Big horses in a 3.5t lorry?

[Oscar]

I only have one horse that will be competing, so I'm thinking of swapping my 7.5t for a 3.5t. Weight won't be an issue with one but he's nearly 17.3hh and in 7ft rugs, so I'm more worried if he'll actually fit size wise. I've seen the ones have 8ft headroom which is great but not sure if there's space length ways. Of course the salesmen says room for two big horses.

But... Has anyone got a big lump like mine & a 3.5t or do you find them a bit squished.

Other alternative is wait a few months, save some money and get a 4.5t - 6.5t custom built, I've messaged about a dozen that advertise and only 1 bothered to reply (Racemaster). They seem to be good solid builds.

 

[Moomin1]

I would say 100% not I'm afraid. I used to travel my 16.3hh mare (7ft rugs) in a hired 3.5t and she went from loading herself to being petrified of even going near them. I used to watch the lorry from behind as it travelled her and it was all over the place too, rocking and generally not sturdy with her weight in. Looking back, she used to have marks on her chest and quarters where she was pressed up to the back and front, and she was always very on edge.

I've since bought an IW510 trailer, spent a lot of time getting her confidence to load again, and she travels very well in that - plenty of room length wise and height wise for her.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I'll differ from Moomin (sorry!)

I've given a friend a lift a couple of yrs ago in my 3.5 box & hers is a 17.2 very solid mudblood wearing 7ft 3 rugs.
He travelled very well, had room to move and the height of the box was fine too This wasn't a down the road trip but a good couple of hours to her new house/yard.
I did pop up the week before to try him in the box tho, as wasn't too sure - and took him for a pootle round their local lanes & no movement from him & no additional movement from the box.
I've also taken 16.2+ horses for friends, before I decided not to give lifts any more.

Mine is coachbuilt tho & a pretty solid little lorry, as well as being quite low so the stability is very good (its a 2 & a half yr old Racemaster which I've had since newly built)

OP, I would be quite careful about what manufacturer you use, many of them wont be suitable, tho some should be

 

[Oscar]

Yes Racemaster do seem to know what they're doing. Kevin Parker, Boss etc are way above my budget!

 

[webble]

I hated driving anything over 15.2 in my box like moomin said it really felt all over the place and you noticed every bit of adverse camber

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Yes Racemaster do seem to know what they're doing. Kevin Parker, Boss etc are way above my budget!

Just remember, they 'aint' posh.
They are workmanlike and constructed well for durability/strength, but you wont get pretty finishing (unless they have upgraded since I got mine.
After sales is v good too as I took mine back for a couple of adjustments almost a year after getting it, no quibble at all.
I had an outside tack locker put in, but I use it for storing the grooming kit, water canister & buckets etc. I moved 1 of the saddle trees to inside the back. I also got 2 small side ramp doors too as if I travel a 2nd one, its my mini.
Payload is 1280 with partition in, ramp doors on, half a tank of fuel & spare wheel with me in drivers seat.
If you have a biggn as you say you do, then ask to try yours in theirs 1st for a test drive - and worth getting a climb board too.
(no, I dont work for them!)

 

[PolarSkye]

I think it depends very much on the horse . . . a friend has a 17.2hh ID cross who is built like a brick outhouse . . . he simply couldn't work out how to turn himself/load onto an Equitrek that could have comfortably taken him . . . he went up the (nice wide) ramp, got to the top and just couldn't turn . . . but he's nearly as wide as he is tall (he's a unit) and just couldn't make the turn - even when we took the partition out.

My tall, leggy boy is short coupled and can turn himself round in the walker (no joke), so turning in tight spaces is easy for him (he's only 16.3hh) . . . but my point is really that some big horses find loading on particular lorries easy, and some don't . . . and, for some, it's a mental thing.

P

 

[Nicnac]

Think it depends on lorry and the horse. Was at HT this morning and friend's 3.5t Equistar (upgraded to 4.5t for payload) wouldn't have taken my horse who is a lump but Racemasters do seem to be bigger inside.

If you want bells and whistles stick to 7.5t; if happy with very basic then you should be ok with a large 3.5t but make sure your horse is ok with it first!

 

[Valo]

3.5 tonne lorries come in a lot of different shapes and sizes. Some would be easily big enough and others not. It depends on how much of the lorry has been converted to horse space and how much to tack or living area and also what length wheelbase you're converting in the first place.
Mine has loads of space in the horse area and could easily take a 17.2 whereas my friend has one that I think is too tight for my 16.1.

 

[Fides]

You will be fine if you travel diagonally

 

[Batgirl]

It depends on the horse (and the driver) what a horse travels well in and not. My old ISH 17hh travelled really well in a 3.5t.

saying that you can feel every bit of camber is a little irrelevant, you can't feel the camber when towing a trailer, it doesn't mean it isn't there, it just isn't highlighted to you like it is in a 3.5t.

 

[Moomin1]

It depends on the horse (and the driver) what a horse travels well in and not. My old ISH 17hh travelled really well in a 3.5t.

saying that you can feel every bit of camber is a little irrelevant, you can't feel the camber when towing a trailer, it doesn't mean it isn't there, it just isn't highlighted to you like it is in a 3.5t.

I'm sure if you have a very calm traveller who is willing to be confined into smaller spaces then it would be ok. But it is certainly worth mentioning to OP that they are not really designed size wise for large horses, and certainly in my experience, my mare did not seem comfortable in them.

Though that being said, that was only one particular make of 3.5t, so I don't know about others.

 

[Valo]

But my horse has more room in my 3.5 tonne where he faces backwards than in my friend's 7.5 where they travel herringbone. They really do vary a lot in length of horse area.

In terms of feeling the camber, it's generally understood that Movano and Master conversions give a really smooth ride due the horses standing between the front and rear axles so they get hardly any sway. On the other hand something like a Ford Transit conversion can feel really boaty because the horses stand above.

Also haven't most studies found that most horses prefer to travel backwards over herringbone or forwards?

 

[Pinkvboots]

I think it depends on the lorry 3.5 ton can vary so much, I have a Renault Equipe coach build and its too small for my 16.3, she is too long and to tall to fit in it comfortably but I have travelled her in an Equitrek 3.5 ton which was much bigger than mine.

 

[marmalade76]

I hated driving anything over 15.2 in my box like moomin said it really felt all over the place and you noticed every bit of adverse camber

Was this a box built round a chassis or a box sitting on top of a chassis (ie, the box sits above the wheels, take it off and you could have a flatbed)? If the latter, then I absolutely agree about the camber, but (not that I've driven one) I would imagine that the boxes built round the chassis (like the Equitreks) would be better 'cause the centre of gravity is much lower.

 

[Carrots&Mints]

We travelled our 16hh traditional in a 3.5 tonner down to Royal International (9 hours from us) and he was ok. Alot smoother than in the 7.5t

 

[Red-1]

I designed my new 3.5 tonne box, and because I only wanted to travel 1 horse the horse partition is ....... 8 ft high, 8 ft 9ins long and 4 ft wide. The horse is behind the driver for stability on the camber, and it is a Renault Master with the horse lowered between the two axles. The "spare" side has a huge tack locker and a toilet/rug compartment.

This is more space then in most 7.5 tonnes. With the horses lowered it seems very stable.

 

[amandaco2]

My evo took my 17.2h fine space wise but be careful about payload!

 

[webble]

It depends on the horse (and the driver) what a horse travels well in and not. My old ISH 17hh travelled really well in a 3.5t.

saying that you can feel every bit of camber is a little irrelevant, you can't feel the camber when towing a trailer, it doesn't mean it isn't there, it just isn't highlighted to you like it is in a 3.5t.

Its not irrelevant if it makes it harder to drive or feels unsafe. I didnt notice it with smaller ponies in the 3.5t or big horses in a 7.5t

 

[webble]

Was this a box built round a chassis or a box sitting on top of a chassis (ie, the box sits above the wheels, take it off and you could have a flatbed)? If the latter, then I absolutely agree about the camber, but (not that I've driven one) I would imagine that the boxes built round the chassis (like the Equitreks) would be better 'cause the centre of gravity is much lower.

It was a Renault Master van conversion, it was never an issue with smaller ones just bigger ones

 

[frostyfingers]

Have you considered going to a 6.5/5/4.5 ton instead which should offer you more space internally?