horsebox insurance and breakdown cover????

[kezimac]

hi buying my first little horsebox, and now selling my single ifor trailer and freelander.

So who do you all insure with ? - as i need to get insurance to collect box and get it taxed.

Do you have breakdown cover

If yes - with the insurer or someone else?

And what would i do if i didnt have breakdown cover?

thanks alot!

 

[smiffyimp]

Im with Shearwater for both, very competitive. Do get breakdown but check what they do if you do breakdown, some can be a bit dodgy!

 

[Escada2004]

I insure and have breakdown cover with Anthoney D Evans, cheapest i can find. Havent had to use the breakdown cover yet but ive spoken to people who have and said the service was fab

 

[nickyb]

Nfu!

 

[emmah]

I insure and have breakdown cover with Anthoney D Evans, cheapest i can find. Havent had to use the breakdown cover yet but ive spoken to people who have and said the service was fab

Hmmm I used to be with Anthony D Evans until I needed to use their breakdown services!! They left me stranded on Switch Island in Aintree at 10.30pm at night and wouldnt send alternative transport for my horse they expected it to travel in the back when my wagon was being winched up and towed by the breakdown truck. It was a good hour back home and my mare wasnt the best traveller Luckily I managed to beg a friend to come and collect her!!

 

[Escada2004]

Hmmm I used to be with Anthony D Evans until I needed to use their breakdown services!! They left me stranded on Switch Island in Aintree at 10.30pm at night and wouldnt send alternative transport for my horse they expected it to travel in the back when my wagon was being winched up and towed by the breakdown truck. It was a good hour back home and my mare wasnt the best traveller Luckily I managed to beg a friend to come and collect her!!

OUCH! Thats not good! I was told by them you get alternative transport for the horse???? I will look in to that as no way would i let them tow with my horse in either!

 

[Santa_Claus]

I'm with seib for both. Would have gone NFU but their quote was double everyone else's and they couldn't work out why!!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Covered by NFU for years, wagon and horses. Just given up with them on horses, despite fabulous service the cost is just too much.

The lorry was £400 including full breakdown (leyland daf 3 horse 7.5t, 2 named drivers aged over 50) protected ncb.

Used breakdown 4 times and service was good. Three times was within 30 miles of home and repaired roadside. Mechanic with us within an hour.

The 'biggy' was on the M25 after leaving RIHS on a Friday night at 6pm rush hour and needing to get to Worcestershire, a very long way indeed.

Cab filled with smoke, got it onto hardshoulder under a gantry to give more protection and rang their helpline. Smoke stopped once engine off thank god, I was an out of control headless chicken with a dangerous weapon in the shape of a fire extinguisher that I couldn't get the pin out of.

I had never been out of a vehicle on a motorway before and believe me, it is the most frightening experience. The artics were skimming the lorry by inches making it rock like crazy. The telephonist made me leave the lorry and get onto embankment, leaving my horse on his own. It was a feeling I cannot explain in words.

Within 10 minutes, the NFU had contacted the Highways Agency and a lane was closed, I could hear the Police coming, Highways arrived and a vet. The NFU maintained telephone contact at all times, with me and the vet, and talked me through all options. One of which was transfer the horse to another lorry on the M25, that would have entailed closing both side of the M25, making a secure corral around my lorry and 2nd lorry and transfering the horse. Holy hell I would have been on the 6o'clock news - Mad horsewoman brings M25 bothsides to a standstill for 6 hours !

The horse is a seasoned traveller and had been away from home 3 days at this point and I was desperate to get him home.

The recovery truck driver told us he could tip the lorry at a very slight angle and tow us, loaded. to a safe compound 10 miles further on, where we could then do the transfer onto another lorry. I was worried at this but the horse was fine, we just put a thick rug on the partition he was leant against as it tipped and all he did was shuffle his feet and eat carrots.

The rescue lorry arrived, driven by an experienced racehorse trainer, who explained to me he works for the NFU on jobs like mine, and the transfer was done in total safety in a compound and the journey started again. We finally arrived home at 1am with the horse and the knackered lorry was towed back overnight arriving at 2.30am.

My horse walked into his box as if nothing had happend, had a pee and asked for his tea, not a bother on him. I burst into tears and slobbered all over the box driver, left my husband waiting for the knackered truck and went to bed, where I stayed for a week !

The NFU were total stars that day and all parties concerned in the rescue contacted me the next day to ask if all was well. Expensive they may be and I am due the lorry renewal soon, but their service was second to none in my case.

 

[kezimac]

wow alice - what a harrowing experience!!!!!!

least it just shows how good their breakdown service is - I have contacted an Nfu broker and waiting for them to call me back to get a quote.

 

[Rebecca1988]

SEIB for both, we broke down once at Solihull and they were with us within 40 mins, so I decided to jump another round. Fab service from them worth every penny.

 

[Fourlegsgood]

SEIB for both. Have used the recovery a couple of times and it was very efficient.

 

[Fourlegsgood]

Oh and if you don't take out the breakdown then make sure you are married to a mechanic!!

 

[AdorableAlice]

wow alice - what a harrowing experience!!!!!!

least it just shows how good their breakdown service is - I have contacted an Nfu broker and waiting for them to call me back to get a quote.

It will be expensive. You need to weigh up how far you take your horses and how often. If you only amble to a local show and don't do any motorway travel it may be too expensive to warrant. I think at a local level most of us could call a mate to fetch us if we got stuck.

When you travel the country, which I no longer do, then proper rescue is a must. I roughly calculated what my nightmare would have cost without rescue at £1800 to 2k easily.

I look back on that experience and my blood runs cold. The whole 3 days had been abysmal despite being in the top 4 in both classes in our first visit to the RIHS.

I was expecting the show to be much nicer than it actually is. I knew the stabling is dreadful so I stabled off site, and despite telling the yard that charged me £90.00 for 3 nights, my horse is 17.2 I was given a 10x10 box. He promptly skinned his eye on the first night. I caught some virus thingy and felt shite, it was 80 degrees and humid and that bloody hill you have to park on is miles from the rings.

Never again, even if I have another horse good enough, will I go to the RIHS or on the M25. Give me sleepy Worcestershire any day !

 

[kezimac]

yes i def going to take out breakdown after reading ppls experiences here -

Alice - what a dreadful 3 days - talk about stress!!!! jees

 

[neighneigh]

I can highly recommend horsebox insurance from County Insurance. They also do horsebox breakdown cover.

Their website is www.horsebox-insurance.co.uk or call them on 01270 506999.

Really nice people and very good on price!