Cheval Maxi 2 - flimsy doors?

[MissP]

Hi, I'm thinking of getting a herringbone trailer.

The Cheval maxi 2 is an obvious contender but a couple of things looks a bit flimsy / potential for accidents.

For anyone who owns one...

- the way the top doors swing up - does your horse ever bash its head on them? It looks like they could get easy damaged, especially the odd shape of the front one and the skinny hydraulic.

- is the chain the only thing holding the front horse in the trailer when the front ramp is down? I.e. no breast bar? Has anyone's horse ever broken it? Stable chains can break pretty easily after all...

Thanks! X

 

[silv]

Looks like a nice trailer, my trailer has top doors that swing up, occasionally a difficult loader could bump it's head. The skinny hydraulics are actually gas struts which work very well, I have those too. I see what you mean about the chain, but I imagine if you are leaving the horse standing in the trailer you would have the front door closed and the window up. However i imagine you could buy a bar for it if that was what you preferred.
Will be interesting to hear what people who have them say.

 

[Tiddlypom]

If you don’t want a flimsy trailer, don’t get a Cheval.

We went to the UK main dealer in Corwen with a view to buy new and were horrified at the quality. Very smart shiny looking trailers with initial showroom appeal, until you lay hands on them.

 

[TPO]

I bought a new Cheval with the tack room (touring?). I absolutely hated everything about it.

I wouldn't say that it was badly made but it was made for lefthand driving.

I found it really unnerving how light it was and could feel every movement so hate to imagine how the horse felt. In fact he started being very reluctant to load. Went back to normal when I sold the cheval and got another ifor.

No convenient tie up spots and the haynet rings in mine were well out of reach of the horse.

Trying to unload a horse from RHS out the front ramp on the left past the tack room was a PITA and would be borderline dangerous with a worried/stuck/bargey horse.

The grooms door was where a haynet would be so not easy getting in or out and you couldn't access the tack room unless the front ramp was down.

I know that's not the herringbone version but I'd be very thorough when viewing and try to think of every scenario.

 

[nutjob]

I have the minimax which is now called the maxi 3. I don't find it flimsy but mine is about 10 years old so maybe the new ones have a different construction. I have 3 large wb's and used to have an ISH all above 16hh none have hit their head on the opening windows. One of mine was a bad traveller in a forward facing trailer and is improved with travelling herringbone. They love being able to look out at events and in the summer its cooler inside than a lot of trailers as it has opening roof vents.

The chain is the only thing keeping the horse in if the ramp is down. I had a horse who somehow crouched down and went under it, so def not safe to leave them unattended like this.

I tie the haynets up to the same rings as the horses and there is a rail on the outside to tie horses up to. If you want to tie on the other side as well you have to pay extra for a rail there. The tack room on mine is generous and is accessed via a lockable door from outside the trailer.

Mines is used most weeks, so probably done about 20k miles now. The brakes are sensitive and need adjusting more often than once a year and you need to buy and install the gadget to stop the brakes coming on when reversing up a hill which really should come with the trailer, you also have to manually set it although it does release when you drive forward.

 

[Traks]

We’ve got a maxi 4 at our yard and it gets used and abused most weeks at various events, hunts etc with big horses and YO has no complaints!

I’ve got a CL Tourer which I love! Yes the top door does blow back a bit if it’s windy and yes it’s tight up front by the tack locker but the horses seem to love it. No issues here at all and I’m a wimp towing! I love how easy it is to hitch up by myself too. I’d go for the XL now though as it’s the never version and there is a lot more space up front by the locker

You can get tie rings fitted wherever you want, I’ve got ones for the haynet above the jockey door and one by the horses head as well as external ones. We just asked the dealer and he put up as many as we wanted.