Ifor Williams single breast bars - legalities??!!

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colouredhat

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Hi all, I'm hoping someone could give me clarification.
I've just bought an Ifor Williams 505 and can't find out whether legally I need both front and back single bars.

I've been borrowing a trailer for the last 18months and my horse travels in it without a partition (as he travels better and is far more balanced/settled). In the borrowed one I've been using a single breast bar at the front and then a padded chain across the back.

I've been looking into buying a single bar for my new purchase, however on a fb horsey group someone said legally you need the solid bars both front and back for trailer stability. Do I? Or can I continue to do what I've been doing with the borrowed trailer?

Thanks in advance.
 
I would always travel with a solid bar at the back, otherwise you have any awful lot of weight leaning on the ramp and the fastenings are just not designed for that. There have been some horrific accidents where ramps have given way and the horse has gone out of the back. I would also imagine the breech and breast bars will add rigidity to the trailer. I'm not sure that it's a legal requirement though as a lot of trailers only have chains or straps at the back.
 
I only ever use a front but I am sure a back as well would be better.
I have got one here you can have, if you like, but as you live quite a long way away that may not work!
 
I only travel with a front one, never really thought about having another one at the back to be honest ! will watch this thread with interest
 
You should always use the breech bar.

My totally non-horsey husband picked me up on it when I wasn't going to use it once when I had my Ifor Williams. He had never seen/used a horse trailer before but immediately said to use it as the trailer door latches were not designed to support the weight of a horse.

As he is an engineer, I thought I would listen!
 
I only ever use the front bar as well, i have never known my horses sit on the ramp but i suppose there is a first time.
 
Years ago there weren't back bars and every pony we travelled sat on the ramp scrubbing it's tail off. (None fell out). I'd probably get one, I don't use them as I have a cattle trailer (much longer so they aren't touching the back and it has gates anyway).

Its probably something which isn't specified legally but if the horse did fall out the back door, you might find the insurance would kick up a stink and ifor williams would say you were negligent and take no responsibility for it.
 
Nothing to do with legality but common sense, you want fittings that can stop the horse moving and anything it can lean on or push against should be designed to take the sorts of loads a horse can exert so 500Kg or there abouts. The chain or door hinges and fittings probably wouldn't be designed for that sort of load.
 
I have heard of horse's coming out the back of trailers, when ramps failed. I travel mine without a partition - and always travel with both breast and breeching bars. It will make the trailer more stable as well.
 
I travel one horse in a double trailer and always use both full breast and breeching bars. I think the breeching bar offers safety to the "ramp putter upper" as well as the horse when travelling. It doesn't bear thinking about what would happen if the horse suddenly reversed in fright whilst the ramp was being put up!
 
Double_choc_lab said:
I travel one horse in a double trailer and always use both full breast and breeching bars. I think the breeching bar offers safety to the "ramp putter upper" as well as the horse when travelling. It doesn't bear thinking about what would happen if the horse suddenly reversed in fright whilst the ramp was being put up!
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I have both and would never travel without them for the reasons stated previously
1- I understand from reading up on it when I changed over that they contribute to the rigidity of the trailer and so are an integral part of it - if using the partition with single bars then both sets of single bars should be done up front and back for the same reason.
2 The ramp fittings are not designed to support the weight of the horse when it leans on it in transit
3 - the potential for an accident when putting the ramp up without a bar if the horse moves backwards.

Many people have probably got away with it loads of times but that does not mean it is safe. My bars only cost about £80 for the pair new from Ifor Williams. Ordered and delivered very quickly. I think they are about £100 now
 
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