Even a fairly light, small vehicle can safely handle a decent load, as long as the tongue weight is not too great, as that tends to lift the front wheels of the tow vehicle, making it difficult to steer, or in the case of a front-wheel drive, pull.
To an extent, this can be corrected with an equalizing hitch, which uses torsion bars to transfer weight to the front of the tow vehicle.
Trailer brakes can also help a lot, by keeping the trailer in line with the tow vehicle during stops.
If you've ever pulled a trailer that is too tongue-heavy for the tow vehicle, you'll never forget just how unstable is is. The trailer will begin to wag back and forth, and the violence of each wag will increase rapidly. Hitting the brakes can totally break the trailer loose and encourage it to try to get in front of the tow vehicle.
If you're going to pull a trailer, you need to know the capabilities of your tow vehicle, and the charecteristics of the trailer. Once you're hooked up, get some practice before you set out for any distance.
Also, I'd strongly encourage you to practice, practice, practice backing the trailer. It's tricky and not intuitive, although it's not hard to learn. The shorter the distance between the hitch and the trailer axle, the quicker it will cut, and the easier it is to jacknife.
My $0.02