Horsebox safety and payloads

Surely in today’s marketplace, increasing safety and reducing horse box weight is a common goal. Conscientious manufactures will hopefully post payloads in all advertising and allow customers to make informed decisions. You would hope!

In a recent post we talked about horse boxes, sales and our maximum sizes and dimensions. This was to highlight both new and used horse boxes with weight and payload issues. We have always had a clear vision of what we were happy to manufacture and a clear line in the sand that we would not cross in terms of weights, fittings and actual vehicle lengths. Payload and safety have always been our priorities and the reason we designed our range from the ground up.

Horse boxes designed from the ground up

For many years we have led the charge for realistic payloads and it is worth considering the amount of effort and design work we put into weight reductions. Our horse box range is lightweight yet stronger through innovative design. We have an ongoing battle as chassis manufacturers working to the latest Euro emissions standards add more complicated systems. These are generally heavier and we try hard to negate this weight increases through lighter, tougher design. For us the balancing act is building lightweight without compromising strength, quality and longevity. As always our customer feedback and coach building expertise is brought to bear in our innovative designs and it’s amazing how altering one single item can actually have far reaching effects throughout the build.

Horse box design considerations

The following are just a few of the considerations we take into account for all the horse boxes we manufacture

1. High on our priority list is elegance and appeal, our horseboxes have to look sleek and unique (we are not here to copy)
2. Ease of use for customers and horses alike. They have to be easy to load, unload and use
3. Stable and safe when driving, by design we have the lowest load height and lowest ramps with the shallowest angle available
4. Totally waterproof horse area and ramp for longevity. Sprayed with Coat-X and made to stand steam cleaning daily
5. Stress free environment in the horse area with a light airy space, soothing colours and lots of head room and ventilation (8’3” headroom)
6. The whole box as quiet as possible with sound deadening and adhesives using the latest coach building technology to reduce noise by 40% and vibration by up to 30%
7. Stronger and safer than our competitors
8. Designed and manufactured around safety and longevity. To last longer and retain more value over time
9. Designed with the best aerodynamics available, with reduced wind noise and increased fuel economy
10. For longevity stainless steel ramps, ramp frames, horse safety cage, horse partitions, rear doors, hinges and many other parts.
11. Systems to work automatically where possible reducing inputs from the driver
12. A range of stunning colours only available from our commercial paint team.
13. Again for longevity, fully painted underside and then sprayed with Waxoyl.
14. A solid insulated roof made of the same composite as the side panels. Finished in white reflective coating to keep the horsebox cool
15. Compact sizes with the ability to carry the horses it is stalled for legally
16. The best payloads with the highest standard specifications available
17. Ramps that last, constructed from stainless steel
18. The highest standard specification
19. No heavy rubber matting
20. Reinforced double skinned walls to protect the horses

Beautiful by design

For everything we say concerning design we would also stress that as well as the parts, our finished KPH horseboxes have to be beautiful. We have a hard won reputation for quality, longevity and distinctive design. We often refer to our horse boxes as ‘eye candy’ and customers can recognise them as they do stand out in any crowd. We most definitely did not want to compromise on shape and manufacture something run of the mil. As Buckminster Fuller said “I only think about how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.” This fits perfectly with our design ethos. Simplicity and elegance of design always looks better, it lasts longer and works consistently over a longer lifespan.

Copying vs. innovative design

Finally a little note to round up here and it is worth noting that most horse boxes that visit our horsebox repair centre are repairs from poor design, poor manufacturing processes and inexperience rather than accident damage. Copying is common place and usually has little to no experience to back it up, it is done on the cheap and never looks or lasts as well as the original.
There is no substitute for innovative design and if someone is willing to copy what other corners are they willing to cut!

If you have further questions relating to our horse boxes please send an email from our Contact Us page. Alternatively call 01995640079 or if you would like to see videos showing more details please visit our You Tube channel

Any queries or questions?