Horse Boxes - Forward or Rear Facing?

[demia8]

Do you think it is better for the horse to be forward facing or rear facing? I have read lots of articles and I'm not sure which way to convert my lorry!!!
Any comments are welcome

 

[Emma123]

Ours are side facing

 

[lillie07]

Lorry is herringbone, but hired a small box last year while lorry was off the road- that was rear facing and the horses travelled really well in it. I think lots of research points to rear facing being better than forwards.

 

[lucemoose]

I have an equitrek, and he travels well in it. However he also travels well in an Ifor! Guess he isnt that fussy but I know he finds it hard to balance herringbone.
As above there is an awful lot of research done about the merits of rearward facing travel.
Take it it is going to be a 2 horse box?

 

[cazza]

we have left some of the horses travel in the lorry with no partitions, these are one's that we have just bought and are practically wild! they seem to travel herringbone when we have stopped to check on them, so we always travel our horses in the lorry in herringbone partitions. Even when I brought my yearlings home they were put inteh trailer loose and they both turned to stand herringbone.

 

[RunToEarth]

lorry is herringbone, the trialer is an Ifor- forwards facing and the ladies box is rear facing, dont think ive ever been too fussed.

 

[Evadiva1514]

Mine is rear facing and the horses all travel really well in it..

 

[Peanot]

I have owned 3 horseboxes just for Roxy as she didn`t travel well in any of them, all herringbone. I even let her walk loose one time desperate to find out which way she would settle, but she just kept walking round so tied her up!
Then I tried a friends trailer, forward facing, fantastic, so sold lorry and bought a shogun and Richardson. Best thing I ever did, as I can now travel anywhere and even leave her in the trailer while I check out the venue. Brilliant. Never had her in a rear facing one though.
I will say though, that I don`t know if it is the way of facing, but she is claustrophobic, (tests done have proved this) and so with the back doors being open, this is what makes all the difference to her.

 

[demia8]

Yes its for a 2 horse. i quite like the weight distribution for rear facing.

 

[Doublethyme]

My friend had a rear facing box because all the research said it is better, but neither of our horses travelled very well in it - mine is usually rock steady in anything (trailer/herringbone/forward facing), but was definitely not as keen on rear facing. My friend's mare was dreadful - nearly kept falling over.

She switched to a forward facing box and bingo both horses were happy.

Suppose there are always exceptions to the rule!!