rear load/unload trailers... really? do they work?

Bowen4Horses

Bowen4Horses

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does anyone have a rear load/unload trailer? i've been looking at little trailer recently, and rather a lot of them (i'm looking for a bit of a project one, as budget is tight until i know if i'm actually going to ever be able to actually ride my horse...) seem to be only rear load/unload.

do they work? are they practical? both my horses are fairly sensible. both okay to load/unload... is it worth me considering one of these?

i'm hoping you all say 'yes' because i've found a darling little one... it only needs cosmetic stuff doing (floor/ramp are fine) and it looks really old and retro. i love it! x
 
It really is trial and error. Some horses are fine, some hate them. They are obvisously not as big and airy inside, so can make a horse feel claustrophobic....
 
I've got a rear unload trailer, its an old Ward trailer that has been refurbished. Its also had the roof made higher so has more head room than usual.

All of our lot have travelled in it from a shetland to a 18.1hh and no probs reversing out with any. Some are a little steadier than others (some wobble a litte reversing and others walk better backwards than forwards!).

We borrowed my friends front load ifor and still reversed out of it because it is so much quicker to just whip the bum bar away but i can understand a front unload may be quicker if you were on your own. I also measured mine and its exactly the same as an ifor 510 only the front for their head is shorter but the ifor only has more room here for the door and i wouldnt say i have ever seen a horse travel in an Ifor with their neck stretched out!

I would see if you can try him in any trailer and just reverse him out to check they are ok but otherwise i would have no hesitations in recommding one! (I find it alot easier to park than i did the ifor as it is shorter without the extra part for the door)

I've attached a pic below so you can see the shape etc of mine

100_2065.jpg
 
Many years ago we used to borrow a trailer to take my (ultra neurotic) pony to PC training stuff. It was a normal front unload trailer (Ifor I think). However, my pony hated coming out the front as had/has a real aversion to narrow spaces so he'd panic and would throw himself out of the front. We found he was 100% better if we just asked him to back out instead.

I think most horses back out of trailers very well to be honest so it's entirely up to you.
 
I have a Fautras treble trailer without a front ramp but the horses travel herringbone and have to turn around inside to come out. They all manage fine. On my IW 511 I use the front ramp but if for some reason I can't then they come out backwards. They aren't so keen on this but after a couple of gos with someone on the ramp making sure they don't step off at a steep angle they seem happier with it.
 
I thought this was a really odd question when I first read it as I grew up with trailers that only had one way in and out! TBH I prefer them, we have a front unload now and I find it really hard to use, preferring to back out anyday. The secret it to make sure you control your horse's head as you reverse down to ensure they don't come off the ramp edge, turn head towards the side of trailer, away from the partition, to ensure back legs come down the middle of the ramp. I certainly wouldn't let this put me off a trailer I liked (and would prefer to have one than the one we have).
 
I think it depends on the horses mentality :eek:. My boy doesnt 'do' trailers, will load fine but wants out asap by whatever means he can. As he was pretty much squashing me in a bid to come out of the front ramp, I was advised to rear unload him. It worked brilliantly the first few times, then he got wise and would load and unload so fast and violently, whacking his head and pretty much mowing anyone over in his path in his panic that we couldnt safely get the ramp up, so rear unloading did me no favours. We gave up and bought a lorry, problem solved, horse fine and calm again.
Years ago though, this was pretty much all there was and everyone coped fine. If your horse is sensible, then I cant see you having a problem.
Good luck
 
Again depends on horse, my old boy had loading issues and learnt very quickly that he could walk in then reverse at high speed and strength before the bum bar was put up. There was no way you could load or up load him on your own on a rear unload. And it also lead to him having a bad accident when someone 'helped' me one day, thinking they'd teach him a lesson they wrapped the lead rope around the breast bar to stop him reversing at speed, he still tried until the headcollar broke and ended up goes arse over tit backwards off the trailer. It then took me two years to get him on a trailer again and a fortune in physio for damage to his neck.
 
I have an Ifor and always unload backward even though its front unload. My boy has had loading issues over the years and seems to getting over it now and part of that was down to unloading backward (no idea why!)
 
clipcloppop said:
does anyone have a rear load/unload trailer? i've been looking at little trailer recently, and rather a lot of them (i'm looking for a bit of a project one, as budget is tight until i know if i'm actually going to ever be able to actually ride my horse...) seem to be only rear load/unload.

do they work? are they practical? both my horses are fairly sensible. both okay to load/unload... is it worth me considering one of these?

i'm hoping you all say 'yes' because i've found a darling little one... it only needs cosmetic stuff doing (floor/ramp are fine) and it looks really old and retro. i love it! x
Click to expand...

Why not...but I would go over the floor with a toothcomb to be certain that it was absolutely 100%
 
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