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Horsebox

Horsebox

Horse transportation comes in many varied forms. The simple trailer for moving a horse or pony to a gymkhana for the day right up to complete RV’s for the horse and rider to compete all over the globe.

Where are the hydraulics?

More often than not if there are any hydraulic systems on a horsebox it will be for the rear/side ramp for the horse to enter and exit. These tend to be very heavy particularly with the modern rubber matting that is used to protect the horses hooves.

In the larger vehicles where accommodation for the rider and stable crew are provided there are often side pods that slide out. These pods can be heavy and must slide out smoothly and reliably.

It is crucial that the hydraulics are installed correctly in horsebox applications as mistakes can be easily made if someone inexperienced takes on the job themselves, thus costing a large sum of money to put right.

Servicing should be an important item on the checklist also as the hydraulic ramp should operate smoothly at all times. Fluid levels should be closely monitored at regular intervals.

What to consider when designing the hydraulics?

Horses are large and can be very valuable not to mention skittish, so any moving hydraulic mechanisms must be smooth and as quiet as possible so as not to scare the horses.

Safety – the ramps are heavy and present a real risk when moving. They must be kept in the locked up position when in transit, but when they are powered down this must be done under control.

The doors must float when in the down position, this is so that the main vehicle body can move up and down as it is loaded and the suspension operates.

Reliability, the hydraulic power pack and control system must be of the highest quality and reliability. Failure of the loading ramps in the closed position could mean life or death. For this reason, the power loss to the vehicle hydraulics must be considered and a manual means to achieve simple operations must always be considered in the hydraulic design.

Hydraproducts is experienced in designing and manufacturing hydraulics for a wide range of horse transportation vehicles and can apply these benefits to your projects.