Horsebox headroom.

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Loubiepoo

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Hi
What height horse would a horsebox with 7ft5" headroom be ok for?
I know my Bateson trailer is 7ft3" and states is ok for up to 17h - is it the same for boxes?
Thanks
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I think the minimum legal headroom in now 7'6" for horseboxes. Not sure why I think this, though!
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I'm sure it has to do with any animal being transported in it must be able to have its head up at the normal height (so presume at alert, 'looking about' height not 'dozing in the sun' height). So if it's a 17 hander, this would be at least 7'6". If you are only taking ponies, they'd be fine, of course!
 
My old trailer was 7ft headroom and was too low for my 16.2. Personally, I wouldnt want anything less than 7'6 for a 16.2 or bigger.
 
So my 17h horse can fit fine into a 7'3" Bateson but I don't understand why he won't be ok in a 7'5" box? Is there something different about them - sorry, I'm a lorry novice!
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my lorry gives 7ft5 head room for my 17h horse and hes got plenty of head room no prob at all,,,,, not sure where the legalities of headroom comes in but alot of lorrys dont have 8ft headroom!!
 
I know somebody who's horsebox is only 6ft 11" headroom and they travel a 17hh in it. I have to say i feel so sorry for the poor horse. I have said to them before it's to low for their horse, all i get told is that the horse loads OK so he must me fine, i have now given up telling them. We use to take it in turns using our lorry's, i say use to, i will not put my mare in there.
 
Our lorry has 7ft 8in headroom. Our 17.3hh has loads of room in it, but it does have a padded strip above the horses heads. There isn't any minimum headroom requirement in lorries and most of them aren't 8ft in height as I found out when we were looking 18 months ago - must have looked at 30 at least and not one of them was 8ft high inside.
 
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not sure where the legalities of headroom comes in but alot of lorrys dont have 8ft headroom!!

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Agree with you there. When i was looking to buy my lorry i think the standard was 7ft 3" to 7ft 6" there where lower headroom but i just walked away from them.
 
I looked at a lovely box and it had a 7' 2 and a bit headroom, didnt appear low and was very light and airy. It was being sold by a small horsebox company on behalf of the client and when I questioned the heights, he said an 8ft headroom could be unstable????
I tried my horse in my friends in what I thought was an 8ft headroom and was shocked to measure it at 7' 5. I couldnt have gone any lower with my anxious 16.1hh.
 
I had a 7' headroom lorry and had no qualms about travelling 16.2's in it. Think of the "kick" theory, if you stand close to a horse that kicks you are less likely to be injured than if you were standing at leg's length. Equally, if you give your horse enough head room to get a good swing up....
head room is more likely to be a worry when loading a horse that is likely to throw his head up, or rear, at the top of the ramp.
 
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