Which side of your trailer do you travel a single horse on

[Hanno Verian]

This has been brought on by seeing a lot of IW type trailers on the roads with a decent sized horse (16hh) loaded on what is the nearside (side nearest to kerb).

I would never ever think about putting a horse in a position where it can effect a trailers centre of gravity and put the horse, trailer, tow vehicle and driver at risk, am I missing something here?

 

[9tails]

The trailers are robust and very well balanced so it doesn't affect the trailer's centre of gravity in my experience. I collect one horse in the trailer and he travels on the left to my yard where I load my own horse. She is unable to travel on the left, she panics.

I've also seen a horse who panicked on the right but traveled perfectly on the left. I'd rather tow a quiet horse on the left than a panicker on the right.

 

[pennyturner]

I have removed the partition in my old Rice. They tend mostly to stand herringbone

 

[Notimetoride]

It was always explained to me to always travel a single horse on the right. It's supposed to be a little smoother as there's no drains/grids under the RHS. Also it's a little more level on the right, as all roads slope slightly towards the kerb for rainwater runoff. So that's what ive always done.

 

[meleeka]

I know of a horse that turned an IW trailer over by travelling on the n/s. The road was an A road and had a large camber and it just tipped over. The horse was fairly young and managed to knock all his front teeth out and had some nasty cuts to his legs

 

[AandK]

Always on the right hand/drivers side of the trailer, due to road camber and drains etc.

 

[AmyMay]

Yep, always on the right.

 

[Templebar]

The trailers are robust and very well balanced so it doesn't affect the trailer's centre of gravity in my experience. I collect one horse in the trailer and he travels on the left to my yard where I load my own horse. She is unable to travel on the left, she panics.

I've also seen a horse who panicked on the right but traveled perfectly on the left. I'd rather tow a quiet horse on the left than a panicker on the right.

This essentially. I have a pony that cant travel on the left, so always goes on the right. Similarly we had to bring home an unknown horse home from an event with our own once and traveled him on the right as he was unknown and mine who stands well was on the left, but mine was a much bigger horse, but there wouldn't be much in it weight wise.

Generally though usually on the right side.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Right handside - easier to unload.

 

[ester]

we have one who really struggles to unload when on the right with a right front unload trailer.

 

[Hanno Verian]

The trailers are robust and very well balanced so it doesn't affect the trailer's centre of gravity in my experience. I collect one horse in the trailer and he travels on the left to my yard where I load my own horse. She is unable to travel on the left, she panics.

I've also seen a horse who panicked on the right but traveled perfectly on the left. I'd rather tow a quiet horse on the left than a panicker on the right.

They might be well balanced unloaded, but by introducing a horse, you both raise the centre of gravity and offset it from the centre line of the trailer both of which effect stability, add a camber to the road, add centrifugal force from turning, throw in a horse stumbling and or a gust of wind and you can be in big trouble very quickly its basic physics.

Panicker or not I'd think twice about travelling a horse on the nearside (kerb side)

 

[Alibear]

No Partition so she stands where ever she likes. Which seems to be fairly central most of the time, although she also likes to have her backside on the off side and her head and front end on the near side so a bit herring bone. I think that's just because its a nearside unload so she knows that's the way out.

 

[ihatework]

I always travel horses individually in a trailer and remove the partition and cross tie

 

[milliepops]

One of mine will ALWAYS manage to undo the breast bar somehow if you travel her on the drivers side. She always has to go on kerb side. hardly ever actually have to put her on a trailer though as I have a lorry

 

[rara007]

Generally take the partitions out and use the big breast and breech bar. If not that organised and a good traveller then drivers side.

 

[Reacher]

Generally take the partitions out and use the big breast and breech bar. If not that organised and a good traveller then drivers side.

DItto

 

[Hannahgb]

We have an equitrek so makes sense to travel on the left as the ramp is on the right so has more space to turn etc?

 

[eggs]

Years ago we were taught single horse always on the right had side. If travelling two horses then the larger on the right hand side.

 

[Gallop_Away]

The trailers are robust and very well balanced so it doesn't affect the trailer's centre of gravity in my experience. I collect one horse in the trailer and he travels on the left to my yard where I load my own horse. She is unable to travel on the left, she panics.

I've also seen a horse who panicked on the right but traveled perfectly on the left. I'd rather tow a quiet horse on the left than a panicker on the right.

You've just given me a lightbulb moment. My mare is a terrible traveller. She panics and thrashes around. We've always travelled her on the left with my hubbys gelding (who she adores) on the right. But now I'm wondering if she would be ok if we loaded her on the right? Thanks for giving me food for thought

 

[9tails]

You've just given me a lightbulb moment. My mare is a terrible traveller. She panics and thrashes around. We've always travelled her on the left with my hubbys gelding (who she adores) on the right. But now I'm wondering if she would be ok if we loaded her on the right? Thanks for giving me food for thought

This is how we found out that my horse couldn't travel on the left. Once switched over, you don't know she's there.

 

[Floxie]

Always used to put the heavier (or single) horse on the right, until mine started stumbling around a bit. I switched her to the left and she much prefers it. She's better now so I don't mind putting her back on the right if she's with another that doesn't like it more (I know several!) but when she's by herself I stick her kerb-side.

 

[Annagain]

M always travels on the right but A can't stand up on the right so he'll go on the left. The way he thrashes about is far more likely to cause an accident than him standing quietly on the left. I rarely take him anywhere alone -usually just to the vet 1/2 a mile away - and he and M are very similar weights. M is a bit heavier in summer, he's a bit heavier in winter as M fluctuates and he stays the same and there's never more than 20kg in it. I always drive carefully but if he's on the trailer alone, I'm extra careful, go round bends and turns extra slowly and drive in the middle of the road when I can see it's clear and nothing's coming.

 

[OldNag]

On the right. But a friend has a pony who will not travel on the right, so he goes on the left.