Ferdinase514
Well-Known Member
How much to fix the Ice Cream Truck?
Advice please - really need to decide which direction to take...
- Thread starter madhector
- Start date
millitiger
Well-Known Member
if you are in it for a business then the business decision is to sell Blaze- otherwise imo you may as well just compete Blaze and get a 'proper' job to fund it.
sorry if that sounds harsh but you really can't be sentimental or half hearted when you are just starting out in the horsey world- when you have more secure finances and are better known then you can start being sentimental and holding horses you like.
there is no way you will be able to survive without a lorry, even if you only do babies. you instantly add £2k + to the average youngster just by taking it out and gaining mediocre results at prelim/ 3ft sj.
how are you going to xc school them etc?
sorry if it seems harsh but having been in your position before you need to switch your heart off if you are making decisions which will affect your business.
sorry if that sounds harsh but you really can't be sentimental or half hearted when you are just starting out in the horsey world- when you have more secure finances and are better known then you can start being sentimental and holding horses you like.
there is no way you will be able to survive without a lorry, even if you only do babies. you instantly add £2k + to the average youngster just by taking it out and gaining mediocre results at prelim/ 3ft sj.
how are you going to xc school them etc?
sorry if it seems harsh but having been in your position before you need to switch your heart off if you are making decisions which will affect your business.
madhector
Well-Known Member
looking like around 1 to 1.2k at the moment... still waiting for the phonecall to tell me whether the wheel bearings a f**ked along with the gear box...
Ferdinase514
Well-Known Member
And how much did you pay for it?
1928sky
Well-Known Member
I would:
1) Top priority would be anything possible to keep Blaze- hes a super horse and looks destined to go a long way.
2) I am sure a trailer and 4x4 would be cheaper regardless of how many other miles you do in car, if you get a disco these can do 35mpg on diesel, my focus only does 40 mpg, and you will have all the extra spare cash from only needing one insurance, one tax and no plating to worry about. On the whole they tend to be a lot more reliable. You can get a trailer course and test in 3 days! Can't remember when I read through your post how much lorry takes to fix and what it is worth?
3) Sell dressage saddle, at the end of the day saddles don't win prizes and you have a jumping saddle that fits him- do dressage in that!
If you can try and avoid loan at all costs as this is just going to eat away any extra money you do get paying the interest.
1) Top priority would be anything possible to keep Blaze- hes a super horse and looks destined to go a long way.
2) I am sure a trailer and 4x4 would be cheaper regardless of how many other miles you do in car, if you get a disco these can do 35mpg on diesel, my focus only does 40 mpg, and you will have all the extra spare cash from only needing one insurance, one tax and no plating to worry about. On the whole they tend to be a lot more reliable. You can get a trailer course and test in 3 days! Can't remember when I read through your post how much lorry takes to fix and what it is worth?
3) Sell dressage saddle, at the end of the day saddles don't win prizes and you have a jumping saddle that fits him- do dressage in that!
If you can try and avoid loan at all costs as this is just going to eat away any extra money you do get paying the interest.
madhector
Well-Known Member
8500 - didnt even get a free ice cream thrown in!
Azabache
Well-Known Member
Stick to what you're heart is telling you, ie don't sell Blaze. Be sure that if you spend money fixing the lorry, that you get your money back when you come to sell it. The figures might stack up such that you should just to sell it as is.
madhector
Well-Known Member
I wonder how much an unbroken 3yr old welshie is worth.. could always sell my companion pony
Joss
Well-Known Member
I dont think you should rule out the 4x4 & trailer route. Have the 4x4 as your only car and you will be laughing. I fully agree that it will cost more to run than a small car but not THAT much more. You will not be paying out to insure/tax/MOT etc a 2nd vehicle. If you are only taking 1 horse out & about at a time you dont need anything too huge.
I event at a moderately highish level & travel many miles to events but I just cant possibly justify the expense of a lorry, buying it is just the start....... As far as I am concerned having a lorry is a real luxury. I dont have a huge budget & couldnt event at all without a bit of help from Parents. But I make do, stick to about 1 event a month & survive with the trailer & tent!!
If you are keen to compete you will find a way of doing it......
I event at a moderately highish level & travel many miles to events but I just cant possibly justify the expense of a lorry, buying it is just the start....... As far as I am concerned having a lorry is a real luxury. I dont have a huge budget & couldnt event at all without a bit of help from Parents. But I make do, stick to about 1 event a month & survive with the trailer & tent!!
If you are keen to compete you will find a way of doing it......
thad_linda
Member
Realistically, whatever lorry you have you are going to have to budget around £1k per year for annual servicing and testing.
madhector
Well-Known Member
Bit of summary....
Basically with out Blaze out competing I am just someone who schools horses, and people are less likely to send me good promising types for schooling livery (which I am trying to make a more prominant part of my work)
Dawn isnt going to be ready till the end of the summer realistically
Saddle is very sellable but would lose money on it and then still minus a dressage saddle
Lorry needs to be mended, either to keep or be sold
Could get another 3.5ton or a trailer (but I really hate travelling things in trailers)
Thanks for all the suggestions so far, its being really helpful to thrash some more ideas about
Basically with out Blaze out competing I am just someone who schools horses, and people are less likely to send me good promising types for schooling livery (which I am trying to make a more prominant part of my work)
Dawn isnt going to be ready till the end of the summer realistically
Saddle is very sellable but would lose money on it and then still minus a dressage saddle
Lorry needs to be mended, either to keep or be sold
Could get another 3.5ton or a trailer (but I really hate travelling things in trailers)
Thanks for all the suggestions so far, its being really helpful to thrash some more ideas about
madhector
Well-Known Member
I know, thats fine but already used this years savings getting it through its plating! Wasnt prepared for another bill so soon
connie1288
Well-Known Member
Sell lorry unmended?!
Keep blaze,
Sell saddle back to Devoucoux, hardly used you wont loose much in this time.
Do dr in jump saddle, plenty do and its better than not competing him.
Keep blaze,
Sell saddle back to Devoucoux, hardly used you wont loose much in this time.
Do dr in jump saddle, plenty do and its better than not competing him.
Bossanova
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Sell lorry unmended?!
Keep blaze,
Sell saddle back to Devoucoux, hardly used you wont loose much in this time.
Do dr in jump saddle, plenty do and its better than not competing him.
[/ QUOTE ]
This sounds like a really good plan.
I agree with selling the dr sadle- if thats what you have to do to keep Blaze then surely thats got to be worth it
I know it isnt ideal doing dressage in a jump saddle but it's perfectly possible and lots of people do it, even at the higher levels
Sell lorry unmended?!
Keep blaze,
Sell saddle back to Devoucoux, hardly used you wont loose much in this time.
Do dr in jump saddle, plenty do and its better than not competing him.
[/ QUOTE ]
This sounds like a really good plan.
I agree with selling the dr sadle- if thats what you have to do to keep Blaze then surely thats got to be worth it
I know it isnt ideal doing dressage in a jump saddle but it's perfectly possible and lots of people do it, even at the higher levels
madhector
Well-Known Member
I dont really mind doing dressage in a jump saddle, Im just worried how much I will lose on the saddle if I sell it, hate the thought of losing yet more money...
Would anyone buy a lorry in need of a new gear box at the very least, maybe with other problems too? Surely not for anything near what I paid for it though?
I did try and do a swap for the lovely new renault that rescued us on sunday but funnily enough they werent keen!
Would anyone buy a lorry in need of a new gear box at the very least, maybe with other problems too? Surely not for anything near what I paid for it though?
I did try and do a swap for the lovely new renault that rescued us on sunday but funnily enough they werent keen!
jennystreek
Well-Known Member
I dont think that by getting a 7.5t lorry will solve your problems - mine costs a fortune in diesel / tax / insurance/ MOT - 3.5t im sure would be much more economical.
Having said that, if you do think a bigger lorry would be better, it doesnt actually cost a massive amount to do the test. I was originally quoted at least £1200 to do everything, but in actual fact, its probably going to work out nearer to £700/£800, which is much better!
Having said that, if you do think a bigger lorry would be better, it doesnt actually cost a massive amount to do the test. I was originally quoted at least £1200 to do everything, but in actual fact, its probably going to work out nearer to £700/£800, which is much better!
connie1288
Well-Known Member
I have no idea how much you would get, tbh i would have thought £8500 was quite alot for a 3.5t atm, there are adverts in the back of h and h for wanted vehicles may be worth some research!!
madhector
Well-Known Member
Really - thats much more affordable!
I have just found it difficult this season being only able to take one horse competing at a time, and as I was trying to build up the yard here thought it would be more sensible to upgrade to a 7.5ton
I had planned to do this at the end of the season, and sell my lorry then but that was before it died on me
I have just found it difficult this season being only able to take one horse competing at a time, and as I was trying to build up the yard here thought it would be more sensible to upgrade to a 7.5ton
I had planned to do this at the end of the season, and sell my lorry then but that was before it died on me
madhector
Well-Known Member
I was a brand new conversion last year on an old chassis, last year there was nothing much like it below that price but now there are loads cheaper
dieseldog
Well-Known Member
Here is what I would do.
Get the little lorry fixed
Get your HGV licence
Sell little lorry
Buy bigger lorry
You have to fix the smaller one to be able to sell it, save up then for your HGV licence, then buy a bigger lorry as you will be able to take more than one horse to a show - therefore you could have 2 or 3 babies to sell at a time and then pay off your loan quicker.
*** other option is to swap the body on your little lorry to a new chassis
Get the little lorry fixed
Get your HGV licence
Sell little lorry
Buy bigger lorry
You have to fix the smaller one to be able to sell it, save up then for your HGV licence, then buy a bigger lorry as you will be able to take more than one horse to a show - therefore you could have 2 or 3 babies to sell at a time and then pay off your loan quicker.
*** other option is to swap the body on your little lorry to a new chassis
madhector
Well-Known Member
Thats what I would like to do ideally, and I could save up imbetween to do my test, its just finding the money short term to fix little lorry. But suppose a loan would get paid off quicker if I had more horses in
MrsMagoo
Well-Known Member
I have my lovely little 3.5tonne for sale
carries 2 lighter horses/1 big horse/pony and tack/living area but no sleeping...soooo reliable and easy to drive on a normal licence, cheap to run to
Only £7,995 heheheheh
alex_mac30
Well-Known Member
Hi
I am just about to finish paying off the loan on my lorry (last payment next month
) I would suggest the loan route. I thought long and hard about taking out the loan and looked at the repayments, the best offer I could get. It is worth doing a bit of research into this, working out if you can really afford it. I had some savings so the loan wasnt the full amount so I knew if it came to it I could always sell the lorry and pay off the loan.
I also looked at the 4x4. IMO the 4x4 is a much more expensive route than 3.5 ton, I do about 40 miles a day so the cost in petrol would be a fair bit more. The tax on my 2 vehicles is about the same as my friends 4x4, my insurance on a 4x4 would have shot up too.
I think the best think you can do is write down/ make a spreadsheet of how much you earn and how much you spend a month (dont forget thinks like insurance that you pay once a year) Then I think you will get a cleared picture of what money you have available at the end of the month, this might tell you what you have to do.
I really hope you dont have to sell Blaze he is a lovely horse and you are doing so well with him
M XX
I am just about to finish paying off the loan on my lorry (last payment next month
I also looked at the 4x4. IMO the 4x4 is a much more expensive route than 3.5 ton, I do about 40 miles a day so the cost in petrol would be a fair bit more. The tax on my 2 vehicles is about the same as my friends 4x4, my insurance on a 4x4 would have shot up too.
I think the best think you can do is write down/ make a spreadsheet of how much you earn and how much you spend a month (dont forget thinks like insurance that you pay once a year) Then I think you will get a cleared picture of what money you have available at the end of the month, this might tell you what you have to do.
I really hope you dont have to sell Blaze he is a lovely horse and you are doing so well with him
M XX
Twiglet
Well-Known Member
Don't sell Blaze, please!
I'm not sure of the economy of stretching yourself to buy a 7.5ton, when they are more expensive to run, and can have more to go wrong? Plus you have to do your test, which could take a while. How often would you take more than one to shows?
Similarly, not sure of the economy of a 4x4 and trailer. I know it's one less vehicle to insure and tax but you do do lots of driving, and you'll notice the jump day to day. Also, higher tax and insurance bands than your current car. Plus you're not guaranteed that whatever you're carrying will be a decent trailer-loader (have you tried Blaze in one?). Would you have been comfortable doing the A-L-W journey with him in a trailer? And you have to take the trailer test too....
Have you looked around for other 3.5 ton lorries? It sounds like that may be the better solution, considering the horses you're likely to carry are often quite small?
Just don't sell Blaze, ok!?
I'm not sure of the economy of stretching yourself to buy a 7.5ton, when they are more expensive to run, and can have more to go wrong? Plus you have to do your test, which could take a while. How often would you take more than one to shows?
Similarly, not sure of the economy of a 4x4 and trailer. I know it's one less vehicle to insure and tax but you do do lots of driving, and you'll notice the jump day to day. Also, higher tax and insurance bands than your current car. Plus you're not guaranteed that whatever you're carrying will be a decent trailer-loader (have you tried Blaze in one?). Would you have been comfortable doing the A-L-W journey with him in a trailer? And you have to take the trailer test too....
Have you looked around for other 3.5 ton lorries? It sounds like that may be the better solution, considering the horses you're likely to carry are often quite small?
Just don't sell Blaze, ok!?
kit279
Well-Known Member
Honestly? Borrow the money if you can from your dad. If you stand to lose £1K by selling the Devoucoux then you might as well keep it and just borrow the money for the lorry in the very short term until it's fixed. Then you can sell it if you want to etc. If you can sell Dawn at the end of the summer, then that's quite a short term loan of ready cash rather than a long term loan of mega bucks.
Yes, business sense might dictate selling Blaze now but real business sense is also about maximising your profit in the long term not just the short term. If you're going to have to sell him, he'll be worth more if he's competing at Novice. You'll be gutted if you sell him tomorrow and someone else does 2 Novices on him and sells him on for £3K more than you got for him. Even if you have to beg/borrow a lift in the immediate short term, get him to Novice then you have a lot more options - not least the JRN market. Don't sell him because you *have* to, sell him because you *choose* to. And by choose, I mean make an informed decision.
Don't envy your decision either way - hope it works out for you.
Yes, business sense might dictate selling Blaze now but real business sense is also about maximising your profit in the long term not just the short term. If you're going to have to sell him, he'll be worth more if he's competing at Novice. You'll be gutted if you sell him tomorrow and someone else does 2 Novices on him and sells him on for £3K more than you got for him. Even if you have to beg/borrow a lift in the immediate short term, get him to Novice then you have a lot more options - not least the JRN market. Don't sell him because you *have* to, sell him because you *choose* to. And by choose, I mean make an informed decision.
Don't envy your decision either way - hope it works out for you.
red marksman
Well-Known Member
I would sell Blaze while he is going well and is sound as you never know what is round the corner with horses! If producing horses is what you want to do then Blaze is taking up a stable you could have another youngster in. Repair your box and either keep (better the devil you know.....) or sell and get older bigger lorry (but no guarantee that it won't have expensive problems- there's more to go wrong on a bigger lorry).
dieseldog
Well-Known Member
Why are you thinking of selling Blaze over the new mare? Surely even as she stands she must be worth the cost of the lorry repairs and HGV lessons?
_April_
Well-Known Member
What I would do -
- keep Blaze for now, get him to Novice and sell him.
Even if you just do a few more Pre-Novices on him he will be worth more as his record is fab so far.
Plus life isn't all about work - you have to have a bit of a reward and that is Blaze
PLUS it will get you 'seen' more if you are out and about and will help with getting your name know.
- Sell the DR saddle and do DR in your jump saddle. That's what I am doing with my Ideal til I can afford another one and it's totally fine.
- Get a 4x4 and a borrow the trailer from work until finances are better and you can do the big lorry route
I drive my Nissan Navara about 150 miles every week and it costs me about £20 as it has a 2WD function for everyday use.
RE trailer test - I don't have mine yet but all you need are L plates and a legal person to sit with you and you can still go places.
If you were close to me I would get you to help me with T for some schooling livery - fancy a trip to Scotland lol.
- keep Blaze for now, get him to Novice and sell him.
Even if you just do a few more Pre-Novices on him he will be worth more as his record is fab so far.
Plus life isn't all about work - you have to have a bit of a reward and that is Blaze
PLUS it will get you 'seen' more if you are out and about and will help with getting your name know.
- Sell the DR saddle and do DR in your jump saddle. That's what I am doing with my Ideal til I can afford another one and it's totally fine.
- Get a 4x4 and a borrow the trailer from work until finances are better and you can do the big lorry route
I drive my Nissan Navara about 150 miles every week and it costs me about £20 as it has a 2WD function for everyday use.
RE trailer test - I don't have mine yet but all you need are L plates and a legal person to sit with you and you can still go places.
If you were close to me I would get you to help me with T for some schooling livery - fancy a trip to Scotland lol.
zero
Well-Known Member
My head says sell blaze although it would be great if you could do a couple of novices first to get a bit more money. Hopefully hell go on with new jockey and do well and you can advertise as having produced him. By selling him on to hopefully continue his good record then your making a name for yourself producing horses to sell.
My heart says keep him. I dont know what your amibtions are but if their anything like mine I know it would kill me to see my horse go else where and achieve my dreams with someone else.
It depends what you want in the long run. I know a guy whos a fantastic rider but will never go 4star as he sells his horses before he gets the chance to have that horse in a million but that said people travel to look at horses hes produced and go with open budgets.
My heart says keep him. I dont know what your amibtions are but if their anything like mine I know it would kill me to see my horse go else where and achieve my dreams with someone else.
It depends what you want in the long run. I know a guy whos a fantastic rider but will never go 4star as he sells his horses before he gets the chance to have that horse in a million but that said people travel to look at horses hes produced and go with open budgets.
Lolo
Well-Known Member
Without wanting to sound cruel, Blaze isn't worth enough to make it really worthwhile selling him right now- he's had 1 double clear, and has had 1 top ten placing at PN. He may have a lot of talent, but until he gets that all out on paper, he isn't going to sell for huge amounts... If you do sell him, get him going round Novices, and then sell him as a JRN type pony. If he was 14.2, he'd be worth more now, but he's not...
Our lorry cost us about £3000 in total- we got one that was basically in good nick and replaced the sides and did it up. It is ancient, but lovely- takes 2 big'uns nicely, or 3 little ponies. That loan wouldn't take too much paying off, if you increased lesson prices for a while.
Our lorry cost us about £3000 in total- we got one that was basically in good nick and replaced the sides and did it up. It is ancient, but lovely- takes 2 big'uns nicely, or 3 little ponies. That loan wouldn't take too much paying off, if you increased lesson prices for a while.