BATESON - Sorry - that age old Trailer subject again!

[AngelaWB]

I'm considering buying a new Bateson trailer with barn doors for a chunky 16hh Oldenburg x Fresian, for those who own one or have trailers and would consider one, would you please give me your views on the following:

Would you go for Ascot or Deauville and why?

Which flooring would you consider best / or do you have...composite or alloy...and why?

I'd love a Fautras or a 3.5 t but I will be doing very minimal miles with it and don't do shows etc, so I want whatever I buy to hold it's value as I will be looking after it well.

Thanks.

 

[JCW]

I have a Bateson deauville. I like it, horses travel well in it and has a composite floor. Don’t have barn doors though.

l live near Batesons too so it’s really easy to get parts and have it serviced. Its a 2010 trailer and I’ve had it about 5 years and all I’ve really spent on it other than annual service is new tyres x

 

[COldNag]

I have a Ascot and really rate it. But I find I tend to carry tack in the car so honestly a Deauville would be fine! I do however keep a poo picker and small broom in the tack locker so it is handy

Mine is not new and has the composite floor and normal ramp. If I was buying new I might go for barn doors but it wouldn't worry me either way.

Love the trailer. Airy and light. I have travelled several different horses and ponies in it and not had any not like it.

Echo the comment about parts. I have bought bits and pieces from Bsteson and they are super efficient, very helpful and surprisingly cheap.

 

[ihatework]

I have an Ascot and wouldn’t have any other trailer. It’s light, easy, gives the horses a nice ride and my mechanic loves working on them and finds Bateson easy to deal with. It’s got a composite floor and a normal ramp.

In all honesty I don’t use the tack locker for tack, that goes in the car. But it’s really useful to store all the little bits and bobs (buckets, first aid, spare parts etc.) and just keep those bits in the trailer full time.

The white body reflects heat wonderfully, which if you are going out and about in the summer, really is the selling point for me.

 

[DirectorFury]

I’ve got a Deauville with barn doors and love it. The doors are great for horses that are tricky to load with a ramp. Bateson are wonderful to deal with when you need spares etc. The only downside is that it doesn’t tow well when it’s empty - very bouncy and bangy - but I think that’s a quirk of mine and probably because it needs a service (don’t worry, horses aren’t going in it until after it’s been serviced!).

If I was buying again I’d go for the Ascot, simply because when the trailer is hitched up I can’t open the back of the tow car all the way and it won’t stay open, which makes getting tack in and out a right faff (tow cars are 1992 Land Rover Discovery and 1986 Land Rover 90). There’s also not loads of room in the back of the tow cars for all the assorted stuff that you end up taking!

 

[DZ2]

I bought Deauville with barn doors brand new few years ago and it's been great. At the time I was thinking about paying extra for aluminium floors but dealer talked me out of it; he said aluminium rattles more and composite comes with lifetime warranty anyway so no point paying extra. I've not had any issues so far so I think he was right.
Barn door are fantastic and great for loading. Only issue is they can flap in very high winds when open, but that's easily solvable with a bit of rope.

The main reason I went for Deauville over Ascot was it's lighter weight. Tack I keep in the boot of the car so tack locker wouldn't be used anyway (I also heard it's bit small so some saddles don't fit in it). By the way Deauville has saddle rack for two saddles at the front, but I'm pretty sure my horse would reach out and use them as a travel snack so I've never used it.

One very minor annoyance about my trailer is that there is no good place to tie up the haynet. The existing rings are either too close to the horse so the net hitting him right in the face, or too far away (towards the nose); I wonder if anyone came up with some clever solution to this?

 

[scruffyponies]

I love my Deauville with boston doors, and never use the little ramp thingy.
DZ2 is right about the hay net ties - same problem as a HB505. I have tied a hay net up sideways above the saddle rack. They can both just about reach it and it's not in the way.
I'm particularly pleased witht he hitch and jockey wheel on mine; much easier to hitch than anything else I have ever had, which makes a real difference to how you feel about using it.

 

[TTK]

I have a Deauville with barn doors and I love it, so does my horse. Tows really well, doesn’t rattle, nothing has broken in 3 years. I really recommend it.

 

[COldNag]

I bought Deauville with barn doors brand new few years ago and it's been great. At the time I was thinking about paying extra for aluminium floors but dealer talked me out of it; he said aluminium rattles more and composite comes with lifetime warranty anyway so no point paying extra. I've not had any issues so far so I think he was right.
Barn door are fantastic and great for loading. Only issue is they can flap in very high winds when open, but that's easily solvable with a bit of rope.

The main reason I went for Deauville over Ascot was it's lighter weight. Tack I keep in the boot of the car so tack locker wouldn't be used anyway (I also heard it's bit small so some saddles don't fit in it). By the way Deauville has saddle rack for two saddles at the front, but I'm pretty sure my horse would reach out and use them as a travel snack so I've never used it.

One very minor annoyance about my trailer is that there is no good place to tie up the haynet. The existing rings are either too close to the horse so the net hitting him right in the face, or too far away (towards the nose); I wonder if anyone came up with some clever solution to this?

I don't have an issue with Haynets - maybe the positioning just works for the size of horse I am travelling?
Edit to say that maybe the Haynet rings are in a different place in the Ascot?

 

[teach]

Just bought a second hand Ascot, had our first trips out in it this weekend! It’s amazing to tow, and the horses travelled really well!

 

[Sprig]

I have an Ascot and have previously had a Deauville. Both have been great. Lovely trailers that tow much better than an Ifor. V light and inviting inside. My ascot has barn doors on the back. All my horses are happy to step up (from tiny ones to spooky ones), I never use the pull out ramp. Also useful for loading things in with a forklift (shavings etc), you can't get close enough to lift in a pallet with a normal ramp. I use the tack locker but it is a little bit of a squeeze (17.5" jump saddle).
If looking 2nd hand you may struggle, people don't tend to sell them! Try the dealerships. I know our local one has their ex-hire Deauville for sale that has had absolutely everything done to it.

 

[AngelaWB]

Thank you all, I really appreciate your responses. Sprig, who is your local dealership please?

I'm really thinking of buying new, but was in a bit of a debate about Ascot v Deauville, alloy v composite. I've only ever had Ifor Williams in the past, so a brand change is a huge step for me lol.

 

[Sprig]

Fieldfare Trailer Centre in Salisbury.

 

[AngelaWB]

Thanks again all.

I realise this is an odd request, but would someone be able to take a photo from inside of their trailer, looking forward with the front ramp down please? Basically I bought a 403 when I sold my 505, thought it would be big enough but my mare caught her shoulder in the door frame as exiting the trailer, don't think there was enough room for her to swing around to it (also she's pigeon toed so not sure if this also didn't help), 2nd time I put her in it she loaded then she broke free and bolted, this is so unlike her as she's really laid back, so I presumed the trailer just wasn't big enough for her. (Oldenburg x Freisian approx 650kg/16hh). Thanks.

 

[Sprig]

I can't do a pic for you, as I don't have partitions in at the moment, but she will have plenty of room. You can pivot the front half of the partition from the centre post to move it right out of the way when unloading. I used to travel my 16.2 in mine. He was a nervous traveller but never had an worries coming out.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Deauville with barn doors from the front and from the rear . Pics taken at Bateson HQ.

Posted too soon!

Looked like good room to me.

 

[AngelaWB]

Thanks both. That's brilliant. I'd hoped to go and see one at the factory, but with lock downs etc it's been impossible. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and order I think as they now have a 25 week waiting time!! Thanks for your help.

 

[ihatework]

17.1/17.2hh MW saint, no central partition

 

[AngelaWB]

Oh wow, big horse! Excellent thanks