Hi, I had a terrible incident today with my trailer, my mare stamped on the floor whilst going up a dual carriage way and her leg went through got dragged up the road, amazingly she has not broken or damaged her leg apart from a wound that the vet says should heal ok. what I now want advice on is what to do about the trailer, I would quite happily torch it after today but I cannot afford another one really, my husband says we should replace the floor and it will be ok again, what do people think, if we replace it whats the best? what do people think about the liquid rubber on the floor instead of mats that can get water underneath? yours despairingly

Oh dear thnk god your mares ok!..take out the whole floor and replace it with double marine ply,making sure all edges are sealed,rubber mats on top are fine but remove them everytime you take the trailer out with your horse in and clean it and leave to dry.My floor started to warp so we replaced it with marine ply,with coach bolts to hold it and an extra coat of varnish to seal it!,I religiously check it underneath the box itself and under the mats everytime too,alternatively have it replaced by a trailer repairer/dealer etc if your not 100% happy to do it yourself.

OMG, thank goodness your mare is ok.
That is perfectly sound advice, I purchased my box with a completely rotten floor, so I too had the task of replacing the floor.
It was indeed a double layer of marine ply, I think they were 18mm and 21mm. The thinker layer was laid front to back and the thiner layer side to side, that way you get double the support. Seal the edges where you cut. I, well my BF!! painted a sealant on top, this was then covered with rubber matting.
I hope that helps. Hopefully your mare will be a more calm traveler and not be too worried to load next time.
I hope you arent too shaken up by the whole experience.

Áine

Hi Jayne,

I would get it booked into a good trailer dealership that also offers servicing. I can recommend Kings Equestrian or Lea Garage and I expect you'll be able to find others advertised on here. They would be able to replace the floor (or possibly advise you on how to mend it yourself). Then make sure you have the trailer serviced (with floor check) at least once a year. Really pleased horse ok, must have been a horrible shock for you. Rosie

Thanks all, think we will have a go with the double layer, think we might use hardwood ply as its apparently very strong, and will definitely invest in the rubber matting as if I had some of this in my trailer on Saturday I could perhaps have avoided this.

What make of trailer is it? If it's an Ifor Williams, you can buy a new aluminium floor (doesn't matter what the original floow was) from Ifor Williams (Ross Farm Machinery are a dealer of theirs) We replaced the floor in our trailer when I found a soft spot close to the wall - it was really easy and my husband did it in an afternoon with only minimal help from me, taking the rubber floor out, removing the existing floor and replacing it, then replacing the rubber. Advantages of aluminium are that it is light, so good for towing, and will not rot.

Unfortunately its not an IFOR trailer, its a Sinclair so I think they are a bit obsolete now

what a scary thing to have happen. very glad no serious damage was done. please use marine ply as ordinary hard board will not last.

most people tend to use marine ply as it will be more resistant to water damage.

could be expensive but I have heard people say about chequer plating? might be worth finding out about. Is pegasus still going? as there trailers are similar to the sinclair so you may be able to get a floor from them.

So glad your horse is ok

So Glad your mare is okay, she was very lucky & it must of been terrifying for you all! I would definately take it to a trailer dealership. Kings Equestrian are fantastic. I took my Bateson to them when it got a hole on the original wooden floor. Bateson have now moved on to plastic floors which are guaranteed for life. This is something I wouldnt of know if I had not taken it there. They were extremely helpful, fitting was quick and price was reasonable. Good luck & safe travelling.

Marine Ply double layer is the best wood to replace if it's a wooden floor you need with a rubber mat over, not sure if that is the same as Hardwood. All I know is that Marine Ply is better at repelling wet and that will be your wost enemy.
Of course best flooring would be Aluminium checker plate with a rubber cover as in the Ifor Williams then you have 100% peace of mind, Ross Weld or another agricultural Fabricator may well be worth a quick call. Good luck I hope whatever route you choose you hav esafe and stress free trailering from now on

We have a vehicle repair garage and also horses and therefore trailers. Whenever we replace a floor we put a layer of weld mesh down first, then marine ply and then rubber matting. Using the weld mesh ensures what ever happens your horse cannot put its foot through the floor. Alloy floors are obviously very safe but I do feel even with rubber matting on top it does not provide the sound deadening that wood does.

Having seen the trailer and the condition of the horses injury I would never put my horse at risk by putting it back in that trailer, horses safety is paramount and it would be better to save for a ' safe' trailer than put the horse in danger by using a wooden floor.

You can pick up trailers with rubber matting and aliminium flooring fairly cheaply please get it checked by a specialist. Glad the mare is ok she was very lucky.

Just a quick message for Suzanne Stephens.... Where is your business/Do you have a telephone number? I have a Bayhill trailer with a floor that needs replacing.
Many Thanks
Gillian