Trailer/3.5 t/6.5 t lorry advice please

[mustard98]

Hi there, I was wondering whether I could glean some advice from all you lovely people please? I have searched on early forum discussions regarding trailers etc, but most of the forums are quite old now and there has been quite a lot of updates in trailers etc. since then.

I currently have a 7.5 t cargo 3 horsebox. I only have a 16.3 hh fairly long and rangy ISH so do not need the lorry as such. My horse also hasn't got a lot of room in the herringbone set up and does not travel well. Plus the ramp is quite steep and he tends to fall up the last step up into the lorry which doesn't help his loading enthusiasm (we have already raised the bottom of the ramp)! So I am looking to downgrade to either:

a) Land Rover Discovery 05 reg probably as cheaper tax and a trailer

or

b) 3.5 t backward facing lorry such as the luton lorry e.g. Vauxhall Movano or possibly a van type if it wasn't too small for him?

or

c) Possibly a 6.5 t although the plating and extra costs puts me off slightly.


I did originally have a 510 trailer but traded it in for the lorry. My horse travelled okay in it, but I wondered if there were any other trailers out there which may give him a more confident ride? I have considered an equi-trek but was put off by our local dealer who stopped selling them as the build quality was so poor. That was a few years now, so I would be interested in any updates? Other trailers I have looked at online are Nugent and Cheval Liberte. I did notice on an old forum that the Richardson trailers had very good reviews, but as they have not been trading for some time now and decent secondhand ones are so hard to come by I think that idea might be out the window!

My horse isn't a good traveller (no matter how carefully I drive) especially when he is on his own (he is a neurotic panicker/baby), so therefore whatever I look at has to be robust enough for the odd paddy or two too!

I work from home so I do not do a lot of mileage annually e.g. no commuting. Does anyone have any advice regarding the choice between a Movano type horsebox or LR and trailer?

Thanks people! I have already made some expensive mistakes, I can't afford to make any more so your advice would be invaluable!

 

[ROG]

From your post I assume you have a pre 97 licence so have LGV C1 and B+E ?

3.5 tonne vehicles command a higher price because of the post 96 licence restrictions so perhaps a 4/5/6 tonne van type lorry might be better

Same goes for single or lightweight trailers which can be down plated for B licence towing

Hope that helps a little

 

[mustard98]

Sorry yes ROG I forgot to say I am positively ancient and can drive anything up to a 7.5t! I am looking for advice regarding what the best ride is (in people's experience) for my 16.3 hh neurotic ISH. I have studied and completely understand trailer weights etc. etc. so know I should be within my weight limits for all mentioned above. Thanks for your help though.

 

[cold_feet]

I have a backward facing Luton style Renault Master long wheelbase 3.5t. My big 16:3 tb/wbx has plenty of room and travels well. Full wall between horse area and groom area. I love it! (Would be a squeeze without the lwb).

 

[mustard98]

Oh thanks cold_feet that's very helpful. Is it nice and sturdy if the neurotic one decides to kick about a bit? Was yours made by any particular company? I do think that travelling backwards would probably make him happier.

 

[jules9203]

We bought a Equitrek Star Trekka a couple of years ago. The horses travel brilliantly in it. We were told the older models had problems with water leaks but we have had no problem with ours. It is long but very stable to tow and gives the horses a lovely ride. Lots of room for a bigger/longer horse.

 

[cold_feet]

Oh thanks cold_feet that's very helpful. Is it nice and sturdy if the neurotic one decides to kick about a bit? Was yours made by any particular company? I do think that travelling backwards would probably make him happier.

Yes seems very sturdy. I've had it 6 months and alradey done almost 1k miles! It was coachbuilt by a company in Harlow (Essex) that I know nothing about. Bought it from the friend of a friend, so had a bit of confidence in it being ok.

 

[mustard98]

Thanks, that's very useful.

 

[mustard98]

Great thanks very much!

 

[mustard98]

Thank you cold_feet that is extremely useful

 

[mustard98]

We bought a Equitrek Star Trekka a couple of years ago. The horses travel brilliantly in it. We were told the older models had problems with water leaks but we have had no problem with ours. It is long but very stable to tow and gives the horses a lovely ride. Lots of room for a bigger/longer horse.

Thanks very much Jules, I think I may have to go and have a look at one, possibly the smaller one though!

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

Have you tried moving the partitions in the lorry to be backward herring bone to see if he travels slightly better in it?

Both my old horse and my current one don't move a muscle when they are herringbone but backwards. Old horse would sit on her rump against the side of the box if facing forward, or would sit on the bulkhead in a rear facing. I have a 3.5te that I bought last year which is rear facing, but I effectively have to have nugz loose as he struggles to find a solid position in it. I think it's because the breast bar is too high for him so he can't lean properly against it if he needs to so hes' like a jiggly thing when travelling. I am looking to change the box to one with stallion stalls as he travelled over 400miles in one completely perfectly.

So if you're looking for a nice 3.5te, I might have one for sale in the New Year!!

 

[mustard98]

Have you tried moving the partitions in the lorry to be backward herring bone to see if he travels slightly better in it?

Both my old horse and my current one don't move a muscle when they are herringbone but backwards. Old horse would sit on her rump against the side of the box if facing forward, or would sit on the bulkhead in a rear facing. I have a 3.5te that I bought last year which is rear facing, but I effectively have to have nugz loose as he struggles to find a solid position in it. I think it's because the breast bar is too high for him so he can't lean properly against it if he needs to so hes' like a jiggly thing when travelling. I am looking to change the box to one with stallion stalls as he travelled over 400miles in one completely perfectly.

So if you're looking for a nice 3.5te, I might have one for sale in the New Year!!

Thanks Golden Baubles didn't think of that - I will give that a go. I suppose I could angle it the other way as much as I could to give him more room too. I will investigate I think also the best way forward is to hire a trailer/3.5 t luton backward facing horsebox/3.5 t van and just try before I buy - just like you, you have found that Nugz is better with stallion stalls. Horses!! If only they were all the same lol.

 

[Skewbaldbow]

Probably not a huge amount of help since like you said Richardson's are hard to come by... but I got a Richardson Rice for my boy as it is super roomy and I found he needed the space to balance himself. It has so much room compared to its equivalent ifor trailer and my horse has gone from a rubbish traveler to a horse that happily loads and travels well (just now gets impatient if he can't stick his head out the side at shows...). You could try a full length breech bar in the trailer as I found this helped as well (until someone remembered he is an expert at breaking twine/headcollars/leadropes and broke one cross tie and turned himself around... luckily while at a show and not whilst driving!)

 

[mustard98]

Probably not a huge amount of help since like you said Richardson's are hard to come by... but I got a Richardson Rice for my boy as it is super roomy and I found he needed the space to balance himself. It has so much room compared to its equivalent ifor trailer and my horse has gone from a rubbish traveler to a horse that happily loads and travels well (just now gets impatient if he can't stick his head out the side at shows...). You could try a full length breech bar in the trailer as I found this helped as well (until someone remembered he is an expert at breaking twine/headcollars/leadropes and broke one cross tie and turned himself around... luckily while at a show and not whilst driving!)

Ha ha thanks Skewbaldbow. Mustard sounds very much like your horse! I had thought about the trailer option and the full length breech bar. If I can find a decent Richardson/Rice trailer secondhand I think that might definitely be an option, but they are like hen's teeth I think! Such a pity that they discontinued making them.

 

[Skewbaldbow]

Ha ha thanks Skewbaldbow. Mustard sounds very much like your horse! I had thought about the trailer option and the full length breech bar. If I can find a decent Richardson/Rice trailer secondhand I think that might definitely be an option, but they are like hen's teeth I think! Such a pity that they discontinued making them.

I've seen a few about but they seem to be mostly the smaller models and not many like mine that carry 2x17,3s. Only thing I'd say with the Richardson Rice is full length breech bars are hard to come by... but you can get they made up easily enough, my OH got a pair made for me by a local steel merchant and it only cost about £80