This article is from the January 2020 Horse Deals magazine.
Article: Anna Sharpley. Photos: Julie Wilson
Bianca Schewtschenko and husband, Anthony Bywater from Labertouche in Gippsland, Victoria have been involved with horses for years and know what they want. Bianca is a successful showing and Pony Dressage competitor and Anthony, who has evented, is on the Committee and is cross country co-ordinator for the Tonimbuk Horse Trials and is on the EV Eventing Committee.
“We have always liked Stallion Floats,” says Bianca, “but we went to look at a number of manufacturers, including some imports just to satisfy ourselves with the price difference, and quickly decided that we wanted to stick to what we’ve always had, an Australian made float, and Stallion was an easy choice! We had a specific design in mind; I wanted chest boxes in the horse area, a proper shower, not a cowboy shower. I wanted bays big enough for a Warmblood and beds in the living area long enough for an adult. We wanted everything in it without having to go to a tri axel, which meant there was a fair bit of engineering with the angles to fit everything in.
“Stallion were really accommodating; they are experienced float builders and in collaboration with them, we designed it from the ground up and I visited the Thomastown factory every couple of weeks to ensure that everything was going to plan with our custom built two horse angle deluxe float. We have had it for a year now and we love it.”
The 2-Horse Angle Deluxe is 17.5’ in length, 2.3m high and weighs 2.3 tonne. Bianca’s float is 4” higher internally than normal at 7’6”.
“The Fiamma awning is wonderful. Not only can we sit in the shade of it, we can get the horses ready under it as well”.
Ready for the show. If you look closely you can see the number plate on the car is “4-Henry”. Henry is Bianca’s successful Show Hunter Pony and Medium Dressage Pony, Glyndebourne Mancini.
The float has a fully primed galvanised frame, tinted windows and high gloss automotive paint. The two inch drop axels are standard.
“Jemima loves going everywhere and making friends. I often find her sitting having cheese and biscuits with other people!”
The wardrobe is to the left of the kitchen and linen and clothes storage is above.
The two adult size bunks run along the right hand side (facing forward) of the float. Anthony has the top bunk from which he has a good view of the TV.
The bottom bunk easily transforms into dining for two. You can just see the ladder to the top bunk on the right hand side.
The 19” TV/DVD player runs on 12V and 240V. Infact the whole float operates on 12V and 240V.
The slide out pantry is a good use of space.
The kitchen with sink, microwave and 70L fridge is located in the nose of the float.
Even more storage. “Storage was my priority,” says Bianca. “I did not want to have to put anything in the car.”
Stallion installed 12V power outlets and USB ports. “For the times we are not plugged into 240V, we went to a caravan shop and purchased some portable travel appliances that are made to plug into a car cigarette lighter socket. We have a kettle and a little warming oven which are very useful.”
Everything including the kitchen sink.
A view from the living door down through the horse section.
Two horses on the angle. Plenty of height for two big horses. The partitions are designed to fold back along the left hand side of the float whilst still being able to fully close up the back. The overhead rug rack is useful and the float boasts a heavy duty double floor.
The shower room with electric hot water. “This is wonderful, as we can keep the whole float warm and we just get out of bed and go and have a shower, all in the warm.” The shower room also provides storage and especially wet storage because of the rubber floor and drain. The float carries 61L of water.
Ready to load horse number one. The door to the living is streamlined to look almost invisible. There is rubber everywhere, on the floor up the walls and totally covering the chest boxes. “I wanted this for anti slip,” says Bianca. “It also reduces the noise and makes it easy to clean out the float.”
All ready to close up with swing out tack box in and secured.
There is plenty of room in the tack box for everything two horses will need. The lockable box can remain on the outside with the back of the float fully closed up.
This box on the near side of the float accesses the internal chest boxes. Bianca wanted everything stored in the float.
An arm for attaching a feed bin on either side of the float.
More of storage in the nose.
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