Do You Give People Lifts In Your Box or Trailer?

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Mithras

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Or more accurately, do you give other people's horses lifts? I have a friend who keeps asking me to give her own and friends of friends' horses lifts when they want to move yards or go to a show or training venue. I have a very new lorry that took me a long time to save up for and I'm worried about it being damaged - my pair are used to loading and go in and out without fuss but these horses have never travelled regularly. And what happens if one of them goes down in my box or has an accident?

I feel kind of mean and don't want to say no, so I'll probably end up doing it as a one-off, and then getting asked again and feeling awkward.

There are horse transporters/hire companies locally but they are pricy - because thats what it now costs to set up as an equine transport business.
 
Um, no not anymore, as it is a slippery slope once you start. Easier to say no from the start. I will only take someone somewhere if I happen to be going there anyway, ie to the same show and 9 times out of 10 it is my best mate!!
With the legistation in force it is a total and utter can of worms that really should stay shut.
 
Nope!!

Hate taking anyone anywhere. I like to go in my own time, do my thing when there, and come home in my own time.
 
Yes we do :)
Usually it's only if we're just taking the one horse and we have a space in our trailer for example when I go to fun rides I offer to take a horse and rider in return for their company (although we usually select the horse/rider not just make an open offer!!)
We have taken a friend's horse to it's new yard and we have ferried horses to a local riding club show but only when it suits us and we make the offer.
We don't go out of our way to transport people and we don't do friends of a friend!!
We also make sure people know that if they come with us they follow our time schedule!!
 
Mithras,

I know it feels mean but saying "no" is the best thing,

Years ago I gave a friend some lifts to places, and yes, the box got damaged.

I too had saved up and bought myself a fab lorry, but I had saved for ages and gone without loads of things, including holidays etc...

No, the 'friend' did not pay damages and it left a very difficult situation, she then asked again I said no, and she got all nasty and ratty with me. I was glad a stable came free on another yard (I'd been on a waiting list) and moved, and there I never gave anyone a lift unless a friend and I were hacking out together, even then I would make it clear that they pay any damage.

Please also remember that you may not be insured to take other people and their animals, (or at least doubel check your insurance).
I would say it would be simple to just say that is the reason.

What you do as a favour will become an expectation to them, and when you do say "no" after having done it, then things can get awful for you.

As another poster says: I too prefer to go in my own time, do my own thing and if my box gets scratched, booted or otherwise by my own animals, then that's my problem.

Would these same people freely drive others about and risk the damage if it was their box not yours?
 
Its not even to a show I am already going to! Its to do stuff like moving yards or to take a horse cross country training. I have a 3.5 tonne box which cannot legally carry two! My insurance certainly won't cover it, I think the assmption is that this will be glossed over and I will take the risk. It is quite a good friend and it makes me feel awkward that she is asking, which is why I feel pressurised to do it as a one-off. But tbh I would have more sympathy for her if it was an emergency, like to the vets. And obviously I can't charge for it, so I would have to give around 4 hours of my time for free as well and possibly deal with a bargy horse that has never loaded before.

I appreciate theres a recession but I had to sell a very special horse to buy this box and friend sold her trailer to buy a third horse so hmmn. Although when I was without transport, I paid £90 to a local transporter to move my horse from one yard 15 miles away to another - never occurred to me to ask anyone to do it for free.

I do wish people wouldn't ask, it makes me feel so awkward.
 
I don't have a trailer, but...

* When I hire a horsebox, I always offer the extra space to someone for free.
* People sometimes give my pony rides in their trailer because he is extremely well behaved and can act as a sensible nanny horse to their youngsters

...and I quite agree that whoever causes damage should be liable for it - that's a moral obligation.
 
Mithras said:
I have a 3.5 tonne box which cannot legally carry two! My insurance certainly won't cover it, I think the assmption is that this will be glossed over and I will take the risk. It is quite a good friend and it makes me feel awkward that she is asking, which is why I feel pressurised to do it as a one-off.
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Here's your answer. I would NEVER take two in a 3.5 ton and I wouldn't ask someone to risk my horse and their licence by travelling two up on a 3.5 ton. It'll not be a one-off, it'll be requested again and if you say no the second time you won't have the argument of overweight because you ignored it the first time. Just. Say. NO!
 
I don't have transport anymore :( but when I did it was always a firm no. Horse can't travel with anyone else and when I travelled the pony I had to take the breast bar out coz she's so little. I didn't want to take responsibilty for someone else's horse and my insurance didn't cover them anyway.
 
I don't. I also saved up, and bought the best I could afford, which was a new Equitrek. I keep it well maintained and very clean, so that I hope it lasts me for a very long time.
I would be mortified, and angry with myself, if someone elses horse damaged it.

It's awkard when people ask you. I find most people hint to me that they'd like a lift, and in those cases I pretent I haven't realised and can change the subject quickly! I was once asked directly, and I quickly made up some excuse about how I was experimenting with travelling my horse in a larger area, so wouldn't have room.
 
Only if I am going to the show or if I have arranged a trip out with a friend, but I'm always careful to make sure the horse is a good traveler and isn't likely to trash my trailer or upset my boy as he has had problems loading and I don't want to give him any excuse not to want to load!!!
 
Mithras I have my own 7.5t I saved for like you

My OWN horses have punched a hole in the roof, marked the eva foam pawing, destroyed one set of rubber mats and even bent the partitions

No way I would lend my box to anyone - its bad enough that my own horses trash it and I would be really peeved if anyone else's horses did this - and infrequent travellers are the worst

As above say a 3.5T cannot legally carry two and you cannot loan it own as otherwise you'd need to get a commercial licence and a tacho
 
Pretty sure there are all kinds of complications with Defra when you start to travel other peoples horses..

But I would say no. You sort of glossed over the 4 hours of YOUR time needed to travel but having done it once for a friend, had my precious day mucked up and had 0 in return would never do it again. You can obviously quote the weight limit anyway and also say you do not want to start transporting other peoples horses around. Assume you work so your weekends are probably as jealously guarded as my own, so putting myself out (unless in an emergency) is not on!
 
Luckily I don't get asked :p, but if I did I'd be too scared to say "Yes" anyway. Too much legislation and insurance complications to warrant doing it IMO. I'm sure many gloss over those implications when doing favours for 'friends' but if something happened you mightn't have a leg to stand on. Not worth the risk personally.

Jeeze I lend my clippers to a good 'yard friend' last winter (she's 54 and experienced) but she dropped them when her horse moved at some point and I ended up with broken blades (thank God that was all). She offered to replace them but it never happened. I got a second hand set on eBay cheaply enough and let the matter drop.... but no one will be borrowing my transport, clippers or anything else from now on. Get your own if you need 'em!!!!!! :p:D:rolleyes:
 
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Just waiting for clipper-borrowing season to start!

Yes Jen_Couts, my box has just come back from having repairs under warranty carried out, caused by damage by my horse - rubber had to be replaced, one partition replaced - so easily done and a nightmare to live with or send away for repair again.

No way would I take two illegally in my box - friend knows this and basically wants me to transport her to a venue and back again. And did want me to move a friend of a friend's horse. Perhaps she is thinking I will charge? No way, I'm not going down that route of illegality for 30 or 40 quid!

I've tried sounding extremely reluctant, but some people will push until you give in, knowing you are uncomfortable with it.
 
Mithras said:
I paid £90 to a local transporter to move my horse from one yard 15 miles away to another - never occurred to me to ask anyone to do it for free.QUOTE]

I do transport and its not a cheap thing to do, by the time you have added up the time it takes to do the job... Loading, unloading, waiting time, re-loading and unloading again plus the price of the fuel and the costs and time involved in cleaning and sterilising the vehicle again afterwards it soon mounts up... and thats based on a horse that loads first time without any fuss, if you have a horse that doesn't load very well you can often add hours onto a day...

I wouldn't do it as a 'favour' to anyone not because i'm mean but because it literally can consume your whole day and there will only be you out of pocket, time wise and fuel wise not to mention the risks involved of the horse or vehicle being damaged during that time...

It is hard to say no to a friend but once you have said it then hopefully they wont ask you again :)
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I offer to take people with me if I am going places and it is convenient (i.e. - not 10 miles out of my way!) but thats all. I've hired a trailer for the summer and haven't told many people. I found when I had my own trailer I was often being asked for 'favours' and it is tricky to say no once you have said yes a few times. Best to just say no from the start I think.
 
I wouldn't hesitate if a horse needed to go to a vets in an emergency.
I would also lend my box to very close friends, if their transport was off the road.
I shy away from giving lifts to people unless they are good friends and I'm going anyway with my own horse.

I got caught out recently, groom at yard managed to catch me in front of a group of people and directly asked if she could put her horse in with mine to a competition I was entered for. I sort of felt under pressure to say yes so I took her, and her horse scratched up my lorry! Lesson learnt, 'no' is the new in-word !!!
 
As a transport-less horse owner I have in the past very much enjoyed and appreciated someone else offering me lifts to various things they were going to anyway, so i'd hate for people to be put off offering that sort of lift :o however, I would never ask for a lift anywhere, especially if they weren't going anyway! :eek: OK, maybe I can think of one example when I would, and that would be if a horse needed to get to the vets in an emergency. I have had that in the past and the answer then was to call a horse transport company, who were brilliant.

So let's see...
1) your box isn't legally up to the weight (of two)
2) insurance won't cover it
3) as you say, charging for it is illegal

Just say no for the reason that your insurance won't cover it. They can't argue with that if they are a decent person ;)
 
I don't have my own transport and if it wasn't for the kind generosity of my friends I would not be able to take my horse anywhere he loads well and travels well - he even stood like an angel while my friends horse panicked and went down in the trailer when they were travelling together. If I had a box of trailer I would return the favour but only for those close friends who I know would do the responsible and right thing if their horse damaged anything. My last horse kicked and bent the back bar in my friends trailer and I immediately offered to pay for the damage - luckily her husband managed to straighten it and all was well but I was horrified.

If you cannot legally and correctly travel the horses - then any reasonable person will fully understand why you have to say no.
 
Gosh…I feel quite generous having read some replies – if I have space I always offer it up to those without transport. But everything is on my terms…leave when I say so, go home when I say so, and most importantly: If you break it you pay for it. I have had a horse rip a window out of my box before and the owner dealt with all the repairs inc collecting and taking it off to garage. I do only tend to take close friends though who I know wouldn’t try and rip me off if damage was caused.

But then again its only a trailer, perhaps I would feel differently if I’d spent tens of thousands on a lorry….
 
Having only had my lorry for about three or four years ago I spent years asking for lifts or borrowing other peoples lorries to get from a to b for which I will always be grateful. As a result I do give people lifts, usually because I am going to the same place but on occasions even if I am not and I can do it. Admittedly I do know the horses and owners well; there has been damage but nothing major. I don’t except payment for a couple of reasons; one because I can’t under the law but also because I can afford not to and many of my friends wouldn’t be able to do things if I did charge. At the end of the day I would rather have their company then go alone.

I also allow others to drive the lorry, again those that I know well, the lorry is insured for this. Selfishly I often use this to my benefit when I am tired as I actively encourage others to drive!

Another bonus has been that I met my partner this way! I used to take him hunting and when both of our relationships broke up we got together.
 
In an emergency of course I would, to shows etc no. When I didnt have my own transport we hired ( 30 mile round trip). Gave a lift years ago to friend and her horse trashed my trailer.
 
I am always giving lifts to friends, we share the diesel costs and it is nice to have company. My lorry is ancient, my friends are civilised and their horses are well behaved. Last year one of my best (lovely) friends out of the blue, paid for my lorry tax for a year, just to say thankyou - what goes around comes around.
 
I have recently started competing again, and so has my best friend. Although she keeps her pony at a yard, and I have my horse at home, I give her lifts in my trailer to shows etc if I'm going somewhere. I don't offer lifts to people I don't really know or friends of friends if I am going somewhere and have a space in the trailer - I don't even want to imagine what would happen if one of horses kicked the other (there is only so much protection travel boots can offer!) Sometimes we will lend the trailer to someone we know if we are not using it, and they pay us to use it, and if anything were to happen while they were using it, they would fix it.

I quite like having my best friend come out and about with me as it’s nice to have the company, and we help each other out. It makes competing and going out with the horses a bit more fun, especially since I don’t have the company at home :-)
 
I only now take my sister, haven't taken anyone anywhere in a long time, because I got fed-up of people starting to expect it, then if something happened and I couldn't get to the said show...the guilt trip would be laid on....

Me and the OH saved up to buy our IW 510, AND work hard to run the 4x4 to tow it...so I have no worries at all about saying NO.

Emergencies are different of course....
 
Mithras said:
I have a 3.5 tonne box which cannot legally carry two!
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Do you mean that you have a 3.5T horsebox whose payload is insufficient to carry two? What is the payload?

I only ask in case people think that a 3.5T box cannot ever legally carry two which is, of course, not true. My box's payload is 1200kg and I nearly always travel with two on board (approx 750kg of horseflesh).

I too saved up for my box, this followed 15 years of horse ownership without transport. In those years I rarely went anywhere, if I did I hired a trailer. These days I only ever give lifts to my good friend with her well behaved horse, I wouldn't consider giving a lift to someone I didn't know well and the horse in question would most definitely have to be well behaved. I guess in an emergency I would lend my box out but in that case a) my horse would not be endangered by the antics of someone else's horse and b) I would expect the borrower to pay for any damage (and the diesel they used of course).

In the situation of 'doing a favour' how could anyone think that it wasn't their moral duty to pay for any damage caused by their horse anyway? Sheesh.
 
I do give friends horses lifts sometimes but I don't like it to be expected, there are plenty of times when I just want to take my horses out without worrying about another one.
I also take my children out with me, so when we are finsihed at a comeptition I don't want to be waiting around for someone else who has a later class/start time.

I also get peed off when in the past we have taken another horse, that then gets tied to the lorry while the owner buggers off to watch classes etc!!

A friends horse totally trashed my lorry, he caused about 5k's worth of damage, they did claim on their insurance and it is fixed but has made me wary, especially carrying horses that aren't insured.
 
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