Travelling with no partition or breast bar!

[peaceandquiet1]

I am pretty sure that if you asked the trailer manufacturers about this they would tell you that the breast and breeching bars are necessary to take any impact and the catches on the ramps and doors are no way strong enough to contain a horse so would imagine it would count as an unsafe load or something. I am sure that cattle trailers are built differently to withstand greater impact and I know some people travel their ponies in them apparently successfully. The fact that you can buy full length breast /breech bars for double trailers sounds like the best way to manage if more space is needed. Its not a good idea either to overload the nose of the trailer although I know several people who put a small pony in that space.

 

[martlin]

Livestock trailers are flat at the front, with a *jockey* door at the side. They are balanced differently, therefore safe for the stock to wonder around.

 

[blond1]

Defra's legislation on travelling horses is here:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/welfare/transport/documents/vehicle_spec_horses.pdf

As far as I can work out you can travel groups of horses without partitions provided they don't go on a ferry.

Would like to know if it's legal to travel without a breech bar.

 

[hayinamanger]

I don't think it can be illegal, Redwings travel their rescue horses and ponies loose without a partition or breast bar. I went to a talk given by their welfare officer and she said that after much research they discovered that the horses preferred to travel this way, most will stand across the width of the box.

 

[guccigivi2001]

speaking from experience, i can quite safely say that you should travel with a breast/breach bar or strap, i travelled my bad loader once without them, and whilst the ramp was being closed gucci panicked, shot forwards squashing me in the front of the trailer, and then backwards flattening my dad under the ramp. they are there for a reason please use them, my dad only sustained concussion, some rather nasty head wounds, broken ribs and damaged his leg as once horse was free of the trailer she stood perfectly quietly and still, but for someone else it could be quite a bit worse. we're still working on making her a better loader but im 100% sure that i wont ever do it again and also now use a lorry that is like an equitrek trailer setup as she seems happier in there.