Supreme Excel
The Supreme Excel is a combination of modern engineering and traditional horse care.
Before the advent of motorised horseboxes (in which the horse is accessed from the driver's cab) it was normal practice for horses to travel backwards.
As motorised horse boxes became more popular, horses were faced forwards so that their grooms could avoid the back end of their horses when they went into the truck from the cab.
Comprehensive research on the transportation of horses in both the UK and America suggests that, on balance, horses that face away from the direction of travel arrive at their destination more relaxed and less stressed than those that travel forwards.
It's true that some horses are unaffected by forward travel, though rear facing travel is beneficial when transporting nervous horses; mares in oestrus and laminitis prone horses.
Rear facing travel also has safety benefits. The most vulnerable area of a horse is its head, throat, neck and chest. If the vehicle towing the trailer is forced to brake suddenly, momentum can force a horse travelling forwards against its breast bar. If the horse is travelling backwards, its fleshy rump provides better protection and the head, throat, neck and chest are safeguarded.
As with all trailers in the Supreme range, a spare wheel and cover, mounted on the side of the trailer, are standard. Also, the groom's door on the Excel is lockable.