Home Comfort for Overseas Horses
Page 46
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BOTH a tribute to British bodybuilders and an indication of future possibilities for the industry are provided by a recent delivery of Vincents (Reading), Ltd., Station Square, Reading. To the order of a well-known American horse-racing personality, the bodybuilder shipped a new three-horse box, based on an American Ford F7 long-wheelbase chassis, to the purchaser less than five weeks after receipt of the chassis from the United States.
A standard product, the body has an ash frame and Columbia pine panelling, with natural grain finish. The elm flooring is laid across the chassis over the body bearers. In the off side is the large main drop door, controlled by the Vincent telescopic spring system.
All three horses face to the rear. The two interior partitions are swung back on rollers to provide access to the centre stall, at the rear of which are two shaped half-doors, which close behind the animal. The second horse is then led into the stall behind the driver's seat, and is enclosed by one of the two partitions.
The three stall doors have stainlesssteel tops, under which are slots on which the mangers may be hung. These are nested and carried on one of the partitions at the rear when not in use.
All the partitions are mounted on removable pillars with spring-loaded ends located in the roof and floor. By rearranging the centre-stall doors and the main partitions at the rear, a man and foal may be carried together in one compartment, leaving the third compartment available for one horse.
Fresh air is supplied by a duct located above the roof of the cab leading directly into the front of the box. Two further ventilation grilles are provided.
The grooms' compartment has a fixed seat for two passengers and a removable swivel seat for one. A buzzer is provided for communicating with the driver, and there is a separate side entrance to this section.
The chassis is powered by the new Ford V8 overhead-valve engine.