# Anyone got/had a Cheval Liberte or a Indespension Trailer?



## fruity (1 May 2008)

I'm quite keen on these two makes,think they'd offer a less bumpy ride than an Ifor like i had before,Any thoughts on them good or bad??? Thanks


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## checkmate1 (1 May 2008)

Ive got a 2003series cheval liberte trailer. Had it for about 2 months- so far its Fab, my horse has travelled like an absolute dream in it, compared to how she travelled in the ifor I was using beforehand. So IMO they are v.g. Alot more sturdy than I was expecting, as alot of people think as they are fiberglass they will be quite flimsy.


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## SilverSkye (1 May 2008)

I have a 2003xl and having previously owned an ifor am really really pleased with it.  My mare travels far better in my cheval than she ever did in my ifor highly reccomend it.


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## Persephone (1 May 2008)

I have a 2003 and love it.


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## Maizy (1 May 2008)

Since you asked!!...

I am 95% sure when my sister hired a trailer after my Ifor was stolen it was a Cheval Liberte - the worst trailer ever. 

It was so lightweight, and dangerous. 

To name a few:
From memory there was nowhere sensible to tie your horse up.  

There were some problems with the front bar - it doesn't attach properly and came out on her foal only for the hook to be found stuck in her tiny mouth on arrival. (This was the foals first time out)

To move the partion i.e. to get the horse out you have to pull a leaver from the side / underneath the trailer.  This means you always need a spare pair of hands, and slows you down in an emergency.  It's not very clear either I had to be shown.

The day we had this it was rainy, and my mum popped the ramp down about 10 mins before we loaded up and it got wet.  The mare and foal found it really slippy and loaded on their own whilst my poor sister ended up left face first on the ramp and was really hurt. The ramp has no tread just a sheet of smooth black rubber.

Oh and one more thing, I think the ramp being French opens on the other side. 

Never again.

Also if I could buy a really good thing that's British I would not buy French.  My Ifor 510 towed much smoother.

Indespensions have a good reputation, but I don't know much more about them - only I think they are more expensive than an Ifor??

My only problem with Ifor's is you need to paint it pink or something to stop the B@5T**D's nicking it off your drive. Grrrrr.

Happy trailer hunting.


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## fruity (1 May 2008)

Interesting,a mare i had on loan had a Monarch Indespension and i really liked it,very smooth ride for the horses,i had an Ifor until last year but my new youngster needs a smoother ride i feel.


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## susannita (1 May 2008)

I use a cheval liberte if I don't take the lorry for any reason.  It belongs to my neighbour - i can safely say i would never buy one. 

 The inside is so poorly finished (things like the clips that are supposed to hold the breach bars in place etc) 

 there is a metal strip that runs along the edge of the roof at the back doors which easily scalps the top of the horses head if you have aproblem.  

I t has a tack pack thing at the front right door which is too big to let a 16hand horse travel on that side as there is no-where to put its head, therefore has to travel on the left.  

Its doesn't come with any sort of built in hitch lock so can't lock trailer on at service stations etc.

I don't like the left hand side ramp (not sure if thats standard), makes it very awkward to get a horse out easily loadedon  the left  - have never had that problem with a right hand ramp with horse loaded on right. (it seems to be the angle the ramp is on)

I fall out of it frequently on the door side!!

In the model they have you can'y remove the head guards which limits tying up hay etc. and resricts space

It supposedly takes 2 16.3s but i struggle fitting a 16hander in it!

But it tows fine and looks ok from the outside! I used to have an ifor505 and would have another quite happily.  Not so the cheval liberte!! (funnily enough my neighb ours usually use my lorry instead - the wife only bought it as the colour matched her car!  not worth the difference in price in my opinion - although i prefer it to the bateson which was disaterous with a rubber floor that moved!!


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## Maizy (1 May 2008)

oh yes I agree Avenger the head guards are annoying. Glad I am not alone in my dislikes.


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## Louby (1 May 2008)

I too thought the chevla would be flimsy but seen one for the first time and was pleasantly suprised.  I havent used one though.  They arent big at all, more pony trailers and the one I saw had a horse in it but had to rear unload as he wouldnt have fit safely throught the front.  My friend has used one and unloaded from the front and her horse walloped herself on the way out.
I did look into the 2003xl though a couple of years ago but the dealer didnt reccomend it.  He said he thought the ramps were flimsy for a big trailer and needed some sort of support, I suppose like the IW510 has (a bar across the ramps to give added support)
As far as Indespension, I didnt think they made them anymore???


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## fruity (1 May 2008)

[ QUOTE ]

As far as Indespension, I didnt think they made them anymore??? 

[/ QUOTE ]

You can still get them a few years old.think i'll pass on the Cheval as flimsy is a big no no with my mare.I need to have something sturdy and reliable but gives a good ride


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## Loubiepoo (1 May 2008)

Why not look at the Batesons, they are more sturdy then cheval's but have a better suspension than the ifor's.


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## fruity (1 May 2008)

Yep they are very similar to the indespensions i think? will def consider those,just seen one in fact online


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## Toby_Zaphod (1 May 2008)

Another vote for the Bateson Trailers. I've a Deauville, really well built, rides well, ramp opens on the correct side (Unlike the Ifors) They don't rattle, they're light &amp; airy &amp; horse travels really well in it.  
	
	
		
		
	


	





As for the Cheval Liberte I think there build quality is poor &amp; has the overall appearance of a trailer built on a really tight budget &amp; not very well.


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## Louby (1 May 2008)

I liked the Batesons but didnt like the rear back door as I needed to close the roadside top door with my spooky horse and couldnt with the Bateson.  They do do the barn?? door type though.  I ended up with a Richardson Grande.  (I had had an Ifor and didnt want another)  I loved the room in it, much more at the front and the headroom with the front top door open was fantastic. To be honest though my horse freaked in it and warped the back ramp running out backwards, I was shocked at how bendy it was and have to admit the Ifor was far better made.  Why cant they just sort the suspension out??


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## fruity (1 May 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
.  Why cant they just sort the suspension out?? 

[/ QUOTE ]

Here here,such a shame.Want to get it right so i can keep it a long time along with the horse,fed up of buying and selling!


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## BeckyD (2 May 2008)

My Cheval Liberte 2003XL Luxe is very solid and sturdy, tows like a dream and I can only fault it on the un-removable grille between the two partitions.  The floor is lovely, solid and slip-free.  The ramps are rubber with big lines so very non-slippy.  It's finished nicely inside, there's plenty of places to tie horses/hay etc.  It's taken a good kicking from my horse and hasn't a scratch to show for it.  The jockey wheel is fab.  The breast and breech bars are really thick and solid and the mechanism that keeps them in place is really easy to use and easy to remove in a panic.  And of course the trailer is wonderfully light and bright inside!

It's also massive inside.  I've been thinking about getting full width breast &amp; Breech bar to try to encourage my boy to load, but when he was in it the other night I realised he has masses of space around him (16hh TB with 6'3" rugs).  

Don't know why people say they're lightweight and flimsy as mine weighs the same as the Bateson middle-sized one  
	
	
		
		
	


	





All in all a fab trailer!


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## Gingernags (2 May 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
My Cheval Liberte 2003XL Luxe is very solid and sturdy, tows like a dream and I can only fault it on the un-removable grille between the two partitions.  The floor is lovely, solid and slip-free.  The ramps are rubber with big lines so very non-slippy.  It's finished nicely inside, there's plenty of places to tie horses/hay etc.  It's taken a good kicking from my horse and hasn't a scratch to show for it.  The jockey wheel is fab.  The breast and breech bars are really thick and solid and the mechanism that keeps them in place is really easy to use and easy to remove in a panic.  And of course the trailer is wonderfully light and bright inside!

It's also massive inside.  I've been thinking about getting full width breast &amp; Breech bar to try to encourage my boy to load, but when he was in it the other night I realised he has masses of space around him (16hh TB with 6'3" rugs).  

Don't know why people say they're lightweight and flimsy as mine weighs the same as the Bateson middle-sized one  
	
	
		
		
	


	





All in all a fab trailer! 

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm with you!

I have the 2003XL and I can't fault it.  I took the tack thing off mind as it was a nuisance but other than that I can manage it on my own which is a major plus!  The gas assisted ramps are really easy to manage.

Partition moves easily and no weird lever that someone mentioned - it has top and bottom bolts like any other trailer on the partition.  It has hay and tie up points.  The front ramp can be either side when you order, mine is on the left which I prefer to Ifors being on the right.

The pullman suspension is very smooth.  Our neurotic TB who hates trailers and won't go in an ifor - travels in this no problem.  I find the full size grooms door really usefull and if the horse ever tried to escape its not going to get wedged in a tiny grooms door as has happened in the past.

There is a hitch lock - mine came with one - the little brass bit that locks the hitch on your towbar.

The jockey wheel is really good too - tucks up out of the way instead of the risk of the clamp coming loose and it dropping like on other models.  Back ramp can also open like a barn door if you want to go collect a pallet of feed or shavings and lift them in with a forklift.

Quick release breast bars from the outside in case of accidents when horses go over the bar.

Loads of room.

I don't find them flimsy at all.

Maybe the lower models have all the faults people have mentioned, but the XL model is fab and I can't fault the quality.  I'd have one over an Ifor any day!

Oh and a friend has a Bockmann (I think) and its exactly the same quality but with a canvas top door thing at the back instead of proper top back doors - and for probably twice the price!

I always get asked about my trailer when I'm out with it, and always recommend them.


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## BigBird146 (2 May 2008)

Another vote for Bateson (made in Great Britain, not France,  
	
	
		
		
	


	




ha ha!!) i've had mine 2 months and no problems, easy to do on my own, smooth ride (independant suspension). I have the barn doors on mine with a pull out ramp (which is a bit of a fiddle but I'm hoping I can stop using it if my boy gets better at loading as they learn to just step up, its only about 6 inches). the barn doors do have a flap which pulls down to let a bit of air and light in at the back, but are really easy to just push back up if its raining or for storage.
Out of interest I've read the blurb on the new Ifor and no-where could I see what type of suspension it has??! Can only assume they're still using old land rover style ones, shame 
	
	
		
		
	


	




!!
Ifors and Batesons tend to hold their value best if you are buying new.


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## Mav01 (20 June 2008)

I also have a 2003XL.  I have had it for 2 years and think that it is great.  It tows really smoothly most of the time you dont even notice that you are towing a trailer as it is so quiet. The pullman suspension is wonderful
I travel my 16.2hh IDXTB in it ,who wears a 6ft6 rug and he has lots of space.
I have also had a 16.3hh chunky Warmblood in it with no problems.
As already mentioned the floor and ramps are non slip and it is very light and airy inside
I also think that the ramp on the left side is great.  If you ever needed to unload on a road side, the ramp would open onto the hard shoulder and not onto the road itself. 
This trailer is certainly not flimsy, its just light weight.  My 4 year old has proved this on numerous occasions when we were teaching him to load.
I have also had a Ifor and i would have a Cheval any day.  
  I suppose that it just comes down to peoples preferences.

I give the 2003XL a gold star


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## Acorn (9 October 2008)

Indespension stopped making horse trailers a few years ago.

The best trailer I've had so far is the Richardson (same chassis as Rice but cheaper). My horse loves it and it travels better than my previous Ifor as it has Indespension type axles rather than cart springs


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