Confused - left or right hand ramps?

Foxford

Foxford

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I'm looking for a trailer at the moment and am hugely confused about what the reason is for choosing one or the other?!

Silly question I'm sure, but hopefully one if you helpful lot will be along to point out the obvious for me! :p
 
It's personal preference at the end of the day. Left-hand ramps allow the horse to be unloaded more safely if there was e.g. a breakdown on the road - mine's on the left and I prefer it for that reason.
 
I've got a bateson and the ramp is left handed. I prefer this as in the event of needing to unload on the road ( and I've needed to do this) you are unloading onto the verge rather than into traffic. Others including most ifors are right handed some folk prefer this as if you are pulled up by the side of the road against a wall say you wouldn't be able to use a left handed ramp. I'm happy that in this unlikely eventuality I could back any of mine off if need be. Like most things it's down to personal preference.
 
I prefer on left for reasons everyone else has said about unloading. The other reason I go for ramp on left is that when carrying one horse you are supposed to load it in the stall behind the driver to counterbalance the road camber. If you have a big horse loaded like this then a ramp on the right doesn't give much room and horses can bang their hips when being unloaded, doesn't take many times of it hurting coming out before they decide it may (in their mind) be better not to get in!
 
Agree with the above. Have a Bateson with a left hand ramp. I broke down the other day on a motorway and although I fortunately didn't have to unload, having the ramp away from the traffic would have been so much better if I'd had to.
 
sillygillyhorse said:
I prefer on left for reasons everyone else has said about unloading. The other reason I go for ramp on left is that when carrying one horse you are supposed to load it in the stall behind the driver to counterbalance the road camber. If you have a big horse loaded like this then a ramp on the right doesn't give much room and horses can bang their hips when being unloaded, doesn't take many times of it hurting coming out before they decide it may (in their mind) be better not to get in!
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Yes, agree with this and chose a left handed raamp for the same reason
 
asmp said:
Agree with the above. Have a Bateson with a left hand ramp. I broke down the other day on a motorway and although I fortunately didn't have to unload, having the ramp away from the traffic would have been so much better if I'd had to.
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Hi, in this situation the police will close the motorway in both directions before allowing you to unload.
 
Quite right Oldie 48 - the police will close the motorway if livestock needs to be off loaded. Please don't anyone try to offload horses on a motorway - or even a busy road!

We have a Right hand ramp as we often carry only one horse in a 2 horse trailer. Because they also travel on the right it is easier to get them off. However we also hunt a great deal and I must admit in our country having a left hand ramp would make it near on impossible to offload unless we parked on the other side of the road so we could offload onto the roadway. Very few verges and lots of hedges / high banks. We've become very very good at getting the horse off, around the back and the ramp back up in double quick time!
 
MissChaos said:
It's personal preference at the end of the day. Left-hand ramps allow the horse to be unloaded more safely if there was e.g. a breakdown on the road - mine's on the left and I prefer it for that reason.
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Everyone says this - but In reality it isn't that easy! If you breakdown on a lane with no verge you simply cannot undo the left hand ramp as there is not enough room to drop it down, let alone get the horse out! Either that or you have to leave the broken down vehicle to obstruct the entire road just so you can unload.
I feel all horses should be taught to reverse off the rear ramp.
 
sillygillyhorse said:
I prefer on left for reasons everyone else has said about unloading. The other reason I go for ramp on left is that when carrying one horse you are supposed to load it in the stall behind the driver to counterbalance the road camber. If you have a big horse loaded like this then a ramp on the right doesn't give much room and horses can bang their hips when being unloaded, doesn't take many times of it hurting coming out before they decide it may (in their mind) be better not to get in!
Click to expand...

That's a good point, my horse is a fair size so he'd always be on the RHS of the trailer.

When I looked at the angle of the RH ramps they seemed to point kind of towards the rear of the trailer which seems a bit of a steep angle to me. Food for thought, thanks everyone!
 
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