Lorry side ramp. Which side?

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Clippyclop

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I have just commissioned a 3.5 ton horsebox build but still have the option of which side the ramp should be, kerbside or offside. With kerbside, leading my horse from the left traps me against the stall. I'm not keen to lead him up the ramp from his right side just because it is not familiar to me or him. An offside ramp leads to a vulnerability in the event of a breakdown with the ramp opening into the traffic.
I would be grateful for a discussion airing a variety of views. Thanks.
 
I think the issue of them learning to lead from one side or the other is quite easy to overcome with a bit of training and practice, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about that. I have a passenger side ramp and my welsh I lead on the near side as normal and then quickly cross over as she is turning. With the WB I lead on the off side and she goes up herself.

I think I prefer the passenger side ramp.. single horse travels on the drivers side so in the middle of the road, with plenty of space to do the partition etc. OH still argues with me that the driver side ramp is better because if you broke down and had to squeeze against the side of the road, you could get the ramp down more easily! But *touch wood* that would only happen in a very rare event so the daily convenience of passenger side ramp suits me fine :)
 
Clippyclop said:
With kerbside, leading my horse from the left traps me against the stall.
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Can drive your vehicle forwards into that place, and then forwards out of it?

If you have to reverse to get out of that place, then you can reverse to get into it. Choosing to have the ramp offside or nearside, then, is just a matter of deciding whether you want to reverse into the loading place or out of it.

And again, what happens when you are in a different yard?

I think the main consideration would be what millipops's reported her OH as asking: what would you prefer if you had to unload your horse after a breakdown?
 
Keith_Beef said:
Can drive your vehicle forwards into that place, and then forwards out of it?

If you have to reverse to get out of that place, then you can reverse to get into it. Choosing to have the ramp offside or nearside, then, is just a matter of deciding whether you want to reverse into the loading place or out of it.

And again, what happens when you are in a different yard?
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I think the OP means that with a passenger side ramp, if you stay on the left of the horse as they go up the ramp and turn to the right (assuming a backwards facing lorry) then the handler is between the wall of the lorry and the horse. You would have to duck under the horse's neck at that point, unless you crossed in front of the horse sooner like I do.
Whereas if you have a ramp on drivers side, leading from the left and turning left means the horse is against the lorry wall/partition instead.
 
I wouldn’t think anything other than kerbside would be sensible. Is it even legal to have a ramp opening into the traffic? Is the stall rear facing?

Personally I’d just do some more training so that you can lead confidently from the offside.
 
milliepops said:
I think the OP means that with a passenger side ramp, if you stay on the left of the horse as they go up the ramp and turn to the right (assuming a backwards facing lorry) then the handler is between the wall of the lorry and the horse. You would have to duck under the horse's neck at that point, unless you crossed in front of the horse sooner like I do.
Whereas if you have a ramp on drivers side, leading from the left and turning left means the horse is against the lorry wall/partition instead.
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Yes Milliepops, that is correct, thanks.
 
Mine is kerbside, it hasn't taken each one long to work out how to be loaded.

If you have a uk roadside ramp and taking only 1, then you also face loading to stand your horse close to the partition, not to the kerbside (furthest away) as weight distribution is better when towards the centre of the road.

The equitrek boxes used to have roadside loading.
Personally wouldn't touch one. But that's my choice as I prefer UK kerbside or rear load.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
I wouldn’t think anything other than kerbside would be sensible. Is it even legal to have a ramp opening into the traffic? Is the stall rear facing?

Personally I’d just do some more training so that you can lead confidently from the offside.
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I do recall many years ago a HGV lorry ramp on the drivers side failed and came down during travel. It fell on a car and killed the driver.
 
I find it bonkers that anyone wouldn’t feel comfortable leading their horse from the right? Why is this difficult? (Not meaning to be rude or criticise, just I’ve always lead from both sides, and get on from both sides, so it’s weird to me that this would be a consideration). I’d say offside ramp is safest and learn to lead from that side, it’s easy, just swap sides!
 
Keith_Beef said:
Can drive your vehicle forwards into that place, and then forwards out of it?

If you have to reverse to get out of that place, then you can reverse to get into it. Choosing to have the ramp offside or nearside, then, is just a matter of deciding whether you want to reverse into the loading place or out of it.

And again, what happens when you are in a different yard?

I think the main consideration would be what millipops's reported her OH as asking: what would you prefer if you had to unload your horse after a breakdown?
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Hi Keith. When I spoke of the "stall" I meant the space in the horsebox where the horse is tied. The issue is, when I run the horse up a nearside (UK) ramp to a backwards travelling position, if I am on the horses left, I become squeezed against the wall of the stall on the left side. Thanks.
 
UK seems to be pretty much always on the kerbside/passenger side. Loading from the right is fine to do, just need to practise a bit but it's easy enough. That way you don't get stuck!
 
BBP said:
I find it bonkers that anyone wouldn’t feel comfortable leading their horse from the right? Why is this difficult? (Not meaning to be rude or criticise, just I’ve always lead from both sides, and get on from both sides, so it’s weird to me that this would be a consideration). I’d say offside ramp is safest and learn to lead from that side, it’s easy, just swap sides!
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Hi BBP, thanks for your input. It is really just a preference thing and you know what they say about "old dogs" and "new tricks" :) Not to say I'm an old dog, of course.
 
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milliepops said:
I've seen some local racehorse transporters have the ramp on the drivers side, Sbts :)
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That’s interesting when I bought my Horsebox the given reason for the owners not to take it to France was that they would have to move the jockey door to the other side for it to be legal in the long term. I guess I thought that might apply here if it were (and I don’t know that it is) a European safety requirement. Maybe just a French one then.
 
Who knows :) I can't think of ever seeing a 7.5t+ lorry with a ramp on the other side though, only ever seen them kerbside.
 
milliepops said:
I think the issue of them learning to lead from one side or the other is quite easy to overcome with a bit of training and practice, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about that. I have a passenger side ramp and my welsh I lead on the near side as normal and then quickly cross over as she is turning. With the WB I lead on the off side and she goes up herself.

I think I prefer the passenger side ramp.. single horse travels on the drivers side so in the middle of the road, with plenty of space to do the partition etc. OH still argues with me that the driver side ramp is better because if you broke down and had to squeeze against the side of the road, you could get the ramp down more easily! But *touch wood* that would only happen in a very rare event so the daily convenience of passenger side ramp suits me fine :)
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Agree with Milliepops. Just spend time practicing leading from both sides (ideally your horse should be used to being led from both sides. And with passenger side if horse is on driver side you can do the partition and back out without having to leave them, jump down and put ramp up.
 
I'm another who finds the issues with leading from either side a bit odd, I genuinely have never given it any thought I just lead from whichever side is convenient, which when loading/unloading into said 3.5T lorries is the right and never had any issues.

I think the only advantage to a driver side ramp is the weight being in the centre of the road instead of with the camber, but as it isn't usually done I presume it isn't really enough to make much of a difference.
 
ester said:
I'm another who finds the issues with leading from either side a bit odd, I genuinely have never given it any thought I just lead from whichever side is convenient, which when loading/unloading into said 3.5T lorries is the right and never had any issues.

I think the only advantage to a driver side ramp is the weight being in the centre of the road instead of with the camber, but as it isn't usually done I presume it isn't really enough to make much of a difference.
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Thanks for your views. Do you mean you think it may be better with the weight (horse) nearer the road centre line? In which case, a kerbside ramp ensures this state.
 
I do think all horses should lead from either side. This morning, we had to lead from the offside to bring in after they had a quick turnout while we mucked out as that way they could walk on the snow, rather than the compacted ice. None was bothered in the slightest. I also seem to remember a groom being injured at the Olympics and it being blamed on the fact that the horse wasn't used to being led from one particular side.

In terms of ramps, I can see the argument for either side, particularly having seen two cases where boxes had slid into ditches, thereby trapping the passenger side ramp shut, but I think my own preference would always be for passenger side.

On the lighter side of things, I recently wondered why my horse was insisting on taking himself to my other side. Took me ages to figure out that because I often lead him and his fieldmate together and that's the side he goes when I do that! :)
 
No by weight I mean ramp, adding a ramp to the side of a 3.5T makes that side heavier, ergo it would make sense for it to be the driver side.

Regarding the horse, really you should always put the horse on the driver side of the lorry regardless of which side your ramp is, so it just depends which side of the partition they are/whether they are next to the ramp.
 
ester said:
No by weight I mean ramp, adding a ramp to the side of a 3.5T makes that side heavier, ergo it would make sense for it to be the driver side.

Regarding the horse, really you should always put the horse on the driver side of the lorry regardless of which side your ramp is, so it just depends which side of the partition they are/whether they are next to the ramp.
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Surely you mean passenger side for extra ramp weight, as one horse will travel on driver's side, and driver add weight?
 
I have driven an Equitrek Sonic with the ramp on the driver's side for 8 years, and never had an issue. It leaves the nearside clear for tying up at shows in the summer.
 
No, I mean the drivers side, I am considering it as an unloaded or loaded with two animals vehicle and considering the possible advantages to having it driver side (as there are a few, albeit not many) built like this so there must be some logic behind that decision.
 
I would have the ramp on the near side (passenger side) so that in the event of a breakdown on a busy road/dual carridgeway or motorway that the horse can be more safely unloaded and loaded on to the recovery vehicle. Also make sure you get full breakdown/recovery insurance with a reputable company such as the Organisation of Horsebox and Trailers Owners so that in the event of a breakdown they can get to you quickly and recover your horse.
 
OP just wanted to ask, if you're commissioning the build of the lorry, have you specified that you want collapsable breast bars and an extra wide jockey door at the rear? Touch wood you'll never ever be in an accident but if it ever happens and should the lorry falls over onto it's side (and onto the side where you've chosen the ramp), then the rescue team will find it a lot easier to get your horse out if the jockey door is wide enough to allow for him to get through there.
 
Roadside ramp is often 'hunting configuration', to allow the lorry/taller to be parked close to the side in a narrow road, while still being able to unload the horses.

For the same reason, but not hunting, I was going to have a driver's side ramp. But the one I found already made was passenger side and I'm very happy with it. I load the horse leading from in front. No problem.
 
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