You never told me this!!!

happy hollidays · Post by **happy hollidays** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:02 am

We took our first Dexter to the butchers on Monday. A small family outfit who are fairly close to home too. We planned as much as possible on the Sunday, so when it came to loading up on Monday morning it was a very calm, controlled scenario. Until I heard a bit of noise from behind the tractor and there she was hanging over the top of my horse trailer. You never told me this could happen!?! I should have known we had had it too easy for our first time. She is a fence jumper and obviously didn't like where she was off to. Anyhow, a quick fix to shut up the top of the trailer and off we went, kids and all. We will get her back for the weekend of my daughter's birthday and we are going to BBQ only beef. even if it is pouring with rain. It is so much easier with sheep and pigs just because of their size. Strange how the others don't seem to notice that she is gone.

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:52 pm

The last one we moved tried to come out over the ramp of my horse box as well. We had to do a quick fix with rope and luckely it kept her in for the very short journey we had to do but I wouldn't have wanted to go any further with her ??? . She was the first one to have ever tried this and we are going to get someone with a cattle box to move her or any large cows we have to move in future.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:41 pm

We never told you Estelle because we thought you liked surprises!

Martin.

ann · Post by **ann** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 9:25 pm

Hi I don't want to be a kill joy, but I think you will find its actually against the law to move cattle in a trailer which is not fitted with inside gates.( I am of course assuming you do not have inside gates on your horse tailor), if you do please accept my apologizes for assuming otherwise) Naturally this is for safely reasons so that you do not get injured when you load or unload. I'm not sure if its acceptably to transport one this way if its halter trained and tied up, but again not many animals are happy about going to the butchers and would probably throw a wobbly so I don't think trying to lead one in would be very safe either.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:24 am

We've shifted numerous Dexter cattle, both cows and bulls (separately) and steers, and never had any jump out of our horse float. Mind you, the float was made for Clydesdale cross horses. :;):

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:17 pm

Hhmmm,

This little discussion came at a good time for us, we are just about to but a newish trailer with the intention of using it for both the Dexters and Cobs, we already have a sheep trailer but the bigger horse trailer had seen better days so we have sold it and want to replace it with something more suitable.

Any comments/advice on what to buy or not to buy to suit both?

Stephanie

PeterO · Post by **PeterO** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:08 pm

You can't go far wrong with a Ifor Williams (stock) trailer. I am seriously put out that I didn't bring my oldish one from the UK

Prices for new ones in NZ are silly and surprisingly they don't have an equivalent.

Peter

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:18 pm

Peter will that have partitions in for horses?

Stephanie

andy simmons · Post by **andy simmons** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:28 pm

Saffy, in Ifor Williams trailers (all sorts of sizes and configurations, sheep decks, wheel sizes etc) you can add partitions that go accross the trailer or move them from front to back in the trailer according to how many animals you are transporting. There are locating holes about every 2 feet. I don't know of any partions that you can add that run down the length of the trailer though.

Andy

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:58 pm

I think the main difference in cattle and horse requirements is the height. The standard cattle trailer made by Ifor Williams, Bateson etc is not high enough for anything but small ponies. A full size cob would need quite a bit of extra height. This would then make the standard cross partitions used for cattle no use since they usually lock into roof and floor. Side gates on the ramp are a legal requirement for cattle and sheep, and they really are essential if you are going to have livestock loose inside. Getting the door up or down is extremely dangerous if an animal becomes determined to rush out. The situation is not so bad if animals are tethered inside, as horses usually are. I usually travel my dexters tied on halters to the side of the trailer, small calves loose but behind a partition with not too much room to bang about. If you alter a horse box to take cross partitions be wary of having any projections which could injure a horse.

I started with a small custom made trailer 6ft x 4ft and 5.5ft high behind a ford escort estate. It had no brakes, central axle, and no means of tying the cow at the front, and no side gates. Nowadays totally illegal. The first time I used it the heifer I had just collected tried to get out over the back door and because of the single central axle the trailer tipped back and literally lifted the back of the car off the road, we came to earth facing the hedge and a very scary few minutes were spent getting it under control again. I had a very slow journey up the A74 at 30mph max, not very popular with other road users and I had a ferry to catch. When I got home I had our local garage alter the trailer - moved the axle back and put two loops at the front to tie halter ropes to. I then used it for years but the lack of side gates was a problem if any cattle or even sheep were loose in it.
After that I used a horse box, again no side gates so not really legal. I had a removeable cross partition made about two feet from the front, and could tie cows or bull to that, whilst calves went in front.
I now use an Ifor Williams 10ft demountable cattle trailer, one cross partition but extras could be bought. These convert into a flatbed trailer which can be handy at times, and I have mastered the art of getting the body off with the help of two small brackets made by local blacksmith to prevent the body slipping sideways as I pull it off, prop it on two axle stands at a 45 degree angle with the back door on the ground and the front up in the air. Works for me, I don't have the fork lift Ifor Williams thought I should use.

It might be worth contacting some of the manufacturers and asking if they can custom make one for horses and cattle - if you are considering a brand new trailer.

Duncan

PeterO · Post by **PeterO** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:15 pm

You can get high roof Ifor Williams - I think they do 4', 6' and 7' models and you can, I think, get an internal lengthwise partition depending on model. Google Ifor Williams and look at the specs.

Peter

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:53 am

Palm Chat's grandson travels frequently, between our two properties. He was shown, so has been inside shedding, but he had never been in anything as close as a horsefloat before. We use a weldmesh stock-crate trailer for any less than four at a time.

Buyers brought a float, but the bull had other ideas. He did a good bit of damage to their float, which he must have thought was a coffin, even though it had windows, which he broke. He then tried to clamber out over the double tail gate, one the ramp, and one across. He was not going on any 8 hour drive.

We gave the cheque back, and still have the bull. He has never shown any temperament since, and is a joy to handle.

Two big mistakes:- No prior float homework, & we didn't tie him up (although if we had he may have been in worse trouble).

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:50 am

My old Ifor Williams had a wooden fence like piece that just clipped on the top filling the gap between the ramp and the roof. the cattle can get under with no problem, I just had to remember to duck. This and a set of side gates can be made to make a horse box legal for moving cattle.
It's not easy for people with only a couple of animals as boxes are not cheap and to be able to justify one for use once or twice a year can be difficult. Spending a couple of hundred quid on the bits to convert an existing box makes more financial sense.
Duncan, did you have a bit of performance the first time you took the top of of your present one? I have a twelve foot demountable Ifor now and have taken the top off to help move bales during hay making, my Heath Robinson approach ended with the box falling off of the stands and it now looks a little drunk as it stands waiting to be put back on the trailer, a job I don't really look forward to.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:34 am

Hello and thanks very much for the helpful replies,

The old box we had - and I mean old in every sense of the word! Had a double axle and a removable breast bar with just a pole to seperate the 2 horses.

However my partner Chris had customised it slightly, (a carpenter by trade,) by putting 2 small doors above the ramp. This was useful for instance when travelling foals or other young stock which are rarely tied up but meant that if I had put a cow or of course a bull in it couldn't have seen out or got out!

So we will take your advice use Google etc and see what we can buy/customise to make it hopefully legal or if not at least safe for any animals we travel in it, which is after all the main thing! It can't be difficult to put gates on as long as there is room.

The cobs are yearlings at the time of writing and should mature to about 15 hands and my horse is 15 hands 1 inch, so I need a reasonable amount of head room.

Thanks again Stephanie