Which trailers do you recommend/avoid?

Holly Hocks

Holly Hocks

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I sold my horsebox today due to the fact that I couldn't justify keeping it when I barely used it (it was last used in January to take one of the horses to the vet and hasn't been used since!).
My plan is to get a Kia Sorento and trailer if I ever do decide I want to compete and go out and do things again. Do you just recommend the usual Ifor Williams ones or are there others to look at? I've just had a look on a few websites and there are a few Batesons about as well, but I don't know much about them. Are there any makes/types to avoid?
Thanks
 
Just bear in mind that Ifor Williams ones are heavy, well the old style ones e.g. HB505/510 but the 506/511 are lighter.

My friend has a bateson and loves it.
 
Thanks Tallyho! I can't help keep looking at the Bateson trailers and liking them. There are a few come up second hand as well. :)
 
I've got a Bateson. The biggest one. (can't remember what it's called)
I have had my 17.3hh in it but only for a short distance. He was fine. I travelled him without the partition.
It's roomy & very bright inside. It's a doddle to move around as it's so light. Mine is an older model with the 2 saddle racks in the front. I bought a single breech bar & breast bar to use without the partition.
Bateson is a fab company to deal with. Even though the trailer is not even nearly new they are very helpful & will happily sell you bits for it.
I had a Rice before. A lovely solid trailer but soooooo heavy! I couldn't lift the ramp on my own.
 
I saw an equitrek one for sale near me recently and it looked really nice. I've never seen one first hand though so don't know how they fair against the ifors. I have a HB 505 currently
 
Ive always gone for rice trailers { the newer one not the heavey older ones} but we searched for ages finding a second hand one they are solid/well made/ stand up to a lot of work with out falling apart.
The cheaper version is a rice/richardson cheaper and just as good but again harder to come across.
Ive been using my friends newish ifor williams to tow her horse and mine places { mines been lent out} i just do not like it, i dont know why they are so popular.
 
Don't get an Equitrek unless you can try one first, neither of mine liked it. One wouldn't turn sideways so he never went anywhere, the other got more difficult to load until he bolted down the ramp & refused to go in again.

I now have a Richardson, they both travel happily
 
I had a Bateson Deauville, brilliant trailer, light & airy & inviting for the horse to walk into. It has a low centre of gravity so is very stable on the road & follows the towing vehicle really well. It had a couple of saddle racks in the nose which were very handy. I bought it second hand at a good price & when I sold it after about 5 years I got the same money for it so they keep their value. I did need a part for it at some point & I found the company to be very good, understanding & they posted it out to me really quickly. I only sold it as I needed a lorry for more horses & living acomodation otherwise I'd still have it. :)
 
I had a mare and foal Cheval and loved it-everything loaded and travelled really well in it, very light inside, low centre of gravity, pullman and really easy ramps etc for me to use on my own. My 4x4 died and my commute got longer so I sold it.
 
Cheval Libertes are good for lighter weight tow vehicles. BUT you do need the Pullman suspension, these can almost be guaranteed to have aluminium floors too.
If a seller doesn't know if its got the Pullman, don't waste your time going to see it. The ride for the horse is much less comfortable in the other models.
 
I have an older rice 1 but with an aluminium flooring with rubber matting & rubber part way up the walls as well. Spent quite a bit priming & painting etc

I put my horse in a friends ifor & omg they are so so dark inside, it was 1 of the older style 1s but i really didnt like it & neither did she!

I love mine its so light & airy :) although I'm selling soon to get a 3.5 tonne
 
kassieg said:
I have an older rice 1 but with an aluminium flooring with rubber matting & rubber part way up the walls as well. Spent quite a bit priming & painting etc

I put my horse in a friends ifor & omg they are so so dark inside, it was 1 of the older style 1s but i really didnt like it & neither did she!

I love mine its so light & airy :) although I'm selling soon to get a 3.5 tonne
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A 4/5/6 tonner is likely to be cheaper as those with only B licences are wanting 3.5s
 
ROG said:
A 4/5/6 tonner is likely to be cheaper as those with only B licences are wanting 3.5s
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Thanks everyone. Definitely thinking Bateson now, although will have a look at the others mentioned. I don't know anyone who hasn't liked their Bateson. I agree with ROG above. I have just sold a 3.5t van conversion, although I have to say, I did accept what I had set as my lowest price - mainly because it was due its annual service and MOT and I didn't want to pay out for it. What I would also say to anyone getting a 3.5t is to check the safety features (mine was fully strengthened after I bought it and I realised that the bulkhead was actually no use whatsoever!) and that they can cost a fortune in repairs. In the 5 years I had mine, it cost me a fortune in repairs - hence one of the reasons I am changing to a 4x4 and trailer.
 
Fautras! Just sold my Ifor 505 and bought a 2nd hand Fautras Promax and really like it so far. Seems much more solidly built than the Ifors and is less rattly when travelling. It is also made of carbon fibre so no risk of it rotting like the sides of the Ifor.
 
Another vote for Fautras. To be fair, they don't come up second hand very often but I saw mine advertised on Preloved for £2000. Absolutely love it. Really robust trailer.
 
I've regularly towed a very old heavy Rice, a slightly less old slightly less heavy Rice, a Robinson's trailer (which I think is made by Cheval Liberte) and now an Ifor 510. The Robinson's trailer is so light you can push it around on the ground yourself no problem, but not very roomy. The Rice trailers are great so long as you can service them yourself or you know someone who understands them, parts can be hard to come by- so for me I would vote for my Ifor Williams 510, I trust the floor, you can get the parts, most trailer centres can easily service them. I don't like the look of Equitreks, but I really do like the look of the Fautras
 
I haves Batesons Ascot (the largest one), I love it, it tows really well, is light and airy, I have heard from various people who have bought the new Ifor Williams that their once perfect travelling horse is really unhappy with the new Ifor. They are apparently (please don't shoot me down I am only going by what I have been told) very bouncy when travelling possibly the floor is too wells sprung. I used to have an old Ifor 505 and loved it,I wouldn't swap my Batesons in a hurry 😀😀
 
Don't touch Equitrek. They look lovely but the build quality is very poor , with far too thin ply used on the floor and ramp which has caused a number of accidents. Tho i believe the build quality on the newer ones has improved.
 
Piglet said:
I haves Batesons Ascot (the largest one), I love it, it tows really well, is light and airy, I have heard from various people who have bought the new Ifor Williams that their once perfect travelling horse is really unhappy with the new Ifor. They are apparently (please don't shoot me down I am only going by what I have been told) very bouncy when travelling possibly the floor is too wells sprung. I used to have an old Ifor 505 and loved it,I wouldn't swap my Batesons in a hurry ����
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Mines the other way round - had an old Bateson which rattled an awful lot and horse often came off sweating due to stressing. Now own a brand new IW 506 and he is much happier, even eating on long journeys, which he wouldn't do before.
 
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