Why Towing a Horse Trailer Takes More Torque than Power

This is the time of year when horsebox trailer owners begin looking at new tow vehicles in preparation for the upcoming season. Trailer owners want to make sure they get a vehicle that is up to the challenge without spending more than they have to. That’s good. If you are in the market for a new tow vehicle, remember this: towing a horse trailer takes more torque than power.

The subject of torque is one that’s hard to understand if you are not a physicist or engine maker, as Car Buyer explained in a recent blog post. We can define torque simply by saying it is the rotational force needed to pull something. Torque is created by distributing engine power across the multiple cogs in a gear; more power distributed across fewer cogs means more torque.

Where towing a horse trailer is concerned, raw power is not necessarily a bad thing. But both horsebox trailers and their occupants need torque in order to get moving from a dead stop. And since this is the one area of towing in which engines and transmissions suffer the most stress, maximum torque is more important than overall power.

Choose Your Tow Vehicle Wisely

Anyone in the market for a new tow vehicle in anticipation of the upcoming season should be careful to select a tow vehicle wisely. As we have already explained, torque is a major consideration for getting horsebox trailers moving without putting unnecessary stress on engines and transmissions. But there are other considerations as well.

For example, the combination of your tow vehicle and trailer cannot exceed 3500 kg if you intend to tow on a Category B+E licence. You would have to know what the maximum authorised mass (MAM) of your trailer is before you go vehicle shopping.

Vehicles also need to be equipped with the proper trailer hitches and accessory equipment necessary to tow the trailer safely. Certain vehicles can only be used with particular pieces of equipment specifically designed for them. Again, it is helpful to know as much information about your trailer as possible before you start looking at vehicles.

Understand Licence Categories

Lastly, it is important that you understand the different licence categories in the UK. Assuming you are not towing a horse trailer for professional purposes, you will not need a Category C licence to tow. But you might still need a Category B+E – especially if you earned your car licence after 1 January 1997.

The vast majority of trailer owners ticketed for driving without the proper licence do not even know they are in violation until pulled over by police. Don’t take that risk. Know and understand the law before you begin towing in the upcoming season. If you do need the extra entitlement, the HGV Training Centre offers a number of different towing courses that can prepare you to take the car and trailer test. You need only contact us to register for the next class in your area.

Sources:

Car Buyer – https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/tips-and-advice/152168/what-is-torque