When should you hobble a horse?

Are all horse floats made too low?

Lots of horse floats manufactured in Australia, used for horses over 15.2hh, are too low. During the last 20 years in this country, horses have been bred far higher than ever before, except back in the old days of the heavy horse, but they weren’t floated much then. Virtually every Warm blood Horse Float manufactured in Australia is made too low.

Can horses see the tow bar from the float?

Prior to this Day, ALL Horse Floats on the Planet, had a maximum view as shown in the photos below, meaning that Horses had a great view of the Tow Bar. All Horses over around 14.3hh, only could look at the front Wall, above the Window. versus our Float……

What happens if a horse takes off too soon in dressage?

Use precise aids: Horses who anxiously anticipate what their riders want may overcompensate in the arena, trying to please their riders with their fast responses. Jumpers who take off too soon, however, can cause accidents, and rushing dressage or reining tests can lead to bad scores or disqualification.

What is a horse float and how does it work?

A horse float is heavy load which will seriously affect the performance of your towing vehicle; this requires a large degree of anticipation of any change of direction, or speed. Braking distances have to be vastly increased to ensure a safe and comfortable ride for the horse.

Can you brake suddenly with a horse in a horse float?

You must not brake suddenly with a horse in your horse float as you could injure the horse severely. This means you’ll need to increase your following distances and look as far ahead up the road as you can (at least 10-12 seconds) to help you anticipate when you’ll need to brake. Give at least four seconds gap in dry weather.

How much should my horse’s weight be on the tow bar?

As a guide, the weight on the vehicle tow bar should be between ten and fifteen percent (10% – 15%) of the loaded float weight. Before you make any decisions about floats, you will need to know your horse’s weight.

Is it hard to tow a horse float?

Compared to towing a trailer with goods in, towing a horse float is more difficult. Horses are unstable, top-heavy, and you need to consider them when you drive to ensure that you don’t injure them.

Why choose a horse float?

A horse float is wider than most vehicles and this plus the extra length makes towing a skill that takes some time to master. Reduce your speed well in advance before corners or bends.

Can You tow a horse float with a car license?

Check your vehicle and float at each stop. Passengers are not allowed to ride in Horse Floats at any time. Always leave at least 60 metres behind heavy vehicles or other vehicles towing trailers, unless overtaking. P1 or learner car license holders cannot tow horse floats.

How much weight can a horse float hold?

Brakes – the maximum weight for a non-braked trailer is 750kg, so a horse float will have brakes and they should operate all four wheels on the float. The float will be fitted with a parking brake which will hold it on an incline.

What towing capacity for two horses and a float?

… I am looking at getting a dual cab ute to tow two horses and a float. Just wondering what towing capacity I should be looking at? The rule of thumb is that a float with two horses on board is around the 2000kg mark, so that’s the absolute bare minimum towing limit you’d be looking at.

How long is the warranty on a horse float?

When Imperial entered the horse float market back in 2003, the standard Australian float warranty varied between 1 and 2 years. Imperial changed the face of the market forever by confidently offering a 5-year structural warranty with every float.

Can you ride a horse in a horse float?

Passengers must not ride in a horse float. If you are carrying one horse in a two-horse trailer, put the horse on the right-hand side. This is because roads are cambered (slope) to the left, therefore it’s preferable to have the weight distribution on the right-hand side. If you have two horses, put the heavier horse on the right.

Why won’t my horse go into the float?

Good float loading is a very important skill every horse should be taught, not only when you want to take them somewhere, but when you have to take them somewhere, like in the case of a vet emergency or fire. If your horse wont go into the float, usually the forward/send button is broken.

How do you load two horses from outside the float?

Norm shows how one person can load two horses easily from outside of the float. Even without a centre divider or breech gates/chains, providing the horse is trained sufficiently. Watch the horses walk on and stand calmly while the tailgate is closed.

Can you teach your horse to ‘self load’?

We all know how frustrating it can be when your horse doesn’t load easily and calmly onto a float. In this video US based Aussie eventer Dom Schramm and his wife Jimmie give the Do’s and Dont’s of teaching a horse to load and show you how to effectively teach your horse to ‘self load’

How do people react when a horse rears up?

Most people are scared when a horse rears up. Their first reaction is to jerk on the lead rope or get out in front of the horse and pull on it. Pulling down on a horse’s head gives the horse the feeling of being trapped.

What is the best car for towing a horse float?

What type of car is best for towing a horse float? The greater the towing capacity, the more flexibility you’ll have when towing. A four-wheel drive vehicle is essential, and a ute or SUV is preferable over a car. There are plenty of utes which will tow three tonnes such as the Holden Colorado, Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and Mazda BT-50.

How much can you tow on a float?

The rule of thumb is that a float with two horses on board is around the 2000kg mark, so that’s the absolute bare minimum towing limit you’d be looking at. Even then, by the time you add a couple of saddles, some feed bins and whatever else it is horsey people cart around, you could easily be looking at 2.5 or even three tonnes.

How will the new trailer law affect you and your horse?

The decision directly affects the horse world in several ways. It means people who have not shelled out for training and testing, previously a legal requirement for anyone who passed the driving test after 1 January 1997, will be able to tow a trailer up to 3.5T maximum authorised mass (MAM) when the law changes.

Do You need A CDL to transport personal property?

As previously noted in the Agency’s guidance relating to the transportation of horses, the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) regulations do not apply to transportation of personal property when the vehicle is used strictly for non-business purposes unless a CDL is required by the driver’s home state.

What kind of suspension does a horse float have?

Our Horse floats come standard with our unique Torsion bar Fully Independent Suspension. Our suspension has been engineered and design which gives the float an equal ride loaded or unloaded with a result of a much smoother more comfortable trip guaranteed for you and your horses.

Is this the only manufacturer in Australia to do this to horse floats?

We believe we are the only Manufacturer in Australia to do this to their Horse floats which is due to our technology and machinery. Our chassis is NOT A BOX section- it is a reverse figuration section rolled in 50 x50 x5 ALL GAL ANGLE keeping supports at 500 apart giving maximum support and structural strength

Can you use light truck tyres on a horse float?

Light truck tyres on heavy duty wheels are often used for horse floats. If you don’t use your float that frequently, check that the tyres aren’t perishing. Lights and reflectors – the lights on the float should activate at the same time as the corresponding ones on your car.