Floats & Floating: How we Travel

Above: JR Longreach anti-scramble with flared walls for additional leg room. Opposite page: JR Condamine Warm Blood Model for 16hh up.

HOW WE TRAVEL

Have float, will travel

You have a vehicle, a tow bar, a float and a horse – what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, if you don’t have a firm grasp on the finer points of floating, writes AMANDA MAC

There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just put it straight out there: towing is not for the inexperienced driver. Successfully towing a float requires an extra level of driving competence and a thoroughgoing awareness of potential safety issues and how to avoid them (we’ve included some helpful hints in the sidebar).

As the driver of the vehicle, you are responsible for not only your own safety, but also for the safety of your passengers, your horses, and other road users – so always drive to suit the conditions, and never take risks. Towing a float changes the way your vehicle handles. Add to this the combined length of vehicle and float, plus the additional weight, and you have a very different set of driving dynamics.

The rules and regulations

Regulations regarding towing can vary across Australian states and territories. So your first responsibility is to make sure that you comply with the legislation applicable in your own jurisdiction. If you’re travelling interstate, it’s always best to check the relevant state or territory rules. Remember, ignorance of the law has never been an acceptable defence. While on this point, there have been some recent regulatory changes, so please check with your state or territory body to ensure that you are across these amendments, and that you make any adjustments necessary to comply with them.

Putting the car before the horse

One of the first steps in setting yourself up to tow safely is to ensure that your vehicle, the towbar, and the float are all suited to one another. Car manufacturers generally include the maximum weight, height, and other safety specifications relevant to towing in the vehicle’s owner manual. Obviously smaller cars are not suited to towing much of anything, let alone a horse float. That’s a job for a much sturdier and more powerful vehicle. For example,

for a 750kg horse and a 2,000kg float, you’d want your vehicle to be capable of towing around 3,000kgs (3 tonnes), keeping in mind that an extra bit of towing capacity allows for much safer, easier and more comfortable towing. Exceeding your car’s maximum towing capacity isn’t just a safety risk, you may also be breaking the law, as well as possibly voiding your vehicle warranty, and your insurance if you’re involved in an accident. It could also cause serious damage to your vehicle – your engine immediately comes to mind.

Towing puts considerable stress on a vehicle, so keep a careful check on your tyre pressures as well as tyre treads and brakes (which are likely to wear out more rapidly), and ensure your vehicle and your float are both serviced regularly.

Making the connection

Expert advice is pretty much essential when it comes to choosing a towbar. Not only are there several different types, there are also different classes. The type and class of towbar that’s right for your vehicle is largely dictated by its make, model and towing capacity. With so many options available, it really is best to seek out specialist help and the same applies to your choice of hitch (the device that the float coupling connects to – a tow ball is the most common).

That said, an option you may want to consider is a weight distribution hitch, which as the name suggests, helps to spread weight evenly across the car and float chassis so that when your float is hitched and loaded, the base of both the float and vehicle sit level (i.e. parallel to the ground). This type of hitch prevents the float from pushing down on the tow ball, causing both the front of the float and the back of the vehicle to dip down. When the rear of the vehicle is pushed down, the front tips up slightly, which can cause dangerous steering and braking problems.

This Pegasus two-horse angle load float offers extras such as an awning and swing-out tack box.

What to look for in a float

Your choice of float will depend on a variety of factors – the most obvious being the towing capacity of your vehicle; the number of horses you want to carry; your horses’ combined height and weight; and your budget.

But before you begin shopping around, do your research – and then do some more! There are quite a number of important issues to consider before creating your float wish list. These include (but are certainly not limited to):

Know what weight you can tow – The maximum weight of any trailer can be specified either as Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) or Gross Trailer Mass (GTM). ATM refers to the combined weight of the trailer and its full load when it’s not coupled to a tow vehicle. GTM is the weight the fully loaded trailer imposes on the trailer’s axle when it is coupled to the tow vehicle. GTM will always be less than ATM as some of the weight is transferred to the tow vehicle when the trailer is coupled to it. Check your vehicle owner’s manual so that you know the maximum weight you can tow.

Straight or angle load – Some studies indicate that horses prefer to travel at an approximately 45° angle, so if possible, enlist the help of friends with floats and trial both options to see which suits your horse.

Dividers – Avoid dividers that go all the way down to the floor. These restrict the horse’s freedom of movement, preventing them from bracing themselves as you travel around bends or take corners. Padded dividers are

Olympic Royal four wheel float with electric brakes (made in South Australia).

always kinder and safer for your horse.

Light and ventilation – A float with plenty of natural light will be far more appealing to your horse, while good air flow is essential to keep humidity and temperature within a comfortable, healthy limit.

Float construction – While you might think that minimising the float weight by choosing one constructed from lighter materials is a good idea, here are a few pros and cons to consider: A steel construction will be easier to repair and can be rust proofed; aluminium, while lighter, requires specialist, and therefore more expensive, welding; however, an aluminium floor is better able than timber to withstand damage from urine; plastic and fibreglass will also incur the additional cost of expert attention if repairs become necessary.

Float height – The inside height of a float can vary so be sure that there is adequate room for your horse. Some experts suggest that any horse over 15hh requires an interior height of 2.3metres, with an extra 100mm for every additional hand of height.

Suspension – While there are a variety of float suspension designs, most tend to be either leaf spring or coils. However, if your budget stretches to it, consider torsion or air suspension for a more comfortable ride.

Brakes – This is such an important issue that the advice of an expert should not be overlooked. A good quality brake controller, which allows you to adjust your brakes to suit the weight of the float and the road conditions

is an essential for safe towing.

Servicing – We cannot emphasise enough the need for regular services. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that because a float, or a trailer, doesn’t have an engine not much can go wrong. At its most simple, wheel bearings, wheel couplings, axles, flooring, brakes and tyres should be checked regularly. PBL Floats and Trailers has

a comprehensive list of areas to watch out for on their website: https://pbltrailers.com. au/articles/daily-checklist-and-serviceschedules

Buying pre-loved?

If you’re in the market for a second hand float, it’s probably better to buy from a licensed second hand dealer. You will have more legal protection than buying privately, and some dealers offer warranty. That aside, you should still carry out a thorough inspection of the float and its hitching mechanism, checking carefully for signs of wear and damage. If you have a mechanicallyminded friend, ask them to come along with you. Look for rust and rot inside and out, as well as under the float. Lift up any matting and check the floor thoroughly. Ask to hitch up the float so you can check that the lights and plugs are working (take a cable converter with you in case the float’s wiring isn’t compatible with your vehicle), and make sure the manufacturer’s chassis

Customise your paint design with a model from the Pegasus Custom Deluxe range.

plate is attached. If it isn’t, or if you notice signs that identification markings have been removed from the chassis, or if the vendor has ‘lost’ the float’s ownership papers, be very, very wary!

Passenger comfort tips

And by the way, we’re definitely talking about equine passengers here – people are not permitted to ride in the back of a float!

Before you float your horse ensure they’ve had a light feed and water, and are in overall good health. Particularly on longer trips you may want to use travel boots (see the boots feature in this issue), ensuring that they are securely fitted so they won’t slip. A tail bandage or tail wrap will protect your horse’s tail from rubbing – but if bandaging, be sure not to pull it overly tight.

As a general rule, it’s better for your horse to be too cool than too hot – either no rug or a lightweight cotton rug or combo should do the trick.

Because grain takes longer to digest, it’s better not to feed it to your horse directly before departure. This might mean an extra early wake-up call, or simply offering hay, so you can allow adequate time for digestion before you leave. because of the difference in taste. To overcome this problem, either take water with you, or invest in a product that, when added to water, is designed to encourage horses to drink. Just a tiny bit of molasses can be used to encourage your horse to drink.

When securing your horse in the float, tie them up so that they can drop their head below chest level. This will allow mucous to drain normally rather than risk it collecting in their lungs. If you need to feed during a longer trip, only feed hay and be aware that there is a choking risk if eating while travelling.

When you arrive at your destination, walk your horse to help with blood flow and to allow them to stretch their legs. And one final task, clean out the float as soon as possible. If your horse has urinated, help reduce the risk of rotting floor boards with a couple of buckets of water mixed with disinfectant to limit the smell.

Happy and safe floating travels to you all!

Photos kindly supplied by: Hayman Reece (www.haymanreese. com.au), JR Easy Traveller (www.jreasytraveller.com), Kara Kar Horse Floats (www.karakar.com.au), Olympic Trailers (www.olympictrailers.com.au); and Pegasus Horse Floats (www.pegasusfloats.com.au).

SAFETY FIRST

Towing a float requires greater concentration and spatial awareness on the part of the driver – so here are some points to ponder before you head out onto the highway: • Don’t make sudden changes of direction or lane changes.

•Because of the additional weight and length of the float, you will need a longer distance in which to brake, overtake, or to safely enter a stream of traffic.

•Stay alert! You need to be aware of changes in traffic or road conditions further ahead than you would normally so that you have time to react.

•Roundabouts: Adverse camber is where the road slopes to the outside of the bend (as opposed to a positive camber which slopes to the inside, giving more grip and stability). While roads rarely have an adverse camber, roundabouts sometimes do – so please take extra care.

•Floats, like all trailers, have a tendency to ‘cut in’. When approaching corners and curves, allow for this by slowing down in plenty of time, and making a wider turn.

•If possible, when reversing have someone standing outside of the vehicle to guide you.

•Think smooth: steering, braking, and accelerating should all be smooth and steady.

•Driving downhill? Shift to a lower gear to reduce the strain on your brakes and to maximise your control of your vehicle.

•If you find yourself with a convoy of vehicles behind you, either pull over or slow down when it’s safe to allow them to pass.