Horsebox load height
In an earlier blog Horsebox payloads explained, I talked about horsebox payloads and the importance of placing the payload (horses) in the correct position over the rear axle. This post takes a look at horsebox load height and some of the implications of poor design.
What is horsebox load height?
Horsebox load height is the height of the horse area floor from the road, so it’s how high off the road your horses stand while travelling. The higher they stand the worse the ride! Unlike payload, very little thought if any at all goes into this important point and most designs are just copied from parcel delivery wagons or old designs. The fact is that load height is one of the most important factors when designing a horsebox. If the design is flawed, it can transform what should be a smooth stable ride for the horses into one that sways and has a terrible ride.
unstable ride
Basically a high load height will be unstable; it will rock and sway more with a pendulum effect and the higher the height from the road, the worse the sway and the worse the ride for the horses. A high horsebox load height also means the ramp will be over steep. These are easily spotted as the ramps usually have extended ramp feet to reduce the ramp angle. It is worth noting that DEFRA insist less than 20 degrees to be safe! Further implications of a high horsebox load height can be seen with a large step up from the ramp to horse area floor and a similar step up from the road to the ramp. A further implication is that with a high horsebox load height the overall vehicle height is increased or worse the internal horse area height is compromised. Increased overall body height from the floor impacts on the aerodynamics of the vehicle and further increasing fuel consumption and decreases payload.
Our designs
Payload and horsebox load height were designed into our horseboxes at the drawing board stage. With decades of experience and with the horse’s welfare taking priority over every other aspect of the build, it was a priority and another area we shine. As an example, typical 7.5 tonne horseboxes have a horsebox load height of 1080mm (42.5”) compared to this our Helios model has a horsebox load height of just 940mm (37”) this is an amazing reduction of 140mm (5.5”) An added benefit of this reduction is that our ramps are extremely shallow, aiding the loading and unloading of customers horses. In essence our range is low, extremely stable and super smooth on the road with a much improved ride for horses and people alike.