Is 7ft height OK in a horsebox for a 16hh horse?

[Always-Riding]

I'm worrying myself silly... I've agreed to buy (subject to a few things) a 3.5t and the roof height is 7ft. The person who owns it travels her 16hh in it and has an IW 505 partition so I guess they'll be OK?

I've travelled my boy (who is 16hh) in the ifor with no problems, but now with the handing over of the cash looming, I'm worrying!

IW 505 is only 1" higher, and that's fine for a 16.2hh, or so they say?

 

[meesha]

Think my 3.5 tonne van conversion is 7ft & my 16h horse is fine in it. I did have a 3.5 tonne ford transit front with Ifor box on back, height was fine but they have a very high centre of gravity and in one journey it turned my excellent loader to a non-loader to the extent I had to ride him ten miles home as wouldn't do return journey! Took months to get him loading again and he never wpoukd set foot in that transit/Ifor box again so I sold it.

 

[Always-Riding]

Oh no, you've added more to my worry list!

 

[meesha]

Friend warned me against it, wish I had listened to her. in my van horse doesn't move a foot whole journey but he fell over in Ifor/transit. If in doubt get in back and ask someone ton drive you round, some horses must get on with them as I see them out and about!

 

[Dry Rot]

DEFRA specify heights for transport so maybe do a search on their web site. From memory, it is 750mm above withers. Does that sound right?

Irish friends used to fasten a piece of foam on top of their horses' heads just in case they went up and cracked them on the roof!

 

[Red-1]

I am sorry, but I would say no.

My 3.5 tonne has 8ft, and I specified that as I was previously using a HGV with 7ft 6 and the taller horses were banging their heads when they pulled at the hay nets. Some were fine with this and adapted, some did not like to travel in that box.

I am talking 17hh horses here, so I would say 7ft6 would be fine with your height of horse. I had mine 8 ft as OH may be having a 17hh horse in the future.

Also the 3.5 vans on a platform (where the horses are lowered in between the wheels) are a lot more stable. I would not like to take a 16hh horse so high up in such a relatively lightweight box, especially if it is windy.

If you are only agreed to buying subject to a few things, as you say, then personally I would look for another box.

 

[alainax]

Depends on the build of the horse also. I have a HB401 which has 7ft internal height. I travelled my 16.2( and a bit!) in it ID with no issues. He wasnt close to touching the ceiling at all.

I also travelled my 16hh(just) Friesian in it, due to his very high head carriage he was closer to the top than the ID, but still with plenty of room.

7ft is plenty of height for a 16hh, like you say the ifor trailers say they can take up to 16.2 on that internal height.

I know nothing about how the centre of gravity etc makes it different for a box rather than a trailer though, just my tuppence on ifit were a trailer height

 

[Clannad48]

Don't know about the lorry but we travel our 17h DWB in an Ifor 505 with plenty of room and no problems

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

mine is 7ft tall and I traveled my 16hh in it no problem. Though its 3 horse I am selling as pony only because of the weight you will find 16hh will be plenty with a safe amount of head room.