# Horsebox/Trailer for hunting - LH or RH unload?



## FrankieDurleigh (20 June 2018)

Looking at buying a trailer for the coming season.
I have been looking at the Ifor Williams 511's but wondered which side you'd recommend for unloading? left or right hand unload?

It will be mainly used for hunting, pleasure riding etc.
My horse isn't the best at loading, but i'm hoping the spacious, light, airy 511 will help somewhat.

Any feedback or opinions would be appreciated.


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## ShowJumperL95 (20 June 2018)

I had a real issue with loading my boy into a 510 that had a right hand ramp that I used to borrow and found out that the reason he didn't want to load is because he found it hard to get off the front ramp.
I then bought my own trailer a lovely 511 which has a left hand ramp and all our loading issues stopped completely because he had time and space to get off the front ramp.


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## Orangehorse (20 June 2018)

That is interesting re the right and left hand ramp.  It always was a bit of a downside of the IW that the ramp was on the right - unloading onto the road, but how many people leave their trailers and lorries on the side of the road now?  Mostly parking is available at farms, etc.  Or maybe that is around here where roads are busy, maybe in quieter parts of the country horseboxes are still left on the verge?


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## ester (20 June 2018)

see if you are verge parking if it is RH unload then you can get it up out the way and not worry about leaving space for unloading if that makes sense?

However we also had one who always found the unload tricky if she were on the right and in the RH unload, which was a bit of a problem when she was travelling on her own as it would be better to have them on right for the camber.


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## spacefaer (20 June 2018)

So for those of you whose horses struggle to come off the right hand ramp if on the right hand side, how is it any different for the horse on the left hand side, coming off the left hand ramp?

Both our trailers have l/h ramps - I like the fact that as the driver, if I have to jump out and check the horse through the jockey door, it's on the same side as me - I don't have to clamber over the draw bar to get into the horses.


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## ShowJumperL95 (21 June 2018)

spacefaer said:



			So for those of you whose horses struggle to come off the right hand ramp if on the right hand side, how is it any different for the horse on the left hand side, coming off the left hand ramp?

Both our trailers have l/h ramps - I like the fact that as the driver, if I have to jump out and check the horse through the jockey door, it's on the same side as me - I don't have to clamber over the draw bar to get into the horses.
		
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For me if I'm travelling two horses I make sure the horse going on the left is okay getting off a left hand ramp. My boy is big and normally the heaviest out of any horses he travels with so is always on the right. I wouldn't travel him on the left as he has gotten so good and is comfortable always being on the right as we go out on our own quite a bit.


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## ester (21 June 2018)

It isnt, but the other horse we own is fine with it (and would come out any which way!) so not an issue when travelling two, it is an issue when you are travelling one so that it should be on the RHS. Again less of an issue if you can take then out backwards easily too.


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## ihatework (21 June 2018)

For me it&#8217;s a non-issue which side ramp I have. I only ever travel one horse and take out the central partition.

For hunting, if pushed, I&#8217;d opt for righthand - then at least if parking is tight you can get up on a verge and have room to unload onto the road.


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## Shay (22 June 2018)

I find myself slightly bemused.....

Surely it matters not a jot which side your ramp is.  The physicality of coming down a ramp to exit is the same whether it is RHS or LHS.  If you are using the trailer for hunting then which ever side you have you are pretty much guaranteed to have to unload from the other side at half of the time.  That is the nature of roadside parking.  

We have a RHS ramp.  If you park to the left verge you need to make sure you have a suitable window in traffic, unload quickly and move the horse to the left safely then raise your ramp and carry on.  Obviously if you park forward into a RHS slot you need to be sure you leave enough space for the ramp to some down without the poor horse exiting into a hedge.

Exactly the same  - if opposite - is true if you have a LHS ramp.

My personal "love" for trailers is split van style rear doors.  If you can't get the rear ramp down because someone has parked too close you simple switch the open style and ask the horse to step up.  Absolute blessing!


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## Equi (22 June 2018)

Whatever one you want. If you have a LH one you will need to make sure you leave space at the verge, thus parking on the road many times then having to move...RH you can park, get off, close door and away.


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## ester (23 June 2018)

Shay, if you are a travelling a single horse and putting them on the right hand side then there is a much sharper turn for them to exit using a right hand side ramp. Some genuinely do struggle with this. 

When verge parking I've always parked on the left hand side if I can.


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## spacefaer (23 June 2018)

ester said:



			Shay, if you are a travelling a single horse and putting them on the right hand side then there is a much sharper turn for them to exit using a right hand side ramp. Some genuinely do struggle with this. 

When verge parking I've always parked on the left hand side if I can.
		
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And my earlier post chimed with Shay - why is it considered to be more difficult for a horse on the right to exit a RHS ramp, than a horse on the left, to go out on the left?


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## Tiddlypom (23 June 2018)

If it's a single horse beng carried, then you can drop both breast bars, shift the front section of the partition over to the side opposite the ramp, hook the partition back, then the horse has much more room to manoeuvre into a good postion for coming down the front ramp.

Or just teach it to back out...


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## ester (23 June 2018)

Of course but the question was about front unloads and the various pros and cons. Having had both we did notice a con to switching sides from a LH to RH with one of our horses that we weren't really expecting or had thought about. There are of course some options/ways round it but I think it's helpful to know if making a new purchase.

SF it isn't? I don't think I have suggested it is?  I already said it isn't in post #7 replying to you? But sorry if I have given that impression or misunderstood what you meant.


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## slowrider (25 June 2018)

Maybe you could do a trial with the horses involved!  Horses are asymmetrical in strength and vision so it could matter to Silver.


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## CMcC (27 June 2018)

Tiddlypom said:



			Or just teach it to back out...
		
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Simples


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## HazellB (23 July 2018)

We use a Cheval XL, so have both sides opening at the front. As I'm lazy and my cob's a little star, I just jump him out of the right hand jockey door rather than mess with ramps. He loves it! I will suggest you learn to stand back though, as enthusiastic disembarkation can lead to splatters all over your pristine Hunting gear!


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