Split ramp/ barn doors on Ifor Williams - experience?

scruffyponies

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Hi all

As title. I'm in the market for a new trailer, and considering one of the old 505's with a split ramp, as I think the barn doors would be handy. Is there a down-side?
 

Shay

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Yes Yes Yes!!! I have one and would never have anything else!!

When someone poos you can open the van style and sweep out. If you try to sweep out down the ramp poo catches in the join between the ramp and the floor. And gets dragged all the way down the ramp. Van style is massively easier to clean.

We have taught all bar one of our lads to "step up". (And we are doing the missing one this summer!!). If you are parked on the roadside and someone is too close to get the ramp down, or with not enough space for a safe straight approach it is far better that the horse can come in, line up and then step up into the trailer. It isn't any harder to teach than normal loading.

It is a massive ask to the horse to ask them to back off down a step. Although I do have one that will - I honestly don't recommend even trying to teach that. They are literally trusting you to step backward into a void they have no way of knowing ever has an end. In the UK you have to have an angled off ramp so just take them off forward.

Not only would van style not put me off - we need to replace out beloved split 505 for a 3 or 4 horse and really want to keep the van style doors. We are going to have to buy new to get it. They are very much coveted and I was told our old one will hold a better second hand value because of it (although that is not why we bought it - it was a lucky trick.).

Honestly -10+ years of having one. Not only no downside - massive upsides.
 

2K85

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I have the 506 with split ramp. It is fantastic for cleaning it out. Never tried to get horses to step up but mine probably would as she’s so keen to get on!
 

scruffyponies

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Thanks! That's really good to hear, as it looks like I'm getting the trailer! Don't think mind will have a problem stepping backwards, as I've always unloaded backwards anyway, and they frequently go wonky and take themselves off the ramp sideways. From what I can see the front ramp looks clean as a whistle, so I think the previously owner took them out backwards too.

I will miss my old Rice though. There's something reassuringly bombproof about them.
 
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