As seen in the April 2019 issue of Horse Deals magazine.
The Proteo is quite low to the ground which makes loading easy. The horses walk in and face the rear. There have been scientific studies showing that the horses find their balance and travel better backwards.
Owners are the very lifeblood of equestrian sport, and former eventing rider and dressage enthusiast Sharon Roberts is one of a number of unsung heroes in the horse world. Sharon has provided the horsepower and infrastructure for Grand Prix dressage rider Marvin Smink to realise his potential in the sport.
Marvin came to Australia six years ago with Mary Hanna, and has since become a permanent resident. He operates his business, Smink Dressage Group Pty Ltd, out of Red Hill Equestrian on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. “I met Sharon through a client of mine,” explains Marvin. “She brought her horse into training with me and from there the plan was made to go to Europe and find a potential Grand Prix horse. Sharon just wants to be part of the sport and is interested and comes and watches me train with Lone Jorgensen.
“There are quite a few of this type of horse vans in Europe, and when I was still there I used to drive a friend’s Theault. I think they are the best finished and most well thought through van on the market, and they keep improving things all the time. When in Europe, a few of the places we visited had a Theault, and I suggested Sharon have a look at them as I thought one would be very useful at home. We are thinking of doing some breeding, and I thought the Theault would be a very safe vehicle for transporting stallions, mares and foals. When we came back to Australia Sharon got in touch with the Theault rep and bought a Proteo. It is just like a normal car to drive. Recently, I had to take a mare and a stallion to the chiropractor. I didn’t want to put them both in the truck, so I put the mare in and pulled the stallion in a float behind and it drove perfectly.”
Written by Anna Sharpley. Photos: Julie Wilson.
The three comfortable leather seats (an option) in the cab. There is also a small port hole in the reinforced bulkhead to observe the horses.
The Proteo is quite low to the ground which makes loading easy. The horses walk in and face the rear. There have been scientific studies showing that the horses find their balance and travel better backwards. The floor in the horse section as well as the tack room is rubber lined and non slip. Pictured here ready to take the first traveller on board.
The full partition with moveable rubber below provides complete safety for each horse. They have reassuring contact through the bars at head height.
When the ramp is down there is a safety strap that runs the length of the opening to deter a horse from exiting before you are ready.
The full length head divider can be unpinned and folded back against the front wall.
There is plenty of storage in the luton above the cab. The boby is fully insulated with the use of aluminium sandwich walls. Also the bulk head is reinforced to ensure that the driver and passengers don’t end up with a horse in their laps. The aluminium frame with reinforced ply and rubber has been crash tested in Europe.
The full length centre partition can slide across to make a bigger bay, or all the way across to provide a suitable travelling area for a mare and foal, or provide an overnight stable.
In the horse area there is a hole and holding tank for urine. It is not always convenient to have horse urine pouring out of the truck, and in the Proteo it is contained until it is appropriate to release it. Also handy when you wish to clean it with a pressure washer
A close view of the partition sliding system.
It is important that all the models built for Australia have effective air flow. There is total of 7 sliding windows with protection grills (including the one in the rear door), 3 large skylights and 1 electric air extractor to ensure a constant supply of fresh air. There is also a temperature gauge in the horse area with a display in the cab.
Air vents to ensure a constant supply of fresh air.
The rear door is specially designed with a width of 1.20m to provide an emergency escape route for the horses if it is not possible to exit through the side ramp.
The saddle racks in the tack room.
The spacious tack room at the rear of the Proteo.
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