Ifor Williams 510/511 vs EquiTrek SpaceTreka L?

[NU ABO]

Just really after people's experiences here really!

Basically we currently have the Ifor Williams 505, which is fine for my two at the moment (slightly cramped for my 15.1 chunky boy but as we don't travel long distances is okay)
We got it because we were desperate for transportation for my boy and it was a reasonable price and close to us.

HOWEVER

Mum's 16.2 TB refuses to load in it. Understandably as it is far too cramped for him, but as he's a difficult loader anyway she can't even practice walking him up the ramp!
So now we've made the decision to sell it and get something bigger.

So which one between the 510/511 (depending what age we buy) and SpaceTreka L would be better for a horse that is quite difficult to load?
I quite like the idea of the side ramp for loading on the EquiTrek and I feel like it looks more airy/bigger inside (possibly better for a difficult horse?), but the Ifor Williams have such a good reputation and it could literally just be the size that's putting mum's horse off it!

Any thoughts/opinions would be highly appreciated

 

[Liane]

Could you hire a Ifor and practice loading/travelling your Mum's mare? I find loading on the Ifor easier as they can 'walk through' when your practising with everything open rather than loading and moving over on the side load ones, but each horse is individual and has different preferences.

 

[CIJ]

We had a IW 510 which my 16.2hh WB would go into but she was not a great loader, I never knew if it was going to take my 5 or 50 mins to get her in. Apart from stomping when travelling she was fine, although she was better with no travel boots.
We got a ET spacetreka L, mainly because we wanted more storage, but what a difference. She loaded so much better and didn't make a sound while travelling, she obviously preferred travelling backwards. We were lucky in the fact they let us use the ET on a long overnight trip before we decided we'd buy one, to see if she would load/travel well. If this is possible with both trailers I would try and see which the horse liked best.

 

[Sealine]

I have a 16.2 cob cross who wears a 6'9 rug so I prefer a larger trailer. His previous owner had an Equitrek and told me he wouldn't load onto an IW although I'm not sure which model it was. A couple of Equitrek owners seriously put me off buying due to issues they had experienced with build quality. I bought a second hand IW 511 from a dealer. Before committing to the purchase I rented a 511 from them for a day to make sure he was happy loading and travelling. They refunded the cost of the hire against the purchase price. Four years later I still have the trailer and he's happy loading and travelling.

 

[Street_Skill]

I have copied and pasted below my reply to a similar thread a while ago. Personally I wouldn't use an Ifor Williams now, but they are a very popular trailer and lots of people get on really well with them. Like others have said, maybe it's worth hiring both and seeing how well your horses travel? At least then you can make an informed decision before spending loads of cash!

Good luck!

"I've got an Equitrek Space Treka which I use for my 17.0 Thoroughbred. It's the standard size and he has plenty of room in there which he didn't have in the Ifor. I tow it with a Land Rover Discovery TD5 (which admittedly does have a lot of "grunt" and costs a fortune to run!) and barely know it's there most of the time, even with a big horse in the back. I go out on my own all the time and, with a bit of practice, have found it really easy to reverse and move around. Went for a coffee with my instructor after a lesson the other day and managed to park it in the car park without any problems...!

I would never, EVER go back to using an Ifor Williams trailer. The last time I used one the breast bar came down during a journey resulting in my horse panicking, ripping open both his hind feet and we later found out he had fractured both his pedal bones. The broken parts of which dropped out through the holes in his feet at a later stage. He was incredibly lucky to survive the initial accident and the infections and months of box rest that followed afterwards. Playing with the trailer afterwards I discovered that if you roll the breast bar in a certain way the retaining pin becomes dislodged causing the breast bar to fall. I'm not sure which model I was using (someone else's trailer) but I have tried moving the breast bar in the new models and the retaining pin can still be dislodged despite the design having been changed. I have spoken to another Ifor owner about this and she said "I often find the breast bar down when I arrive at a competition" so it does not seem to be an isolated problem..... Granted the Equitrek does cost more, but I think it's a testament to Equitrek that the same horse involved in the accident now loads himself and travels like a dream.

Purely personal experience and preference, but good luck whatever you decide"

 

[NU ABO]

Thanks for all the replies guys
A couple of friends of ours have got EquiTrek's that they've offered for us to try and load him onto, so we'll give that a go before making any serious commitments.

Interesting to note about the breast bar, haven't had a problem with that in ours but my boy is a very quiet traveller, so might be a something to consider!

 

[rising_promise]

I love my Equitrek. Bought it 2 years old in November. Hugely impressed with everything about it and the horses travel fantastically in it, loading immediately. My friends horse (whom when she bought her was told not put her in a trailer) has travelled brilliantly in my Equitrek, including a 6hr journey to Hartpury last weekend where we were stuck on the M25/M4. We didn't hear a peep out of them for the whole journey and were cool as cucumbers when they came off at the other end. Same on the 4hr journey back the next day.

Its light and airy, very inviting and I'd never have any other trailer now.

 

[little-mis]

I brought a space treka L last weekend having always had IFor Williams. I was apprehensive just like you but went to look and actually loved the equi trek. We have our first putting planned for this weekend so can't say what the horses think to it yet.

 

[willowblack]

This happened to us too a couple of weeks ago, pony had knocked the breast bar out and although not injured was very panicked when we got to PC rally because it had been banging and we had come down some very steep hills :-( He has loaded a couple of times since but has been much more wary. No problem walking onto the YO lorry though. We have had to replace all of the clips on the breast bars to stop it happening again! I've also known it happen to the bar at the back too.

"[/QUOTE]I would never, EVER go back to using an Ifor Williams trailer. The last time I used one the breast bar came down during a journey resulting in my horse panicking, ripping open both his hind feet and we later found out he had fractured both his pedal bones. The broken parts of which dropped out through the holes in his feet at a later stage. He was incredibly lucky to survive the initial accident and the infections and months of box rest that followed afterwards. Playing with the trailer afterwards I discovered that if you roll the breast bar in a certain way the retaining pin becomes dislodged causing the breast bar to fall. I'm not sure which model I was using (someone else's trailer) but I have tried moving the breast bar in the new models and the retaining pin can still be dislodged despite the design having been changed. I have spoken to another Ifor owner about this and she said "I often find the breast bar down when I arrive at a competition" so it does not seem to be an isolated problem..... Granted the Equitrek does cost more, but I think it's a testament to Equitrek that the same horse involved in the accident now loads himself and travels like a dream.

Purely personal experience and preference, but good luck whatever you decide"[/QUOTE]

 

[popsdosh]

Another here that would never contemplate an equitrek until I bought one . Used a lorry before but everything loads briliantly in the ET especially easy for youngsters as it is so inviting and airy to go into. I am thinking of buying a second one as we use them so much. Will never go back to a lorry now !
I personally never even considered ifor as we have had so many issues with them with cattle trailers that have been out and out dangerous and they just will not deal with it . Their suspension system is still in the dark ages for a horse trailer. If you seriously want that style please look at nugent because at least they have made the effort to build an up to date trailer.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Just bought a 511 and very happy with it. Previously used my cattle trailer to get out and about which gives a very stable ride. I don't like the 505s too small. My mare is 14.2 but I went for the biggest one as I don't feel you can have too much space. It's very airy, good ventilation and so spacious I can get them out without removing the tack pack. Really chuffed with it, it's totally different to the older 505 my friend has.

Used a couple equitreks belonging to friends a couple of times and didn't feel that enamoured with it. Seemed poorly ventilated and cumbersome to tow. I also don't like the white body too much of it in easy to damage places I felt.

 

[popsdosh]

Just bought a 511 and very happy with it. Previously used my cattle trailer to get out and about which gives a very stable ride. I don't like the 505s too small. My mare is 14.2 but I went for the biggest one as I don't feel you can have too much space. It's very airy, good ventilation and so spacious I can get them out without removing the tack pack. Really chuffed with it, it's totally different to the older 505 my friend has.

Used a couple equitreks belonging to friends a couple of times and didn't feel that enamoured with it. Seemed poorly ventilated and cumbersome to tow. I also don't like the white body too much of it in easy to damage places I felt.

I quite often forget the equitreks on the back!! however with an ifor you are constantly reminded by the squeaking suspension and the rough ride.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I quite often forget the equitreks on the back!! however with an ifor you are constantly reminded by the squeaking suspension and the rough ride.

That's not been my experience.

 

[mega spoilt ponies]

I bought a space trekka L after getting my new horse and finding he wouldnt load or travel well in my 510. He is a dream in the equitrek.. It is sooo spacious! I just wish they did a 3.5t with the same internal dimensions as i find normal 3.5t dont have enough room for him (hes a long 16.2 TB x)

 

[Street_Skill]

Thanks for all the replies guys

Interesting to note about the breast bar, haven't had a problem with that in ours but my boy is a very quiet traveller, so might be a something to consider!

My horse is a very quiet traveller too. Never heard a peep out of him in the Ifor Williams until the breast bar came down and I watch him on the CCTV iin the Equitrek and he just stands there eating his hay and looking out of the window! You never hear him stamping around unless there is a problem, I think he must have lent on the breast bar and rolled it forward causing it to come down.

This happened to us too a couple of weeks ago, pony had knocked the breast bar out and although not injured was very panicked when we got to PC rally because it had been banging and we had come down some very steep hills :-( He has loaded a couple of times since but has been much more wary. No problem walking onto the YO lorry though. We have had to replace all of the clips on the breast bars to stop it happening again! I've also known it happen to the bar at the back too.

Sorry to hear that you have had similar problems too, glad to hear that your pony wasn't hurt. Fingers crossed that new clips have done the trick!

 

[lottiepony]

Interesting hearing peoples experiences with difficult loaders as try as hard as I could on numerous attempts I could never get my mare on my friend EquiTrek (and hers was the big massive one with living) she just can't seem to deal with loading and turning, if she can't see a way straight out she's not going in lol. We've got a 510 and you would never know she was a problem to load, straight on no problems 99.9% of the time

 

[TBB]

Also have a 510 and are on our third one and have been very happy with them all. We have no problem loading/unloading and have never had a breast bar, either the one with the partition or the full size for use without the partition, come down. The box gets a lot of use and does regular 200 mile round trips with mares for walk in covers, 3 times this week and twice last week for example, the partition is in for barren/maiden mares and out for mares and foals. In all we have probably travelled 1,000 individuals maybe more in them over the years with no problems. The newer Ifor have a bad reputation but no personal experience, a friend got a Nugent last year which seems to be a very nice solid box and they are very happy with that.

 

[Annagain]

I have a 510 and there's nothing wrong with it, the horses load and travel fine - except the odd occasion when my boy thinks it's hilarious to walk on and then shoot off backwards as I go round to the back to do up the breaching bar - and it's easy to tow and maintain. However, having borrowed a friend's Equitrek (as I was staying away so wanted the living). I really really want one (if I don't get my little 6.5T lorry!).

The horses definitely travel better on the ET, I don't hear a peep out of them, whereas they'll have the odd stumble on the 510 if I'm not really really careful round a roundabout. Although I haven't had to do it, I think it would be better for them to be facing backwards if you had to do an emergency stop as it would be easier for them to balance that way round. It's also easier to load mine as he can't do the shooting off backwards thing as I can close the partition/gates while also blocking his escape route - he's not bothered, just a git.

I don't find any difference in towing but I do have a Defender which would prbabably pull the two together.

Having just come back from camp at Stockland Lovell when we had to take all our own mucking out gear (we failed as just couldn't fit it in the 510 safely with 2 horses or in my car at all - as much a car issue as a trailer one as I have a 90 so not much room) the extra storage, even on a Space Trekka would be great. I don't need living as such, as I don't stay away very often but being able to put a campbed in the front on the odd night I need it would be useful too. I have slept in the Ifor but you can never get it clean enough to not feel like you're sleeping in a pile of poo.

Both have slight issues with certain models so it's worth making sure you buy the right one. The 510s are generally great but are getting on a bit now so you need to find one that's been well cared for. The early 511s were terrible so if you go with a 511 make sure it's a 2012 model or later. I know you're thinking of a Space Trekka so they should be fine, but worth bearing in mind that early Eqiutrek Show Trekkas had problems with axels collapsing so don't be tempted into a bargain Space Trekka as it may have a problem. I think from 2007 onwards they're ok, but double check I've got the year right if you do look at a Show Trekka.

Generally, I think it's easier to find parts for, and people who know about, the Ifor as there are so many more of them. I've just had to replace the partition as my horse trashed it and could shop around online to find the cheapest price. ET parts aren't quite so easy to find and only seem to be avaialble from ET dealers. ET are also not known for their customer service.

The other thing that bugs me about the ET is that the tyre pressures have to be so high that a normal air machine at a garage won't go high enough to do them. My friend has to take it to a local tyre place and get them to do them for her and chuck a pound or two in their tips box for the pleasure which is a PITA as you're tied to when they're open. Hers is the big one, but I think the Space Trekka tyres are the same.

There are pros and cons to both, but the ET just shades it for me. I'm saving up!