COMPARED with the vehicles that tow them, livestock trailers invariably get a pretty raw deal when it comes to servicing, maintenance and generally being looked after.

They get hitched up, do their job, may get swept out, and then it's back to being parked in a corner of the stable yard. Given that they have an important role to play in the safe, comfortable and convenient transport of much-loved animals, horse trailers deserve to be properly looked after.

Trailers tend to be neglected probably because they are pretty simple things, so people think they don't need much attention. But a trailer that's well looked after is safer, will perform better and last longer.

For one thing, the Sunday morning ritual car wash could usefully be extended to the horse trailer. Not as often, perhaps, but it is certainly worth washing off the dirt, using a power washer or powerful hose, especially from the underside of the chassis.

It is here, after all, that accumulations of mud from wet fields, salt from winter road maintenance, and general grime from every-day use, holds moisture and leads to corrosion of vulnerable components.

A quick wash-down to get rid of caked-on dirt will allow the underside to dry off properly, and will help keep the trailer chassis in good condition. Lower bodywork also needs a good wash-down every so often, and cleaning the upper bodywork - as well as the roof - will keep the trailer looking smart.

Cleaning the underside will also help keep the cable mechanism that operates the trailer's over-run brakes running free, as well as slowing deterioration of the cable itself. Servicing should also include lubricating the brake mechanism according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

Bearing in mind that it is the floor and lower sections of the bodywork that tend to go first, it is also worth paying attention to the interior.

Where rubber mats are used, these should be taken out once in a while, the floor thoroughly washed and swept out, and then left to dry and given a good airing. Otherwise, floor coverings hold in moisture from general use and the trailer's structure will suffer.

Given the weights involved, keeping the brake operating mechanism and the brakes themselves in good order is crucial to safe towing - and the same goes for the tyres. On tandem axle trailers, it is all too easy to miss a soft tyre on one side (which will impose a greater load on the partner tyre) unless they are properly checked.

Tyre pressures should be matched all round and the trailer towed level as far as possible. A pronounced nose-down attitude when hitched to the towing vehicle will accelerate front tyre wear on tandem axle trailers but more importantly cause handling and stability on the road to suffer.

Stability and predictable handling - as well as good driving technique - is very important for safely towing a trailer on the road. No one wants to call out an ambulance trailer to rescue animals from a trailer lying on its side next to the road.