 | Home > Off Topic > Advice on towing livestock |
 
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| jimbob7 Member Since: 06 Jul 2013 Location: uk Posts: 2055  |
Fill a mug with tea/coffee and rest it on the dash/cubby box/knee,that way you wont forget to brake/accelerate smoooothly. Pov.spec,ftw. 2006, 110,TD5.
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22nd Jun 2014 9:47pm |
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| Oscar Romeo Member Since: 16 Apr 2014 Location: South Yorks, the pinnacle of all human achievement Posts: 121  
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Well it just depends who your towing to where
 if know what i mean 
All the landys I've towed with have come into there own when towing and could pull a house down! The difference with animals is you just take a bit more care i.e. smoother setting off and slowing down. You have a Land Rover which means you'll be fine  |
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22nd Jun 2014 9:58pm |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8578 
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Excellent advice from jimbob.
Two horses should go in a trailer no probs unless it is one of those teeny one horse boxes and they will be happier in company. Ask your mate what they travel like and how they box, he should know. The only paperwork you would ever need us a horse passport but generally no one takes it with them , but if you are worried tell him to bring it along. Stick a hay net in for them to nibble on but am guessing that your mate will be going with you as boxing a horse is not something that someone who doesn't know what they are doing should be doing. Just be aware that unlike most trailer loads they can shift their weight so take it steady Regards Barbara |
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22nd Jun 2014 10:00pm |
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| JWL Member Since: 26 Oct 2011 Location: Hereford Posts: 3443 
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There was some damned good advice from jimbob, take it nice and easy to give them a smooth ride. They will move and shift their weight around, at the end of the day you will have a live load in the trailer. Don't be put off by all these comments, thousands of horses are transported every day, it will be a completely different experience to any other towing you may have done but just take your time and you'll be fine, the motor is more than capable of doing the job.
You are really required to have the Horse Passport for each animal when the horse is in transit and as mentioned very few people do carry them. As for weight, you may be touching close on 2½ tonnes all up |
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22nd Jun 2014 10:45pm |
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| Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971 
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Heavier horse/single horse on the right hand side from the rear (driver's side).
Load the fatter/more obstinate horse first so you can swing the partition over. Food helps. Make sure you have a bit of bale string between the tie ring and the rope so that if TSHTF you can cut it easily or it will break. Never tie a horse directly to a lump of metal, always have a weak link in the chain. Make sure the tail bar/strap/thing is at the right height and distance from the front for the horse. Take someone with you to help, preferably the owner of the horses. A lot of people say don't go above 40/50/slow MPH. Some horses are fine travelling, some get really stressy and stomp around. In a lot of peoples' opinions the newer Ifor trailers with a flexible lower centre partition are worse than ones with a solid centre because they can allow a horse to fall and slide under. I have no idea whether or not this is fruitless speculation and worry. When you're loading a horse, I find it's easiest to have a rope already tied in to the box. That way you lead the horse in, clip horse in to the rope rather than having to tie it. Meanwhile helper has put the tail bar/strap across to stop the horse reversing out backwards and leaving you to escape through the jockey door. Some obstinate horses can be encourage on by opening the front unloading ramp. I have never unloaded a horse via said ramp, it's always been preferable to take them out backwards. In my dad's (pretty old) trailer with a horse that didn't like loading we didn't bother with the strap initially because the horse could just reverse through it. Instead one of us would lead the horse in and once the horse got most of the way in the other would lift the ramp up and we'd worry about the strap later once the horse was a bit more settled. If your horses are difficult a lunge rein and whip can be helpful. Weight wise "normal" depends on the horse, but 750kg would be a reasonable starting point for a moderately sized adult. My dad's trailer weighs something like 1300kg but it's old and heavily built. A newer and much bigger Ifor Williams that he borrows weighs substantially less. Whatever the case, it should say on the plate. Your Defender will be fine. Take your friend with you and drive carefully and you and the horses will be fine. I have never known anyone have paperwork for moving horses. 15 miles is nothing. If you're worrying about it, your friend may well be covered under his insurance to drive your Defender. Go with him but get him to do the driving, that way if it all goes wrong it's his problem
It's not a Terrano that's off the road is it? |
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23rd Jun 2014 1:15am |
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| Happyoldgit Member Since: 14 Sep 2007 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3471 
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Some good advice here but if you are not experienced around horses it's probably best to ensure that you have someone with you who is. Never underestimate their strength, even the most placid dope on a rope can spook and quickly become more than a handful and leave you with little or no thinking time, an individual who is comfortable and experienced will be able to step in and deal with a situation quickly and without fuss should the need arise.
Don't forget ensure you have passports for the animals with you when you are traveling them: http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/trave...sports.htm Your journey may only be a few miles but do make sure you have a backup plan in the event of a breakdown or other mishap, holding horses at the side of the road while you try and find alternative transport really isn't fun. Steve. Owned numerous Land Rover vehicles of all shapes and sizes over the decades. Current Defender: A non tarts hand-bagged Puma 110 XS USW. [Insert something impressive here such as extensive list of previous Land Rovers or examples of your prestigeous and expensive items, trinkets, houses, bikes, vehicles etc] http://forums.lr4x4.com I used to be Miserable ...but now I'm ecstatic. |
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23rd Jun 2014 2:09pm |
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| smb Member Since: 15 Jan 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 1232 
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Without going into all the details as to why you shouldn't it would be a lot better for yourself if your friend uses your vehicle to tow "their" trailer with "their" horse. They may be a friend, but if an accident occurs we all know how quickly friendships change. Just make sure your vehicle is in a good roadworthy condition then there is no comeback on yourself.
If you still want to do the favour I would read both the government and Defra rules and regulations first. One item you may need apart from the fact you "have" to have a passport for the horse is as it is not your horse you may need a Certificate of Competence even though you are not doing it for money. Just make sure you go with your friend beforehand to fill up your vehicle with fuel and get them to pay for it on their credit card so you have a paper trail if stopped. That way you may get out of the Certificate of Competence requirement. The rules and regulations are quite onerous to say the least for the transport of animals(horses included), but a different thing all together when transporting animals owned by others. Saying all that I think the police are more interested in those that are obviously breaking the law like the Tractor that got pulled over on the M6  Last edited by smb on 23rd Jun 2014 4:40pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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23rd Jun 2014 4:11pm |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558
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bit off topic
when I was much younger me and a mate decided to ride in the back of a horse box trailer with the biggest pig ive ever seen. it was quite a big old rice horsebox and we had some straw bales between us and the pig . my granddad the driver in his land rover was not the best driver (old series 2 diesel ) it was ok till we got to a bumpy bit of road and the pig started going mad tossing the bales up inside the box . mate and me decided escape was the best bet . but my granddad had bolted a wide bar acorss the back above the door (didn't use box for horses ) the gap above and below the bar was small but in our blind panic to escape we both got though and jumped while he was still moving and had to walk back to his farm with a few cuts and grazes . when we got there he said calmly " I wondered where you two were" if you had paid me a £1000 I could not of got through that gap again but I did with that mad pig behind us my advise on livestock trailers don't ride in the back |
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23rd Jun 2014 4:40pm |
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| 22900013A Member Since: 23 Dec 2010 Location: Oxfordshire Posts: 3140 
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I suspect you may be doing this work as a "favour" but you may fall foul of tacho regs if you aren't careful, as you are not moving your own goods. if for hire or reward (ie you are paid cash or bought a lunch or a pint as a thanks) you will probably need a tacho unless there is some exemption I am not aware of. I was told most horsey folks don't bother as they are moving their own horses and there is no profit or reward to be made. 2011 110 USW
1973 Series III 1-Ton 1972 Series III 1-Ton Cherrypicker 1969 IIA 1-Ton 1966 IIA 88" |
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23rd Jun 2014 7:08pm |
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| Fatboy Slim Member Since: 04 Feb 2008 Location: Bridgend Posts: 1006 
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Just to put pay to any 'grey' area regarding horse passports, yes! you do need it !!!!!! my wife enforces it in this neck of the woods
 There you are, straight from the horses mouth |
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23rd Jun 2014 9:33pm |
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| martinfiattech Member Since: 13 Nov 2013 Location: leicester Posts: 422
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Thanks for the advice guys, sorry I did not reply sooner it all came together rather quickly this morning.
Yesterday the car was full of the back garden and at the tip gates ready for them to open up, got talking to the bloke at the gate showed him my tip pass, we got talking about land rovers and he said" don`t worry about your pass" ( we only get 16 visit`s a year ) on the pass so I`ve got one free trip to the tip all for a chat. So last night I put all my scrap metal and bits of junk out of the garage = 192 kg`s. Thought I would kill two birds with one stone. Off early doors this morning all coupled up and horses loaded for 6 am paper work in order there`s a lot of it, the horses are mother and daughter they were perfect and no problem, did `ent see any police cars on the way good job, no tacho fitted and as yet untested tow bar and electrics fitted by me so all round baptism of fire !! The land rovers manners were fantastic it did`ent judder in second and third like it does when it`s unloaded, it got thru some diesel on the way, all told we did 34 miles with out a hitch dropped them off at new stables just out side melton they were shown to the stable man or what ever the term is. He was more than happy with the horses, paper work, he even liked my car win, win. It`s been a long time since I drove that carefully, more than lightly it was my driving test !! So back home for breakfast and on the way dropped all my scrap metal off at the breakers yard 192 kg`s of mixed scrap gets you 12 quid !! make you wonder how the white van men make a living from it. Just in case you were wondering my friends towing vehicle a rather old Renault master is suffering from terminal big end knock due to him not checking it`s oil level, all it ever did was pull the box so it`s a old shed and about ready to go to the nackers yard. With a bit of luck I can get out of it in future I was more than a bit nervous. All things considered it`s harder to get my pet cat in her box to take her down the vets than this was... Once again thanks for the advice at least I have some idea of what to do, won`t be making a habit of it, Excuse the spelling I`am better with spanners and wires. |
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24th Jun 2014 11:31pm |
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| Weston18 Member Since: 20 Oct 2013 Location: Norhamptonshire Posts: 93 
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Dont suppose you have a 90 Pick-up? If you do i think i may have seen you in melton.
Well Done! |
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25th Jun 2014 3:27am |
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| K9F Member Since: 12 Nov 2009 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 9610 
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Now you're experinced fancy moving my Siberian Tiger from Marwell to Bristol Zoo. She's just like a big pussycat really.
  If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!
Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!! |
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25th Jun 2014 9:10am |
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| martinfiattech Member Since: 13 Nov 2013 Location: leicester Posts: 422
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Sorry it was`ent me you saw I have a hard top, the one you saw was more than lightly been driven by someone who knew what they were doing !!
As for towing I`am quitting while I`am ahead. Again thanks for advice. Excuse the spelling I`am better with spanners and wires. |
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26th Jun 2014 8:07am |
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