Wessex Trailers introduce their brand new rear facing horse trailer to take two horses up to 18hh.
Horses are loaded into the trailer via the front nearside ramp and walked up to the breast bars at the rear of the trailer – After the horses have been tethered the handler/groom exits the trailer via the sensibly sized jockey-door at the rear near side of the trailer [see picture of jockey-door at rear].
When the time comes to unload the horses, the rear top doors are opened and fastened back, the rear ramp lowered and after unfastening the breast bar the first horse is unloaded via the rear ramp, this method allows either horse to be to be unloaded first, unlike a forward facing trailer where the horse on the front ramp side always has to be unloaded first to allow the central partition to be swung over to allow the second horse to walk out.
Additionally by unloading via the large almost flat rear ramp which the horses are already facing, the possibility of horses' hooves slipping off either the side of the ramp causing leg-injury, or trying to jump completely over the ramp and injuring themselves or a human, as is common when unloading via the front unloading ramp of a forward facing trailer is completely eliminated.
[Ask yourself, how often have you seen a horse try to jump completely over the ramp or have a shod-foot slip of one side when walking down the unloading ramp of a front unload trailer ??]
ALL OF THESE DANGERS ARE ELIMINATED WHEN UNLOADIND VIA THE REAR.
Most people who are experienced with all types of horses and all types of trailers generally agree that the best way to transport horses in a trailer, is in a purpose built rear-facing trailer, which has many benefits over a forward-facing or
cross-standing trailer.
Some of these benefits aside from those to do with loading and unloading are as follows.
In a forward facing trailer horses hate it when the towing vehicle has its brakes applied hard which throws them forward which often causes injuries to their heads, throat, neck or eyes which they do not like, which often causes some horses to just not want to go in a trailer again, and if they do, the bad experience of banging their head or throat eyes etc seems to be the catalyst of the start many bad habits such as:
[1] Trying to climb the side walls of the trailer whilst leaning heavily on to the central partition.
[2] Leaning heavily against the central partition after which they they go down at the front or back legs or sit down like a dog.
[3] Kicking the closed up ramp behind them and sides etc when in the closed trailer – and general banging and dragging of their hooves on the floor and sides.
ALL OFF THE AFFORE MENTIONED SEEMS TO BE A PROTEST BY SOME HORSES AGAINST TRAVELLING IN A FORWARD FACING TRAILER AND HAS BEEN SEEN TO BE COMPLETELY OVERCOME BY CHANGING FROM A FORWARD FACING TRAILER TO A REAR-FACING TRAILER.
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