Advice on horse trailers and cars

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missyme10

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Hello all,

I want to buy a horse trailer to take my daughter to pony club and for us both to go to the beach etc.
I have a toyota Yaris, no chance of it pulling anything let alone horses!

So I am gonna get a new car and trailer, now fuel costs seriously concern me.
ie bigger vehicle, bigger fuel bills in general not just when towing.

So, in an ideal world, I want a lighter weight trailer, and not a great big hulk of a 4x4 to pull it.

I dont even know where to start lol.

Oh the trailer will only pull ponies now, but will in a few years time have to pull horses, at most prob 2 16hh warm blood types........trying to think ahead also.

Also, the car side, I really dont care much for cars, they are for getting from A to B to me, so practical with pulling power when needed is what I want, but when not towing aren't 2 expensive to run - is there such a car ?????

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks xxxxxxx
 
Ummm, you sort of contradict yourself, as you say you don't want a big car, but that you may want to pull two horses.

I regularly pull two 14.2 ponies in an Ifor HB505 and they are a fair old weight. If you are planning on pulling two 16.2 horses, they are going to weigh around 1100Kgs, so you are going to need a decent trailer and a powerful car.

My current set up is a SWB Pajero 2.8 diesel and an HB505. The HB is pretty tough and they last well, but there are lighter trailers available like the Bateson ranges. Make sure you have a good look at any trailer, as light weight means just that and one I looked at recently was bordering on the flimsy and was not something I would have wanted to put our two in for a longer journey, but if I was to replace the HB505 I would definitely consider Bateson.

As for cars, the more modern you can afford, the better the fuel consumption is going to be. Our Paj does about 30 to 35 MPG, but pulling two ponies on a windy day will bring that down dramatically.
 
try a x trail it tows well and does mid 30s to gallon, pulls 506 and my 16.3 ISH no trouble and use to pull 505 with 15.2 idxtb and 14,1 conn x no trouble.
 
I have a Cheval Liberte trailer that I tow my 560KG horse in with a BMW 5 Series Touring.

No problems so far, even with an emergency stop!

I shouldn't think the fuel consumption is much better than a 4WD tbh though as it's a 4.4 litre.
 
mon said:
try a x trail it tows well and does mid 30s to gallon, pulls 506 and my 16.3 ISH no trouble and use to pull 505 with 15.2 idxtb and 14,1 conn x no trouble.
Click to expand...

Yep, an XTrail has just over 2t towing capacity, so you would be just fine with a Bateson/Cheval Liberte or similar trailer and 2 horses in it.
Mine, when it was nice and new(ish) and healthy averaged 40 miles per gallon solo and about 33 towing, nowadays it doesn't do that well, but still very reasonable on fuel. The tax is a murder, although that will be the case with any 4x4
 
Persephone said:
I have a Cheval Liberte trailer that I tow my 560KG horse in with a BMW 5 Series Touring.

No problems so far, even with an emergency stop!

I shouldn't think the fuel consumption is much better than a 4WD tbh though as it's a 4.4 litre.
Click to expand...

Very similar here - Mercedes E300 estate - 3l diesel. Car weighs about 2.5tonnes alone.

Bateson trailer, and two 13.2h ponies.
 
CrazyMare said:
Very similar here - Mercedes E300 estate - 3l diesel. Car weighs about 2.5tonnes alone.

Bateson trailer, and two 13.2h ponies.
Click to expand...

You'll find that the Mercedes E300 Estate doesn't weight anything near 2.5 tonnes.

OP - to tow you will need a good gusty 4x4.

I had a Disco which could tow 3.5 tonnes & you would never of known you were towing.

I now have a Range Rover again you wouldn't know you were towing.

You have to put into consideration your tack & passengers you may be carrying too.

If VOSA do pull you over to check weight limits & your overweight then you won't be leaving the compound with or without horse(s) in your trailer.
 
Thanks for the responses :D

I've been doing my homework since asking, and have discovered that the cheval liberte 2000 is pretty much the lightest weight trailer you can buy that could carry the horses I need it to carry - well I think anyway lol.

It weighs 650kg and can be safely loaded with 1350kg of horses.
I like the look of it, and it is significantly lighter than an Ifor williams trailer.

The two horses it is likely to carry in a few years (my babies when grown up) will be a 16hh sports horse, of the lighter build and a 14.2hh welsh section D - are these 2 likely to exceed 1350kg presming neither is significantly over weight?

So I think I may have the trailer issue resolved, and I now know that I need a vehicle with a 2000kg towing capacity - this now narrows things down.

Thanks x
 
Oh NeilM - I know what your saying, think I'm just not explaining myself fully.
I basically want the best economy, I know 2 horses can't be pulled by just anything and I'll need something pretty big, I just meant I dont want a great big hulk of a land rover with a huge engine that does about 2 miles to the gallon like my yard owners (slight exaggeration I know, but her jeep is crazy on fuel).

Something that when not towing, isn't 2 hard on fuel for just general running around.
I believe there are jeeps that do about 30mpg for just general running around and cruising, ok thats much worse than my yaris at about 45mpg, but at same time probably about as good as its going to get.

I know it drops dramatically mpg when towing, but that I have to live with !! x
 
Not in quite the same position but similar.Have a single cheval liberte as the lightest I can find and tow with a mercedes saloon which has a manufacturers towing limit of 1139kgs.We are well under that although trailer platted to carry 1400kgs.I checked with the legal departments of the BHS,caravan club and the DVLA who all tell me I am perfectly legal and the car tows everything beautifully.You may need a different car to me but not necessarily a four wheeled drive one.People towed without four wheeled drive for long enough, horse trailers, caravans etc.
 
Perrie said:
You'll find that the Mercedes E300 Estate doesn't weight anything near 2.5 tonnes.

OP - to tow you will need a good gusty 4x4.

I had a Disco which could tow 3.5 tonnes & you would never of known you were towing.

I now have a Range Rover again you wouldn't know you were towing.

You have to put into consideration your tack & passengers you may be carrying too.

If VOSA do pull you over to check weight limits & your overweight then you won't be leaving the compound with or without horse(s) in your trailer.
Click to expand...

Just had a look in my handbook at the reg. papers and my 5 series actually weighs 2.3 tonnes dry.

FWIW you don't know you are towing with my car either! It has no problems at all. It is also regularly used to tow a 35 foot yacht, again easy.

Taking everything into account I have plenty of spare weight left. However I will never take a second horse as I like to keep the weight as low as possible.


We did a lot of research before deciding on car and trailer. For the amount of towing I do, in the conditions I have to do it, my car is perfectly adequate.
 
missyme10 said:
Hello all,

I want to buy a horse trailer to take my daughter to pony club and for us both to go to the beach etc.
I have a toyota Yaris, no chance of it pulling anything let alone horses!

So I am gonna get a new car and trailer, now fuel costs seriously concern me.
ie bigger vehicle, bigger fuel bills in general not just when towing.

So, in an ideal world, I want a lighter weight trailer, and not a great big hulk of a 4x4 to pull it.

I dont even know where to start lol.

Oh the trailer will only pull ponies now, but will in a few years time have to pull horses, at most prob 2 16hh warm blood types........trying to think ahead also.

Also, the car side, I really dont care much for cars, they are for getting from A to B to me, so practical with pulling power when needed is what I want, but when not towing aren't 2 expensive to run - is there such a car ?????

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks xxxxxxx
Click to expand...
If you want to tow a horse trailer safely you are looking at something that does about30 mpg using a small vehicle that is at its limit to tow is a false economy as it oftern ends with a burnt out clutch and there is a bigger risk of losing control for someting will maybe do 10 more to the gallon so it realy isnt worth cutting corners, if you do a big weekly mileage and your toyota is ok perhaps keep it as a runabout then
you could look at a older 4x4 for towing or a lorry , if you dont do much a week then perhaps just one 4X4 like a discovery or shogun would be ok, I think you will find all solutions have a downside but please don't compromise safety....
 
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have you considered a kia sorento. they are becoming really popular amongst horsy towers. Full size 4x4, mine tows 2.5t, so easily trailer & 2 horses. plus it's very good on fuel (esp in comparrison to my last car 2.5 shogun swb).
 
The kerb weight on a Mercedes E300 is 1730 kg
Whereas the kerb weight on a Range Rover & Discovery is 2115 kg.

Persephone you are making out that your Mercedes is a much heavier vehicle than the Range rover & Discovery which i can assure you it isn't.
On your reg papers i.e V5 there isn't anything on it that states the kerb weight of the vehicle either.
 
Perrie said:
The kerb weight on a Mercedes E300 is 1730 kg
Whereas the kerb weight on a Range Rover & Discovery is 2115 kg.

Persephone you are making out that your Mercedes is a much heavier vehicle than the Range rover & Discovery which i can assure you it isn't.
On your reg papers i.e V5 there isn't anything on it that states the kerb weight of the vehicle either.
Click to expand...

Read my reply properly! I don't have a Mercedes.

I was talking about my 5 series. The papers are the ones that came with the handbook when delivery was taken of the car. A kind of factory print out I guess.

The minimum kerb weight of my car is is 1960 KG
 
it does annoy me when people claim that only 4x4's can tow (or tow legally) . Not the case and infact H&H's towing advice actually states that a car is better for motorway towing. The obvious point is that the tower should check the legal requirments, i..e gross max trailer wieght and then look for a car that is capable of towing that weight.

I towed for many years in the Midlands perferctly legally with a Mondeo. I now have a saab but its kerb weight is too close to being 100% of a trailer and pony on board for me to feel safe towing with it.
 
Persephone said:
Read my reply properly! I don't have a Mercedes.

I was talking about my 5 series. The papers are the ones that came with the handbook when delivery was taken of the car. A kind of factory print out I guess.

The minimum kerb weight of my car is is 1960 KG
Click to expand...

I do apologise for the mistake i made regarding you towing a Mercedes E300.

Although the BMW 5 series according to the net says its actual kg is 1555

It is very confusing to say the least regarding all these different weights & the dos & dont's etc etc.

XxX
 
Oh and to the OP- you can tow with a car, but personally wouldn't tow 2 horses without a bigger 4x4. You'd probably be ok with a bigger car and two little ponies, but ideally you don't want to be towing up to your max towing weight. Also if you towed 2 horses with a car, you'd likely to be quite a bit above the kerb weight, which isn't ideal.
 
Hi

I tow with a Hyundai santa fe. Its got a 2000kg limit and I've got an ifor 505 which I had downrated to a 2k kg limit to match. It tows 2 ponies or one 16hh horse easily and is a great car to drive in between times esp in the snow, and fuel consumption isn't scary. The very light trailers don't always imo tow as well, although everyone has their own view on that.
 
My toyota surf blew up towing my empty 505 , so im stuck with a trailer i can tow had to scrap toyota .Does anyone know if a new shape ford torneo can legally tow one with a 15.hh? Thanks if anyone can help
 
thinlizzy said:
My toyota surf blew up towing my empty 505 , so im stuck with a trailer i can tow had to scrap toyota .Does anyone know if a new shape ford torneo can legally tow one with a 15.hh? Thanks if anyone can help
Click to expand...
Should be ok if its a transit not a transit connect, but check your model and check with ford just to be sure, you have to be carefull towing with vans as you can be over weight if you have a load in the van at the same time as towing a trailer.....
 
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