3.5 ton rear travelling lorry - partitions or no!

[canteron]

I swapped my trailer (which horse hated) for a 3.5 tonne lorry.

In my trailer I always travelled everything with a single Brest bar …. and as I am only carrying 1 horse thought I would take out the partition in the lorry and do the same.

But a friend has said ‘no no no always travel the horse with partitions in a rear facing lorry’. She also said the have the partitions fairly tight.

Very confused - all advice and experience appreciated.

 

[millitiger]

I don't think there's a reason you have to have the partition- a lot of youngsters are travelled without partition in a 3.5t lorry.

I personally like the partition as means I know where the horse is when it comes to opening doors and the ramp!

 

[Alibear]

Does the lorry have gates, or does it drop the ramp, and there's nothing to stop them coming off? That's the only reason I can think of, but I haven't had a 3.5-t lorry.

 

[Grassy]

I always travel without the partitions in my 3.5 with no problems

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I travel using my partition in my 3.5 tho it's set quite wide.
The only time I have it tight is if travelling the mini, but she's also tied to the hinge end of the partition, travelling facing forward. I know where she is then and she can't attempt to squeeze out.....

 

[Fieldlife]

I have got a 5.5 Tonne lorry, but it is only stalled for two horses facing forwards. I travel 1 17hh horse. I would never travel him without the partition. As I think he could turn around or fall over without the padded partition, which could be dangerous.

 

[Boulty]

If you choose to take the partition out in a 3.5 ton you will need either loading gates or a chain or removable bar to stop them being able to lean on the ramp. You may also want to cross tie if you do this. depending on the horse. A friend does it with her horse who doesn’t like being squished in & he travels fine like this. It’s something I’ve thought about with mine as he’s very wide (so partition is on widest setting anyway, although I can’t make it as wide behind as in front) and box is a van conversion but as he’s a bit of a thug I would want either gates or to shift my partition so that it closes just in front of ramp, both of which cost money I don’t currently have.

 

[maya2008]

It’s a lot easier to keep it in. Load, tie, close partition, relax about getting the ramp up and the top down. Some horses will swing their bottom out onto the ramp otherwise, on loading or when the ramp comes down to unload. In ours you can widen the partition quite a lot and make it really roomy if just one horse, so they are not really confined.

 

[scats]

I have a 3.5 van conversion and travel without the partition. I have a bar that goes up before the ramp so she can’t swing her bum onto the ramp at all.

She loves the space. When I look through at her rather large behind from the window in the bulkhead, I wonder how on earth she’d fit into a partitioned area!

 

[McFluff]

I open mine right up so that the partition acts like a gate to make putting ramp up/down safer. My partition can easily adjust to do this.
He travels much better with more space.

 

[dougpeg]

Mine prefers to travel in a 3.5 with the partition out. I wonder if its due to the wheel arches sticking out how they do. Regardless he's a happier pony without it.