Every which way

Does your horse prefer to travel facing backwards, forwards or sideways? Becky Murray finds out more about equine preferences and options

- Becky Murray

WHEN choosing a horsebox, buyers will be faced with many choices – from the size of the box, to the living options and how much payload is needed. But another key element to consider is the layout and the direction in which it allows your horse to travel.

Horses can travel facing forward, backward or herringbone. These options will depend on the lorry size and what way the lorry has been built to accommodate this. A 3.5-tonne can only offer forward or backward travel, as they are not wide enough for horses to stand sideways. While traditionally many 7.5-tonne horseboxes would offer herringbone travel only, these too can now be stalled to offer front- or rear-facing travel. However, it’s important to note that a horse should only be travelled in the direction the horsebox has been designed to carry them.

Equi-Trek offers a range of models that are rear-facing and herringbone, and the manufacturer’s head of marketing, Claire Tew, explains that configuration usually depends on the number of horses for which someone is buying the horsebox.

“You wouldn’t have more than two horses travelling rear-facing, as it would make the horsebox too wide for the roads,” she says. “It would also take up too much space to have horses travelling behind one another lengthways, so herringbone is used for carrying multiple horses.”

Although what one horse prefers might differ to another, Claire explains that several studies have shown that generally horses travel better rear-facing, with a lower heart rate during travel and fewer losses of balance. She also points out that a disadvantage to forward-facing can be in the scenario where a driver is forced to brake suddenly.