AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE MAR/APRIL ISSUE OF HQ

WITH HINDSIGHT. . .

Moving horses with motorised vehicles can be a very stressful time for both owners and the horses themselves.

Horses are naturally prey animals who are claustraphobics and panicaholics - the mere fact that they will tolerate trucking and boxing is astonishing. For an animal which can be too frightened to pass a new object on a path, being put into an enclosed noisy box for hours while being whirled around corners and bracing against braking must be an act of faith!
It is also said that the time spent by a horse balancing in a box is equivalent to the same time walking out with a rider. This must increase on bumpy and twisty roads. So when you arrive at your destination after, say, 2 hours trucking, the horse starts the new work as if they had been already walking or trotting for the last 2 hours....The noise levels are also debilitating.

Besides the noise and the sideways balancing, the main stress on a horse is resisting the braking forces - acceleration is usually slow and controlled and less of a problem. If the horse is surprised by sudden braking he may be pushed forward into the chest bars which may catch the horse on the windpipe at the base of his neck. When braking is downhill and combined with turning into a corner the horse has initially to brace and lean back to counteract the braking forces. Whilst being loaded onto the front legs, cornering  will now throw his weight onto his outside front leg and try to slew his bottom sideways across the rear bars. Often horse boxes are too narrow to allow the horses to spread their legs enough to assist in this precarious balancing. If the side barriers are soft and located correctly the horses can, at least, lean against the sides but this is a rather teetering position and often the sides and partitions are inadequately proportioned, positioned and/or padded.

All drivers who tow horseboxes should try travelling in a horsebox standing in the horse bay and not using their hands to hold on! And preferably driven by someone they do not rate very highly as a driver.... Their admiration for horse tolerance will be immeasurably increased! It is in our own interest to ensure that our horses are trucked with the minimum stress possible. Reluctance to load and tearing out of boxes when unloading are symptoms of horse concern at having to travel in a box.

Various studies where horses have been driven in large lorries with no partitions have shown that horses will preferably stand at 45 degrees to the direction of travel to balance - as would a human. Also horses will often turn to travel backwards when free to do so. I have heard of a horse that turned around in a conventional box when trucked on his own. There are two main reason for this - firstly horses find it far easier to react to the braking forces by leaning forwards, especially if they can also brace against an object with their bum. Secondly horses prefer to have air/wind passing over their bodies from back to front as can be witnessed regularly in a paddock when it is windy.

Many modern horse trucks which are big enough have partitions which hold the horses at  45degrees and facing backwards. Almost all new smaller horse lorries in the UK now load at the side with the horses facing rearwards. In the last few years some horsebox manufacturers have adapted 'normal' boxes so that the horses face to the back - this can entail loading a horses backwards or having double ramps so that the horse enters the front side and exits via the conventional rear ramp.

The new prototype Hindsight  Horsebox has addressed these horse box difficulties and used the features of its innovative layout to add in a number of unique features. A clean sheet of paper design has allowed every issue to reassessed.

The Hindsight Horsebox uses a single central shaft chassis extending to the tow bar to permit a larger front ramp which is correctly angled to allow both loading and unloading. This ramp has a simple side barrier to prevent an unloading horse from accidentally stepping off the ramp into the vehicle/towbar. The ramp is on the pavement side which also assists when loading adjacent to a busy road or in a restricted area as the ramp is within the length of the vehicle and box rather than extending out the back. An added advantage is that the ramp is appreciably narrower than a standard one making it more manageable for smaller people.

The floor of the horsebox is concave in each horse bay to help the horses when they step outwards for balance - this keeps their hooves vertical to the floor surface and greatly improves their footing. As the weight of the horses is far further forward than a conventional box, the wheels are unexpectedly far forward. The centre partition swings to one side to permit the first horse to enter and is then centralised and latched in place with the rear bum cradle. The second horse then enters the left hand bay and its rear bum cradle is swung shut before the ramp and top doors are closed. A further advantage of this arrangement is that the ramp can be seen from within the tow vehicle so there is no possibility of the ramp opening undetected.

Although the horses have to turn slightly on exiting and reverse down a narrower-than-normal ramp, it has not been a problem and within 4-5 loadings has proved to be as easy as a conventional ramp system. As the forces exerted on a horse travelling tail-first are diametrically opposed to normal, it takes a few journeys for the horse to get new 'sea-legs'....!

The tapered nose of the box results in cranked concave bum cradles into which the horses can nestle their posteriors for easier balancing and comfort. Certainly the horses that have travelled in this box have been noticeably less inclined to sit back firmly on their haunches and rather relax into the cradles. Any braking forces are now counter-acted by leaning gently backwards into the cradles. Because the cradles are concave the horses' rumps are secure when turning into corners.

Only simple padded and removable chest bars are required as the horses rarely make contact with them. As the air flow is over the horses from back to front, any dust from haynets in the box is blown away from the horses' nasal passages and eyes - very beneficial on long journeys.

The novel layout of the Hindsight Horsebox allows the rear of the box to be fully enclosed and non opening. This immediately results in a number of improved features. The box is far more rigid without a gaping rear opening and requires no visually intrusive and aerodynamically detrimental external bracing. It is therefore quieter and dust-proof - both big bonuses. Furthermore, as the rear of the box is no longer required for loading, it can be used for storage (and living). The Hindsight Horsebox has an enclosure to carry two bales of oathay; a two-saddle cupboard; and additional storage boxes. These are all under a work counter.

As the Hindsight Horsebox is fully enclosed and weather-proof, it can be used as a 'caravan' when empty as well. The central partition and cradles are easily removable and the side barriers fold down to create either a settee/single bed or twin beds. The worktop and cupboards at the rear can be used as a kitchenette. A version for endurance riding could have a cooker and basin installed as well. This also makes the box versatile for trail riding; shows; horse-holidays and, especially for endurance rides.

The welfare and safety of our horses are always paramount. The layout of the Hindsight Horsebox should result in better protection in an unfortunate accident. If the horse box is hit from behind, horses travelling in a Hindsight Horsebox are away form the point of impact unlike a conventional box.. If, however, the tow vehicle with a Hindsight Horsebox  has a head-on accident, the horses are more securely located and will not go head-first into the crash.

The Hindsight Horsebox is clad in glass-fibre coated marine ply which gives a clean, shiny, easy-clean finish; excellent heat insulation; and sound deadening.The prototype has a sheet metal roof but production versions would have a glass-fibre moulded top section. All the metal components are galvanised or coated to ensure an indefinite lifespan.

The basic design of the Hindsight Horsebox lends itself ideally to a three-berth box. The partition arrangement would remain similar in principle and the ramp would be slightly wider which may assist with tricky horses.

The prototype Hindsight Horsebox is being used regularly to iron out any faults - although so far it has proved  to be even beyond design expectations. The final design will be simplified further and rationalised. A decision on whether to productionise and sell Hindsight Horseboxes will depend on the interest shown by horse owners who may appreciate the new thinking behind it. Certainly horses trucked in it have arrived more relaxed than previously with conventional boxes.

With hindsight, all horseboxes should have been designed this way...!!

PHOTOGRAPHS ACCOMPANYING THIS ARTICLE ARE VIEWABLE ON THE PHOTOS PAGE.