I'm now in the market for a float

I would like it to have side windows
Padded big bum bars / chest bar
spring loaded tail gate
air vents
enclosed
prefer it to be not a taylors,
has to be able to have a TB and a pony in it.

i think thats all
If anyone knows of someone selling one please let me know

Why would you not want a Taylors?

i've heard that there heavy to tow and i know my horse isn't keen going into them, think it's because there dark??

I have a taylors, I painted it white inside, have no problems getting my lot in there now.

Most taylors have smaller windows than most metal floats, taylors are I am told a smidge smaller in bay width than metal doubles and wood is I am told is heavier than the metal floats to tow......all the same reasons I had when buying a float and opting for a metal rather than a wooden......

much heavier than the metal floats, mines an extended, but it does weigh around 1500kg.
I like it as I live on a fair stretch of dirt road, and it sits nicely, metal ones tend to bounce around too much on it for my liking.

I prefer the metal and i like the bigger windows on the metal floats, not keen on those small windows on a taylors

Personally i prefer the small windows. Less chance of the horse seeing them as a potential way out. JMHO after hearing some horror stories.

i also prefer smaller windows... it makes my horse stand still cause he can only see outside in a small section i have a taylors but will have to upgrade with my new girl when she matures as they just arnt big enough for 2 horses (ponies fine) IMO unless sits extended etc

We had a double Taylors and then upgraded to a triple, which for some reason tows better and uses less fuel than the old one! Off topic I know, but good luck with your search
Both of ours were painted white on the inside of the roof and we have never had any problems with loading any horses onto them.

I read recently, I think it was on the the Boekmann float website that small windows are actually better, as was mentioned horses dont mistake that for a exit route, also horses that travel in trucks dont have huge windows to look out. Big windows are the opinion of mainly 1 person who has decided that we need huge windows & higher & wider floats for horses. Personally I dont think horses have actually got any bigger than they used to be 30 years ago & horses fitted into normal floats back then.
As for the weight of a Taylors float, dont actually notice it a great deal & I have towed with non 4WD for most of my towing life.
I personally think that Taylors floats are extremely good for the majority of people buying their first float if they dont want to spend a lot of money, they are easy to fix & being wooden there is a LOT less rust in them.
I actually towed to big horses both over 16.3hh in a normal size Taylors float all over the state when I was eventing without any dramas. Maybe I am lucky but dont have any problems with any horses going into a Taylors.

Sorry if i offend anyone, dont mean to but there is a lot of stuff going around about what you need in floats theses days which really arent necessarily necessary.

I appreciate all the help i can get i did have a float and i loved it was made by cloverash and i didn't have one problem with it sold due to personal reasons otherwise i'd still have it I guess it all comes down to personal reason as to what you do and don't like, i can't comment on a taylors as i've never owned one, i borrowed one and it was rather heavy on my car and our horses didn't like going on it much
I see the point though with the smaller windows, do they got hot though??

Slightly off topic, but here goes anyway...

I picked up a taylors today for $1500... used it straight away to take a 16.3 tb on an hour trip to the vet. This mare hadn't been in a float for longer than 5 mins before, and had never been in a wooden float. (we normally truck- which she does beautifully). Took us about 5 mins to get her in (also her first float trip alone) Could not fault the float at all!! it towed beautifully, and trudy arrived completely unfazed about anything (even if i was a nervous nellie- man i much prefer a truck!!)

I'm fairly sure i wouldn't have found a metal float in useable condition for that type of money!! In fact a couple of years ago i sold one for $100 less that needed a complete rebuild! My float is perfectly sound and safe.

there is a metal one that looks ok on gumtree at the moment... a few pages in.

good luck with your search

My 2 old Taylors towed quite well, never had any trouble, but my new Rowville certainly tows even better!

I prefer big windows, & I think Spud does too. I think most horses are happier loading into & travelling in a float with a big window. But then maybe I've just been lucky too, never had any problem travellers or serious problem loaders. I don't really see the point of side windows though, nor enclosed floats. I hate rear barn doors & think they can be a big contributing factor with problem travellers. Why would they be necessary anyway? Even in quite heavy rain I've found it doesn't actually get all that wet inside the float. We even camped in a swag in a non-enclosed float in pouring rain & it stayed dry inside.