery which wasn’t a problem but we definitely knew when there were two horses onboard. Remember to take into account any weight for tack, water containers etc. There are some excellent online guides from the RAC and possibly also the caravan club. We would always ensure we were well under the maximum towing weight for the vehicle. We also used to ensure we had a safety chain with a ubolt that the chain threaded onto as additional support since hearing about a trailer that came off the tow ball whilst in transit.

I wouldn’t tow two horses and a trailer with that little spare capacity OP.

I don’t think you’ve stated the trailer weight but if it is 900kg ish plus two horses, plus all your gear and two people in the car you’re in danger of the trailer driving the car downhill.

I always towed with a defender and 1000kg to spare even with two on board.

I’ve seen some nasty things happen when people breeze too close to the limits.

We have a single trailer (IW403) towed with a Mercedes estate with a 2100kg towing capacity. The combined weight of horse and trailer is around 1300kg so it’s well within the car’s limits. The stall width is 1.5 x the stall width in the double trailers so it’s easier for the horse to balance itself and even previously reluctant loaders/travellers have trotted on with no issues. It’s light enough for me to move it around to hitch up by myself and it’s reassuring to know that if the car can get through a gap, then the trailer could too. I wouldn’t want to tow two horses as it’d be pushing the car’s limits - you’ve got a bit more wriggle room but not much.

Thank you all for responding. You’ve confirmed that, much as it would be lovely to be able to tow two, I need to be sensible and stick with a single trailer.

The car is a compromise solution, as when not towing it’ll be mostly doing city driving, so I didn’t want something huge, and it needed to have decent fuel efficiency.

I found a caravan club article (thanks @bouncydog) that said a novice or nervous tower should stick within 85% KW, whilst a confident and experienced tower could manage up to 95% KW (which would still be a lot less than two large horses!).

I like the look of the CL Touring One, as it’s the about the same width as the car, and internal width is 136cm, so nice and roomy. I’m going to have a look at one this weekend.
Thanks again