Anyone else fed up of not having your own horse transport?

I'm the flip side of the coin really ... Hubby bought me a Discovery and trailer (old Lambourne) about 9 months ago and we've gone .. NOWHERE :(
To be honest though, it's nice having the transport, but because it's there I don't use it!

Anyone want a lift in the South Yorkshire area?? I'd be happy to have the company!
 
Ahh I've long been in that situation!! The Welsh Cob is a difficult loader & traveller so I am very specific about what transport I want, if I can ever afford it that is!!

There is a 3.5t lorry at a local tack shop for hire, which I try to save up and get out every once in a while. Trouble is that it can all get quite expensive and the money I spend on hire is money I could be saving for my lorry :(
 
I know how you feel and used to hate it myself - but It can be done cheaper than you think - if you shop around and find someone who knows a bit about trailers etc to do repairs for you.

I bought a 4trak (which can tow 3.5t) from ebay for £995. It is ridiculously basic and not very comfortable but does the job.

Look around for trailers for day hire. There seem to be lots around and range from about £25 a day - which if you share with a friend is much cheaper than hiring transport.

After lots of shopping around, I found a trailer on ebay for £350. Its a rear unload pony trailer only but with the partition removed, my 16hh boy fits in fine. (I literally went on there every day and just watched all the trailers and got lucky - but there are quite a few around)

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I spent an extra £270 having a full service - and have just spent £200 on sorting bits out inside and putting extra thick marine play floor in (My friend did it which kept the cost right down - but he's a carpenter rather than a trailer expert so if you know anyone like that they can do it for you) Most places round here will do a free floor check. Next thing will be the brakes and then new tyres - but i'm doing it bit by bit which is helping.

Some trailer hire companies also do seasonal hire - which I found to be about £450 for 6 months in the winter. Again - split that with a friend and its not too bad.

Also - look at putting notices up in tackrooms to share rides. I don't like taking my trailer on motorways (we live nr London so I find it scarey driving it on the M25 with all the loons around!) - so if we are going further afield I hire a box (£75) and find someone to share it with me. I'm never short of people and have made some new friends too!!
 
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Where abouts are you? Maybe you are close to me, or someone else on here who has their transport and could help?

I have my own trailer and I passed my test just this Monday gone, so haven't been out yet so know what's it's like not to have transport but now I do!! (though we are not ready to compete yet, if ever!)

However, why not put some adverts up in local tack shops etc? I know, that if i didn't have my friends to go with, I certainly would prefer company when going somewhere... So maybe someone else would get in contact to offer some lifts.

xxx
 
Damnit! I have a great 4x4, ancient 3 horse rice trailer that we have just fixed and looks fabby and some lovely horses and I still can ony go places when my OH is free! I need to do my trailer test but spent all my money on the trailer and horses... It's so frustrating!
 
Im the same, wanted to go back to shorter long distance rides (well you knwo what I mean) with my 20 year old ex advance long distance horse. Booked a 'proffessional' transporter to do my first comeptative ride at formby a few weeks back. was so looking forward to it as always wanted to ride my onw horse where Red Rum trained. Bloody transporter texted me two days before the ride to say he had cancelled my transport so I lost £20 ride fee as well! My current car is too light to tow an Ifor Williams which is all the hire places offer, so I need to either buy a super light weight trailer or get another car which with husband currently not earning, 5 year old son, horse and large mortgage isnt really that easy ! Oh well.
 
Thanks everyone I knew I wasn't the only one out there in a very frustrating position. OH has promised me I will have a trailer one day but I fear current horses competing days will be over by the time that maybe happens!:o

I am definately going to try the ad in the local tack shop, I will let you know whether that has any joy. My only concern is what happens if I borrow someone trailer & it breaks (I'm not a bad driver honest just a thought thats all) who's insurance covers it? I don't think my car insurance does I suppose their trailer insurance would, just don't know where I would stand?

I have looked into hiring a lorry but they ask for a ridulous deposit, if I had that sort of money to outlay I would of bought my own trailer!!!

I am between Rugby, Lutterworth & Hinckley, if anyone on here is anywhere near me?

I have got a friend that I could potentially hire a trailer with but her horse is a complete muppet & not sure we would even get to an event let alone compete.:p
 
I am so glad im not the only one with this problem, i keep thinking im the only person in the world with no transport!
fingers crossed for you you get something, and my "lorry fund" tin has just started to get some pennies in it (well im hoping for the lottery win though before the tin gets full!!)
 
Yep I know what you mean. I've got my own place where I keep my boy, BUT the roads around here are getting totally horrendous now and the places where we can ride off-road are getting less and less, and the question I have in my mind is (1) do I move house to some decent riding country? (can't afford to do that); or (2) save up and try and get own transport?

Then the issue is do you get a trailer, and have all the soul searching of what do you tow it with, and how much is it going to cost to run, and have I got the confidence to start towing again after not having done so for nearly twenty years, OR do you get one of these nice little lorries built on a Vauxhal or Renault frame which look really nobby and which I could probably drive, BUT they come with rather a natty price tag!!!

I don't have any hugely wealthy Great Aunts who could kick-it and leave me a wonderful inheritence, and have spent more on lottery tickets than I've won, and can't keep on bumming lifts from long-suffering friends, especially when mine is such a temperamental little git to load and if you go to a show or something you can't guarantee how he's gonna load.

If we had our own transport we could get him used to it, gradually, but when its someone else who has to wait around for His Nibs to load at the end of the day, its embarrasing innit.
 
Farrierlover i know how you feel! I bought a FAB new lorry (cost a fortune :) ) but i have no licence to drive it :( and the test costs a fortune! My stepdad takes me everywhere and is fab and has never said no but i still want to be able to drive it myself (well i do at home just not on the roads ;) ) !!
 
I have the annoying problem of have horse, have transport, horse doesnt fit :( Im selling my little box and going to have to buy a proper sized lorry but as i wont be able to drive it im going to have to rely on my OH.
I'll only have the money from the sale of the old box to finance another one and be honest i dont think i'll get much for it so i will have to save for a while until i can get another. :(
 
the only was is to save I am afraid. If you need to do your trailer/lorry test get on and get it done ASAP before it gets any more expensive, or they make the test harder so you fail more times.
 
If you get someone to help with trailer tests, it makes a huge difference, I passed first time and only a had a couple of professional lessons, so you don't have to buy one of those £500 all in with the tests type situations...

Infact you may even fine there are people local to you on here which will help.

xxx
 
I have got my test luckily. I have been saving since I remember but to no avail other supposedly more important things come up! according to OH anyway!:)
 
Ditto here.

I used to have a lorry but found I didnt use it much as I couldnt take friends with me (blooming 3.5T!)

Hopefully a friend on the yard is doing her towing test this year and we will have wheels if we need them :D I can just pay her petrol then :D happy days!

There's a lot of people who have trailers and boxes on the yard but its hard to get them all going at the same time.
 
I agree with people on the transport issue as I have none either and want to do more than just local hacks around the block etc. It frustrates me even more when I see trailers just parked doing nothing. Gosh if I was lucky enough to have one I would make damned sure I was b***dy using it.
 
I'd love my own transport but financially it's out of the question. I've got youngsters and I'd love to be able to take them out and about but have to rely on very occasionally being able to persuade friend with lorry but she's busy showing her own. I have one 2 year old that will not load and the only way we can get him into a lorry/trailer is to blindfold him. I'd love the opportunity to practice with him but not having transport means I can't :(
 
Know exactly how you feel.

am planning on setting up a riding club in my area (oxfordshire) based for people who have not transport (or no horse of their own) so we can do lots of video based comps (e.g. dressage but also jumping judged on style not speed), maybe online lessons etc etc, and of course socials and dismounted talks etc. Am hoping we might be able to help people organise and coordinate lifts and stuff. Maybe might help in other areas too??
 
We didnt get anywhere last year due to no transport!

Luckily I was talking to the man who runs our local feed shop, who happened to mention he had a trailer hire business nobody knew about.
He charges £35 a day and stays with us for as long as we want, takes us there and charges no diesel either. Between 2 people it works out less than £20 a day and its meant we can go anywhere we fancy!

I would ask about on local yards etc. Around ours there are at least 5 or 6 people with trailers they never use!
 
Cat&Mouse, my horses are kept about 5 minutes away from Lutterworth. I also have no transport though, so know how you feel. I have a Freelander to use but no trailer, when we went out at the weekend just gone we borrowed a neighbours old one, but it was such a pain hitching it up as the towbar on our car is much higher than theirs.

I really need to take my trailer test, but there doesn't seem much point if I can't afford to get a trailer or box. If I did it would be nice to have someone to got events with though!
 
Ooooo I have found someone local, Hi Tobey.
Well I am about 10 mins from lutterworth but I am warwickshire side of the A5 I do cross it very occassionally with toes & fingers crossed but it is too far to hack to high cross & then expect her to compete & hack back. An ifor williams is my only real option with a freelander as they are so light weight but cost mega money!I don't suppose you know of anyone local that does trailer hire, not too pricey of course. Shame I haven't even got half a trailer fund yet else maybe we could of gone halves on one!:p:D
 
Well, I am the other way around... I've got a lovely 7.5 ton but my ex-racer is scared of it.

So my lorry is sitting behind the house going nowhere, which is extremely frustrating.
 
OK catembi just for you ;) change of thread title "Anyone fed up of not being able to go anywhere with your horse through lack of transport or lack of horse willingness! All basis covered I think!:D
 
I was a spoilt child in that had ponies and transport and competed then when I was about 15/16 parents divorced and that really was the end of that, including trailer being sold though I did get to keep the ponies. Anyway when I was about 19 I managed to buy an old trailer (bright green) and an old car (huge rover in bright orange) and could go to local shows. Fortunately in those days didn't have to pass a separate test. I hired the trailer for the first couple of times and then the guy decided to sell it. Can remember the first time I went out and I needed petrol on the way back but had no idea how to use self service fuel pump as in the village I lived in the assistant still filled the car up for you!

p.s. wasn't really spoilt child - had to work hard (well fairly)!
 
I am looking for a riding companion for fun rides, Endurance GB pleasure rides and Trec pairs events - if anyone is interested I have an Ifor Williams trailer that takes up to 16.2hh and would be happy to pick you up en-route. Ideally we are looking for a horse/rider partnership that will enjoy long slow canters etc rather than everything turning in to a race! We are also looking for someone reliable, who enoys a chat as we ride around and who also likes to have a burger etc after the event! My lad is great travelling with others. I tow with a Mitsubishi Shogun 2.5.

Having never had transport when I had my first horse, I know exactly how you feel about not being able to get out and about - it is very frustrating.
 
zakandzair said:
I am looking for a riding companion for fun rides, Endurance GB pleasure rides and Trec pairs events - if anyone is interested I have an Ifor Williams trailer that takes up to 16.2hh and would be happy to pick you up en-route. Ideally we are looking for a horse/rider partnership that will enjoy long slow canters etc rather than everything turning in to a race! We are also looking for someone reliable, who enoys a chat as we ride around and who also likes to have a burger etc after the event! My lad is great travelling with others. I tow with a Mitsubishi Shogun 2.5.

Having never had transport when I had my first horse, I know exactly how you feel about not being able to get out and about - it is very frustrating.
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That sounds ideal, you don't say where abouts you are?
 
Sorry - forgot to mention the important bit of where I am located! I am based in Thornbury, it's in South Gloucestershire - inbetween Bristol and Gloucester. I tend to stick to rides in the Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire regions, including the Quantocks, The Ridgeway etc. I am also about 30 mins drive from Badminton, so this is another good option for a weekend trip out or the beach at Brean or Weston Super Mare.
 
Such a shame I am definately too far away & not on route to any of those! ooooh would love to take my horse to the sea. Maybe start a new thread asking for local people I am sure there will be people in your area, or put a ad in your local tack shop, I would certainly take you up on that offer if you had been closer. :) Good luck & hope you find a new riding partner soon
 
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