Info on old Rice Trailers

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emilyw

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Hi

You might remember my post the other day about the weight of older rice trailers.

Well, OH has confirmed he found a date on it - 1988 which makes it 20 yrs old, not far off what I guessed.

It is very nearly finished now but can be used (so going to start practising loading baby tonight and have a lesson booked with my oldie for the weekend) but just needs the partition sanding/painting and then fitted. We are also painting a stripe on the side but have to wait a couple of weeks before sticking masking tape onto the new paint to ensure its properly hardened!

So can anyone shed any more light on a Rice trailer this age, it takes 2 horses but have no idea on a model number/name etc.

I will post pics once its finished but am very annoyed as I had a before picture but lost it!! Will also book to take it to the weighbridge this week or next!

So happy to have my own transport at long last!!
 
Without a pic its difficult, but my last trailer was a Rice Europa, which is for 2 lightweight 16hh horses. Its pretty much the same size as an Ifor 505 if that helps. Looking on ebay at old models confirmed ours.
 
Good idea, will look on ebay.

Will upload a pic when I get home as they are not on this computer.

Guess I could send a pic to Rice as well.
 
Mines a Rice "Popular" and about 25 years old. Its a lightweight about 750 (3/4 of a ton) and takes two 16.2 (barely I would say in height). We had it rebuilt, floor, and reinforced the framework underneath and modified the partitions to take my heavy 15.hh cob.
You can sort of tell the difference between models by the layout of the partitions inside, mines got no front upright bar, just the bar across.
Rice Beaufort is another model, but they are heavier and a classier finish inside and all round they have the upright bar at front.
The older models have the partition to the floor of the interior. Modern ones are shorter like Ifor W, better for the horses' balance when travelling.
 
Speak to Rice Richardson, I think they are called. They had records of a very old Rice trailer I used to own, you may be surprised!
JC
 
Assuming its front and rear unload then Beauforts have three panels for the outer sides whereas Europas have 3 1/2 (thing that's right), Beauforts have a larger window and usually have the totally wooden partition whereas Europas always have the lighter aluminium ones (some of the later Beauforts have aluminium ones though). The Europa is generally lighter and neater looking. The very old Beauforts had Land Rover tyres but you'd never get a Europa with them. Europas were sold with a removable storm cover for the back doors and a single breast bar as well as the standard drop downs (these get lost over time of course).
The Rice Hunt Trailer is flat fronted and is rear unload only, the Eventer (I think that's what its called) has an odd shaped 'nose' and the treble has a long thin window and is huuuge inside.
If you're still in the dark post a picture and I should know. Can you tell we've had a few of these? Love 'em.
Beware of looking on ebay - many sellers say they're Rice and they're not, or Europas when they're Beauforts.
 
If you can find the serial number (usually stamped on the A frame or on a plate) then Rice can tell you when it was built, what colour it was originally, how much it sold for fisrt time & should also be able to tell you the original weight.
They did this for mine when I bought it in 1983 and it was built in 1957 !!!
 
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