need 7.5tn for 4 polo ponies! - can u get them made??

leonh

Active Member
Joined
8 October 2010
Messages
43
Visit site
hello!

can anyone recommend a good horsebox maker or converter???

i need a 7.5tn, no living, easy to drive, not a complete shabby banger, with excellent ventilation for 4 x 15'2 polo ponies. need to know if anyone has experience in any of below, basically which is cheapest and gets me what i want!! have 6k budget and want to know :

1. is it worth buying a well vented alum cattle truck and just fitting partitions myself,
2. buying one already done (if so any suggestions where sells 4 horse etc)
3. buying a container / flat bed and getting someone to make it (if so any reccomendations)

willing to travel, and not fussy on makes of truck etc, just i've googled this for 3 nights running and just cant seem to find what looking for!

help!
 
Hi, I think you may struggle getting one professionally converted for £6k. I had a basic conversion for 3 horses and day living done a few years ago and it cost me 3 times that Im afraid although I do think prices have come down. My unladen weight was 5.3t, leaving 2.2t for the horses and kit.
Someone I know has converted one himself with no living yet as he has ran out of money! Hes at £12k with the spray at the moment and thats on a M reg chassis, it will look nice when its done though. I dont think he realised how much it was going to end up costing.
Id be inclined to look for one thats already made.
Sorry not much help.
 
OMG thank you, saw the first box this eve, but no windows/vents so no good at all as keeping horses cool is major factor,
second blue one fab tho!!!!! going to place bid!!! didnt see it at all!!!!! thanks!!!!!!

also, thanks for pricing info, i imagine costs can keep coming. will try to buy one ready made!!:):):)
 
Tbh I really think you're going to struggle finding any 7.5tn for that price which will take four horses. We've been looking at the same size of lorry for about that budget and most only have 1.5-2tn payload, which is really only enough for two horses and equipment. Now those are with livings I grant you, but I don't think the average living weighs enough to allow for two extra horses.
 
hello!

can anyone recommend a good horsebox maker or converter???

i need a 7.5tn, no living, easy to drive, not a complete shabby banger, with excellent ventilation for 4 x 15'2 polo ponies. need to know if anyone has experience in any of below, basically which is cheapest and gets me what i want!! have 6k budget and want to know :

1. is it worth buying a well vented alum cattle truck and just fitting partitions myself,
2. buying one already done (if so any suggestions where sells 4 horse etc)
3. buying a container / flat bed and getting someone to make it (if so any reccomendations)

willing to travel, and not fussy on makes of truck etc, just i've googled this for 3 nights running and just cant seem to find what looking for!

help!
I would have a word with www.tristarhorseboxes.co.uk they build basic alloy boxes as well as ones with living quarters, however I think you will be lucky to get a new body built for 6 k, a grp conversion maybe but you realy need to look for a purpose built alloy or stick sided type body for decent payload .. hope that helps
 
Last edited:
To carry 4 horses on a 7.5 ton chassis/cab you are going to need a Hi-Tech container built to keep the weight down of the container A conversion will be too heavy and your lorry will be well overweight with the 4 horses in it. Your budget of £6,000 will be too small as the container alone will cost £20,000. and a decent chassis cab another £15,000
 
To carry 4 horses on a 7.5 ton chassis/cab you are going to need a Hi-Tech container built to keep the weight down of the container A conversion will be too heavy and your lorry will be well overweight with the 4 horses in it. Your budget of £6,000 will be too small as the container alone will cost £20,000. and a decent chassis cab another £15,000

I'd agree OP's budget is too low - but I'd say yours is a bit high. I've just done it - a low mileage 2000 MAN and a container built by the most useless lorry builder in the world :rolleyes: but the TOTAL cost was £16,000. It has small and very basic day living and partitioned for 4 (the partitions are full-length for when we carry mares and foals - although obviously would only carry 2 of those.) Ventilators in roof as well as opening windows both sides. Mainly aluminium to keep the weight down.

It has a payload of 2,300 kg which would take 4 x 575kg (or probably 4 x 550kg horses allowing for a bit of tack and feed - and no passengers!) I wouldn't think many fit 15.2 polo ponies would weigh more than 550 - 570 kg :confused:

I got the 4 partitions because sometimes I will only take youngsters to a show - and I'd get 4 x ID yearlings/2yo's in at that weight. Without the day living would probably have had at least another 200kg to play with.
 
thanks JanetG, my budget has risen as get what you pay for i guess, but only to 8k :( however your box sounds great. roof vents not thought of but def. would like!! very important to keep horses cool and happy. need all their energy on field!! we nearly bought one for 12k last year but it was too snazzy, amazing living tho... but it would have gotten wrecked. hopefully wont be overweight, and would always get weight fully loaded just so i knew. literally though, box would carry 4x15'2 slim TB polo ponies (which weigh no more than 550) and driver - and thats it.

tack, there is sooooo much of, and sooooo heavy, you wouldnt want to store it in a box - lugging it about up and down ramps and stairs!! There is so much of it as each horse has different tack - breast plates, saddles, numnahs, riser's, double bridles, gags, martingales, overgirths, tail protectors, bandages, boots, sheepskin protectors. . . and with all the stick mallets (you have about 10 each), my kit, knee pads, helmets, outfits, elbow pads, face guard, boots, white's and whips etc, we fill the back of an estate car!! flippin nightmare as always forget something . . . like water buckets and sponges. So all that must weigh quite an amount, but luckily it eases up box weight!! am lucky that i'm in mid 30's so can drive a 7.5tn without having to do test etc. Although was even considering doing HGV as you can get some amazing value for money trucks between 7.5tn and 18tn. Saw a beautiful 12tn, 5 big horse, galley living, cut through, years plate, regular maint, camera and superb ventilation ... for 8k!! ... and it was all in white .... thats another thing ... why are so many dodge colours. personally i like the look of silver aluminium.
 
Top