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HORSE FLOAT UPGRADES
Go to State Upgrade Centers here Over the years, it has been incredible how many Problem Floating Horses that I have fixed, by simply changing various design features on Trailers. Poor Horse Float design is responsible for many of the challenges facing Horses and Owners' today. These include the following design upgrade features offered by http://www.auswebtech.com.au/centaur/ as part of their on going efforts to improve the lives of Horses in Australia. I will briefly explain each of the listed features but there are more of course but before, I just found this snapshot of the Industry since 2002 - 2009. Right in my car park
WINDOWS Only one Horse Float in Australia has the necessary view as desired by Horses. (mine) 100% of Windows in Australia are up to 600mm below the eye level of any average sized Horse traveling within. This is the view they get:
Photo taken from inside at head height. Too many Floats are dark and dingy and rarely do they have windows where Horses want them. Then there are the Floats with the mini windows. Here is one such Float where the Hors arrived at my property having climbed the walls on ever trip, the Dad made simple changes and the Horse Floated home perfectly and ever since. ROOF HEIGHTS Here are the optimum roof heights that should be standard:
Roof Height dramatically effects loading, traveling and especially unloading (hitting head) Here is the best Horse Float in Australia as voted by Horses. (my test Float)
This is how Horses want to stand in transit.
CHEST BARS Given that there are no 'removable chest bars and 100's of Horses stuck over them per annum, Centaur and it's Agents in each State can make changes that work. ANTI REAR STRAPS Do you realize that over 50% of young Stock are likely to attempt jumping the chest bar if traveled alone at the start of their career. This wonderful extra has saved many a Horse. FIXED HEAD DIVIDERS These are highly dangerous to Horses and to Humans. If Horses get in trouble, go over the chest bar, get hug up, pull back and start thrashing about, the damage to their heads can be immense. Likewise to the Human, putting them in grave danger when beneath them or on the right hand bay if a Horse gets a fright. They also have no flexibility of use. Removable and swinging head divides have many uses. FLARED RAMP Many, many Horses fall off the sides of ramps and skin their legs. This frightens and hurts tem and is not contusive to happy floating or loading in the future. It can also contribute to the Horse that rockets out of Floats. SHORT RAMPS These give a Horse a false optical illusion as to the roof height and causes Horses to be more difficult to load. FLUSH FIXINGS Each year, many Horses get injured when hung up on protruding door handles and back ramp fixings. Rope Halters are highly dangerous around protruding door handles! TIE UP POINTS Low tie up points are highly dangerous and are too low on 100% of Horse Floats in Australia. Legs over ropes, heads caught under ropes and the regular occurrences of the ropes getting hooked beneath the mudguards of Floats and blind panic taking over. Cuts to the cannon bone normally results. Any Horseman on the Planet will tell you that "tying low is dangerous - tying high is far safer" RUNNING BOARDS I also invented these and they were copied around the Country via a Manufacturer in this State. The reason for their need is to stop those ropes getting trapped beneath the ends of mudguards and to compensate for the lack of Horsemanship teaching and so the many dangerous things people do. Now this too can be easily fixed.
REAR LEG OF CENTRE DIVISION The rear legs of centre divisions are dangerous, not required and causes increased stress in the unloading of Horses. One trip up and hook of the back leg on that metal upright and you have an immediate psycho problem with either the loading or the unloading of your Horses. It can even trigger wall climbing. FILLING THE A-FRAME My wife warned a Lady at Pony Club, "Fill in your Tow Bar or your Horse can get trapped." A week later, the Horse lay in there with a badly broken leg and it took an hour to get the Horse out. At a Show do you mind!!! FILL IN YOUR OPEN TOW BARS!!!!! I have seen a Hoof completely ripped off a Horse and laying on the ground with the leg bone protruding where there was a hoof. CHAINS Rump Chains are hugely dangerous and caused major injuries to Horses. When a stressed Horse drops it's rump and run out under a Chain that is 300 ml lower than the Horse, watch the hair and flesh rip off up the back people. CONVERTING DOUBLE FLOATS Got a Horse that cannot be Floated due to wall climbing? Have your Float converted to a single in the centre, so the Horse has no walls to climb on. and many other improvements. The sky is the limit. Ask your State Upgrade Centre.
John O'Leary
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