Rear facing trailers

spacie1977

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I've started saving for a second hand trailer. Looking at the jar in the kitchen, it's going to take a looong time. But even so, I'm starting to 'window shop' on the internet to try to work out what I should get.
I have a a 17.1h horse so it needs to be able to carry him. I have a friend who has a 17.2h horse and no transport so it would be nice to get something that will carry both of them. The snag in the plan is that her horse can only travel backwards. The only trailer I've seen that takes large horses backwards is an Equitrek which will be way out of my budget. Anyone know of any other makes/models that will take two big lads backwards?
 

Angelbones

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There is another manufacturer who does them - one of the big names like Beaufort or Rice, google the names and look through the range, but don't know if they'd come up second hand.
 

Jnhuk

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Watch your weights with two big horses even with an equitrek as my two large lads were too heavy (17.1 ID and 16.3 WBxID) so I had to sell mine although space wise it was great
 

JillA

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There is another manufacturer who does them - one of the big names like Beaufort or Rice, google the names and look through the range, but don't know if they'd come up second hand.

Richardson - just one of their range. http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/trailer/1059 From the website it looks lovely, but as Angelbones says, doubtful whether you will find anything 2nd hand. Equitrek do but from what I have heard, you need to check build quality and they are pricey.
 

Dry Rot

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If the horse can only travel backwards, look to driving style and Newton's Laws of Motion, not the mode of transport!

A horse is designed to go forwards so it will try to resist sharp breaking by facing backwards. (Or have I got that the wrong way around?).

A few years ago I did a lot of travelling by train and was interested in the sensations we get when a train pulls away from the station. It happens so gently, it is not always apparent whether it is the train you are travelling on that is moving (or, indeed, that you are moving at all!) or the one next door! The only way to check is by watching objects outside the train that are obviously stationary. So, someone travelling in an enclosed box (horse trailer) should not know either. What they will notice is acceleration, deceleration, and cornering.

Strange but true. Check it out! No one will and I won't be believed, but that won't change the rules of physics!:D :D
 

windand rain

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True Dry rot
I have the opposite problem would like to save for a little lorry but most of them travel horses backwards and I have a pony that falls over if you travel it backwards regardless of how careful a driver you are. I found this out by letting her go on loan to someone with an equitrek lorry she loads fine but was all over the place when it moved to the point the loner thought she was a bad traveller this is a pony that has been shown all over the country and traveled without moving for hours at a time. So it may suit your friends to go backwards but make sure yours will be ok with it first
 

JillA

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Dry Rot - I think you have that the wrong way round - under braking a horse prefers to brace it' bum, rather than front legs. And some not very good travellers are better if they can see the other traffic going AWAY from them rather than approaching. If you have ever travelled a horse loose you will find that most position themselves facing backwards - I used to do that with mares and foals and invariably they placed bums to the front of the vehicle.
 

Dry Rot

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Dry Rot - I think you have that the wrong way round - under braking a horse prefers to brace it' bum, rather than front legs. And some not very good travellers are better if they can see the other traffic going AWAY from them rather than approaching. If you have ever travelled a horse loose you will find that most position themselves facing backwards - I used to do that with mares and foals and invariably they placed bums to the front of the vehicle.

So do I, now I've thought about it! But it surely MUST be due to driving style? If acceleration and deceleration were so gradual as to be imperceptible, how would the horse notice? (Assuming it can't see out of the window!).

Yes, I know, it annoys me too!!! :D
 

spacie1977

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Thank you you for all the responses :)

Watch your weights with two big horses even with an equitrek as my two large lads were too heavy (17.1 ID and 16.3 WBxID) so I had to sell mine although space wise it was great

Hmm forgot about the weight issue. Will have to look up what I can and can't tow. I still need to get my towing licence (minor detail! Lol) but will be doing that within the next few months. My hubby tows a very large trailer with a discovery for work and it's apparently the only vehicle that can take so much weight so I assumed with a tow licence I'd be legal using it to pull two big horses.
 

spacie1977

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So it may suit your friends to go backwards but make sure yours will be ok with it first
My friends horse has a medical condition that affects his balance with his back end. I can't remember what it's called off the top of my head but it means he completely loses his back legs and falls around no matter how carefully you drive with him facing forward. He's gone in a horsebox and rear facing Equitrek fine though. My lad hasn't travelled much but is fine to load and travel in a rear facing box. Admittedly I've not yet had him in a trailer so don't know how he'd travel in one. He's a laid back boy though and seems totally I phased by most things I've done with/to him lol.
 
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