Have you ever wondered if a Jeep can pull a horse trailer? Look no more. We´ve got you covered.
On this page, we are going to walk you through absolutely everything that you need to know. However, answering this question isn’t as simple as you may think.
This is because there are going to be a lot of factors at play.
Can a jeep pull a horse trailer? Yes, a Jeep with a towing capacity higher than 4,000 pounds can easily pull a horse trailer with one to max. 3 horses. However, you need to know that the horse trailer will weigh around 1,500 lbs and the weight of the Horse should be between 380lbs and 1000lbs.
Important is that you do not go above the maximum weight that your Jeep can tow. You should exceed 80% of the maximum rated towing capacity for your vehicle.
Table of Contents
What Jeep Do You Have?
One of the first things that you need to work out is the maximum pulling weight of your Jeep. Each Jeep will have its own maximum pulling weight. It is important that you do not go over this.
Each model of Jeep is going to be a little bit different. Take the Jeep Wrangler, for instance. Depending on the model that you have purchased, it could have a pulling weight between 2,000lbs and 4,000lbs.
Remember, this is not going to be the ‘true’ towing capacity of the vehicle. You will also need to factor in the people or items inside of the vehicle.
So, for example, if the pulling capacity for your Jeep was 2,000lbs and you had 500lbs inside of the vehicle, then the towing capacity is only going to be 1,500lbs.
Read also: How to Measure Towing Capacity, GVWR, GCWR, Truck, Trailer
It is vital that you do not go over the maximum pulling weight for the Jeep. If you do, then you run the risk of destroying the vehicle.
This applies even if you go a small amount over the pulling limit. You will be surprised at just how tight those pulling weights can be.
Example Jeep Towing Capacity
In the table below you can see the towing capacity of some common Jeep models:
| Year | Model | Towing Capacity (lbs.) |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Jeep Compass | 4,400 |
| 2021 | Jeep Cherokee | 5,050 |
| 2021 | Jeep Renegade | 4,277 |
| 2021 | Jeep Gladiator | 5,800 |
| 2019 | Cherokee FWD/4WD | 4,000 |
| 2019 | Grand Cherokee 2WD | 6,200 |
| 2019 | Grand Cherokee 4WD | 7,200 |
| 2019 | Renegade 4WD | 2,000 |
| 2019 | Wrangler 4DR | 3,500 |
| 2017 | Cherokee | 2,000 |
| 2017 | Grand Cherokee 4WD SRT | 7,200 |
| 2007 | Commander 2WD | 7,400 |
The Weight of the Horse
Next, you need to consider the weight of the horse.
Obviously, each horse breed is going to be a different weight. Only you can know exactly how much your horse weighs. If it is an adult horse, it is likely going to be between 380lbs and 1000lbs.
The Weight of the Horse Trailer
You then need to consider the weight of the trailer that you are placing the horse into. Obviously, this is going to vary from trailer to trailer. However, the average for a trailer that pulls a single horse is going to be 1,500lbs to 2,000lbs.
Remember, each horse trailer is also going to have a limit on the amount of weight that it is capable of holding. However, to be honest with you, if you are using a Jeep, your primary concern will be how much weight that Jeep is capable of towing.
You will likely never be able to tow anywhere close to the weight limit of the trailer.
Can Your Jeep Pull the Trailer?
As you can probably tell by now, this depends.
You need to know these three numbers:
- The towing capacity of your trailer
- The weight of the trailer
- The weight of the horse that you are pulling
You will also need to think about any extra weight that you are bringing along for the journey. So, if you have a couple of people inside of the vehicle while you are driving, then the towing weight limit will be severely reduced.
Will Passengers in the Jeep Reduce Towing Capacity?
Yes.
Your Jeep can only deal with a certain amount of weight. If you have passengers in the Jeep, then the amount of weight that the Jeep can tow will need to be reduced by the same amount.
Chances are that you won’t be able to pull a horse trailer if you have more than the driver in the vehicle. This is because Jeeps do not really have the best towing capacity.
Remember, it isn’t just about the passengers either. Anything that is loaded into the Jeep will have an impact on the towing capacity which, in turn, is going to have an impact on the size of horse trailer and horse that you are going to pull.
In an ideal world, you will want to calculate the amount of weight being loaded into your vehicle each time and try to ensure that you do not go over 80% of the maximum rated towing capacity for your vehicle.
This will give you a little bit of leeway if you do have any extra in the vehicle that you can’t weigh, and it will also help to reduce the amount of impact on the Jeep’s components.
Can You Tow the Horse Trailer Off-Road?
A lot of people purchase a Jeep because it is one of the top off-roading vehicles. As a result, a lot of people wonder whether they are going to be able to tow a horse trailer off-road too. So, can it?
Well, probably not. The whole reason that a Jeep is able to travel off-road is that it has 4WD. You do not have that on the trailer. The wheels are not powered. They just move whenever the towing vehicle moves.
Chances are that you could probably do a bit of light off-road towing with the trailer. However, that is it. We are talking about being able to drive over a small amount of muddy grass. We aren’t talking about tackling huge hills or anything like that.
The trailer wouldn’t be able to cope and, ultimately, your vehicle is going to end up being stuck in the mud. Trust us, you are not going to want to be moving a horse and a stuck horse trailer!
That being said, even if the Jeep was capable of towing a horse trailer off-road, we wouldn’t recommend it. It is likely going to be an incredibly uncomfortable experience for the horse.
Even driving over something that is a little bit bumpy is probably going to be a touch too uncomfortable for the vast majority of horses.
Therefore, you will even want to be keeping that light off-road driving to the absolute minimum!
Can All Jeeps Tow Horse Trailers?
It is possible, although it depends on the weight of the trailer.
Older Jeeps weren’t really built for pulling huge amounts of weight. In fact, even modern Jeeps aren’t really built for that.
If your Jeep is more than a decade or so old, then we wouldn’t really hold out much hope for it being able to pull a horse trailer. Chances are that it will just be able to pull a normal, lightweight trailer.
What Jeeps Are the Best Jeeps for Towing?
What Jeep can pull a trailer? The most recent models of these Jeeps should be best for towing:
- Jeep Gladiator gets a towing capacity of 7,650 pounds
- Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a towing capacity of 7,200 pounds
- Jeep Wrangler gets a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds
Each of these Jeep models will have a variety of trims available, so do make sure that you do your research into the various trims.
This is something that is going to have a massive impact on the towing capacity of your Jeep.
Some of these Jeep models may also offer tow packages when you buy new. If you are planning on towing a lot and you absolutely insist on a Jeep, then we suggest that you spend a bit of extra cash for the tow package.
Can Jeep SUVs Tow a Horse Trailer?
Most of the Jeeps in the Jeep SUV range should be able to tow the horse trailer. Although, of course, it is going to be completely dependent on the size of the horse trailer that you are trying to pull.
You may want to steer clear of the Jeep Compass and Jeep Renegade if you are planning on pulling a horse trailer. Neither of these have the highest towing capacity in the world.
Do You Need Brakes on the Trailer?
Yes.
Now, we know that there are some states that will not require you to use electric brakes on your trailer. Your trailer may have to be a certain weight or length before there is a requirement to have brakes installed on the trailer.
However, we suggest that you ignore those minimums if you towing horses. You should always have brakes on the trailer.
You have to remember that the idea of the brakes is to ensure that the trailer is moving in a predictable manner. It ensures that it does not come crashing into the back of your vehicle if you brake suddenly.
It ensures that it is not bouncing from side to side when you are out there on the roads of the United States. Even if you are not towing a live animal, we recommend that you have brakes. It is a safety issue, after all.
Once you start to add a live animal into the mix, then you absolutely do need to have brakes in place. If you do not, then not only are you putting your vehicle at risk, but you are also putting the health of your animals at risk.
Even the slightest of bumps could seriously injure the animals. We all know just how delicate the legs of horses can be, right?
Do You Need a Brake Controller?
Chances are that your horse trailer will already have electric brakes installed on it. This is just how important it is that brakes are used. If it does not have electric brakes, then you may want to talk to somebody so that you can get them installed.
As we said in the previous section, you absolutely should not be heading out on the road with a horse trailer unless you have brakes on the trailer.
Now, the brakes are not going to work automatically. They need to know when your vehicle is braking. For this, you are going to need to have a brake controller installed in your Jeep.
The purpose of the brake controller is to send a signal up to the 7-way at the back of the vehicle. The trailer will be plugged into the 7-way connector. Whenever the vehicle brakes, the trailer will get a signal that essentially says “you need to brake too” and it does. It is a pretty simple gadget, but incredibly safe.
Unless you purchase a wireless brake controller, you will likely need to consult with an expert to have the brake controller installed in your Jeep. This is because there is a bit of wiring that needs to be done, coupled with some drilling.
We are not going to go into depth on how to choose or use a brake controller on this page. We have produced plenty of guides on this website for details on all of that, so feel free to dive into those other articles if you need a bit more information!
Do You Need Insurance to Tow a Horse Trailer?
Probably not. However, you may still want to consult with your insurance company to find out what their requirements are. Some may not allow you to tow horse trailers, or tow horses on a commercial basis.
Conclusion
Chances are that your Jeep is going to be able to tow a horse trailer. However, do bear in mind that Jeeps aren’t really built for towing horses.
Sure, they can tow, but they do have slightly lower towing limits than similar vehicles.
At the most, you are probably going to be able to pull a small trailer with a horse in it. Make sure that you have your electric brakes installed, otherwise, you are going to be running into safety issues with your vehicle and trailer.
References
https://motorandwheels.com/jeeps-towing-capacity
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