[Rosemary]

I can't decide where to put this so I've gone for here.

We need to get a trailer of some kind. We can only afford one. Given that we have one pony, soon to be two, pigs, sheep and cows at some point hopefully, should we get a horsebox or a livestock trailer?

My instinct is to go for a livestock trailer - it's less aerodynamic than a horsebox but has a proper gate and floor. I suppose my real question is, woudl it be safe to transport a horse in a livestock trailer?

[Old Empty Barn]

Rosemary,

I've just had a flick through the Ifor Williams trailer parts catalogue & you could be onto something here ......... they supply all the internal dividing panels / chest bars, brackets etc for the horse trailers as spares ...... if the livestock trailer has enough headroom inside ...... you could kit out a livestock trailer so that you just fit the horse parts in when you need it for the horse, but they're quickly removable for livestock.

Ifor Williams have a dealer in Bridge Of Allan, you could pick up a catalogue, I think the website's pretty good as well.

Dave

[Hardfeather]

My employer has Highland cattle, Suffolk sheep, and Highland ponies/part breds. My neighbour has Clydesdale horses. I have used their livestock trailers to move all the above.

As Dave says, you can get all the equipment for them....such as partitions and breast bars, etc..

They have a metal floor with those raised patterns for grip. We have transported shod horses in them, with and without straw, and have not had any injuries/accidents.

I like them because they have the opening slats along the side, allowing for plenty of ventilation in hot weather.

The ramps are substantial, and the guide gates are handy when loading foals. You can get a transverse partition (fixes onto front of trailer when not in use) which allow two foals to be travelled at the front, seperately from their dams, if needs be, which is handy when speaning foals. We have had two mares and their foals in one when travelling to stud, with plenty of room.

There is ample space inside to turn a horse around if it's wary of backing out.

They are very stable when towed by a long wheel base vehicle, empty and loaded, and are fairly light weight by comparison to some horse trailers.

Remember there is a minimum height restriction if you are travelling equines.

[dixie]

a few people from our pony club use livestock trailers for their ponies with no problem at all, no good for horses as they are not high enough but suitable for ponies!

[garden cottage]

hi rosemary, we bought a 4 wheel second hand ifor williams livestock trailer when we first got animals and was probably the most useful piece of kit we own,you can put ponies in as well if dividers are fitted, ours will take 3 adult dexters or 12 sheep with a squeeze on single deck, why a livestock trailer? they have ventilation flaps on the entire side of the trailer from top to bottom which horseboxes dont...........neil

[ballingall]

Its not really what you mean, but we did travel a Shetland pony in our tiny little sheep ifor williams- if only for a mile.

I think you could use a big livestock trailer to transport a horse.

Beth

[Hardfeather]

a few people from our pony club use livestock trailers for their ponies with no problem at all, no good for horses as they are not high enough but suitable for ponies!

Ifor Williams do a full height one for horses. As I said in my post above, I have transported Clydesdales in one.

[dixie]

Ahh I've not seen the taller ones? Think my friend uses a 12' livestock trailer, definately only suitable for ponies, but in any case a livestock trailer is as good as a horse trailer, in my opinion!!

[Hardfeather]

Perfect for ponies. 

[Rosemary]

I think we'd need the 7ft (2.1m) headroom and 12ft (3.6m)  length the horseboxes are 2.2m -2.26m high and 3.08 - 3.52m long. Smokey's only 15.1hh.

I'll pop in to Peter Mackenzie's next time I'm in Stirling. A new trailer is £3500 - I don't have that kind of dosh, unfortunately.