Horsebox Vs. Trailer...!

SarahX

SarahX

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This might be an impossible question but what do you guys think about horseboxs and trailers..

I'll be getting a horse soon and i'm going to be out competing about once a week/fortnight hopefully.

But first i'll need to sort out transport!

Is it cheaper to either..
Buy a small, cheap(ish) to run car like a VW pole for example and then get a small second hand horsebox for around £5000

OR hire a horse box...

OR get a 4x4 and trailer.. ?

I have no idea :| This is bearing in mind the price of petrol/diesal, insurance for them all, MOT's and services...
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Trailers---- IMO harder to drive than boxes... but much cheaper!

Hiring---- gets expensive if you're traveling often it might even be cheaper to buy a box in the long run....

can a polo pull a trailer?? I'm not saying it can't im just wondering!!
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TBH I would rather have an economical car any a good to run lorry rather than a gas guzzling 4x4 to drive round every day...

But then - I can't tow a trailer on my licence - and I have got my HGV licence - so that kind of makes the decision for me!!
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When we got our lorry we found insurance not too bad as we had a limited mileage insurance, and that did reduce costs by quite a bit.

Katie_Connie - I don't think OP was wanting to tow a trailer with a Polo...

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we sold our horsebox to buy a trailer- much less money to run, no maintaining required and the horses travel just as well.

reversing in a trailer is easy once you have got your head around turning the wheel the opposite way to where you want to go!
 
Thankyou all for answering..
Katie_Connie, no they can't
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I meant have a small car and a horsebox or 4x4 and trailer
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My mums just really worrying that a 4x4 will be so expensive to run.. :-/
But i think i would prefer to have a 4x4 and trailer due to costs..

Do you have to have a trailer serviced??
 
No dont need to have anything serviced but in the long run would be a false economy and possibly dangerous, I would say a horsebox and small car unless you need a big 4x4 for other things, trailers are ok for moving horses but not very practical for shows unless you get a equitrek then a lorry is
probbly cheaper...
 
we've had our trailer 3 years and just had it's first service.

and as for being impractical at shows- not really!
we take 2 horses eventing and it is fine and easy- actually more practical than a horsebox as you're not running up and down those stupid little steps all day!
 
The thing about horseboxes is that they are usually used three or four times a month and often only in summer. The rest of the time they're left standing doing nothing, which is not good for the running gear, etc. I used to take mine out every weekend and as often as possible during the week to help keep it ticking over.

Costs for a lorry include:
MOT/Plating every year - an older lorry and be prepared to pay £500-£1000 every time;
Insurance - I think mine was £130 per year, including breakdown;
Fuel - diesel, mpg varies considerably'
Storage - mine cost £35 per month to store on a site;
Tyres, etc. - there was always something that needed replacing!
Servicing - I think that was about £350.

I now run a Discovery - if I keep my foot light on the pedal, I'll get 25-ish to the gallon on a run (diesel).

I often tow a trailer - the Discovery's fuel consumption goes up (I don't know what it works out at, I'm too much of a coward!).

Trailers:
Easier to store a trailer;
Not as nice to tow a trailer as it is to drive a horsebox IMO;
A trailer needs servicing every year;
Trailers aren't as stable in high winds as a horsebox.

I'm getting a trailer in a 'few' weeks time due to cost.... I lost a lot of money when I bought my lorry - had it just under a year, and it became a serious MOT failure, despite two services, new exhaust, work on brakes, etc.
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Horse box - broadly speaking my mechanic said you should allow around £1000 in running costs per year for a lorry. Can't debate or say what but that was his recommendation. My trailer gets serviced once a year @ £65.00 - chks flooring, electrics etc etc.

I have dogs so a 4 x 4 is a much better idea, also in the winter as the yard is up a mini mountain with its own weathersystem - need it to get there at times! Petrol - I have a card as this is also my car for business but would still cost me less than toping up a lorry. I only have 1 horse so can easily cart my kit around in my car to shows. I never got changed at shows as it was exra hassle - have my basics on and then wear fleece/jogging bottoms on top to speed up changing. The biggest downside for me is that is takes some 10 minutes to hook up/check lights etc but at least I never worry that I wont be able to get on the road! If however, I did have 2 horses I would go for a lorry (but keep the 4 x 4 - but I am geninue user!)
 
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we've had our trailer 3 years and just had it's first service.

and as for being impractical at shows- not really!
we take 2 horses eventing and it is fine and easy- actually more practical than a horsebox as you're not running up and down those stupid little steps all day!

[/ QUOTE ]
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I love my stupid little steps
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up them it's warm and dry, my own loo and a hot shower a fridge full of goodies,a kettle, friends hanging out ( sometimes good somtimes a PIA) bed for overnight, seats, and windows for watching less fortunate people with trailers
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I have ust bought an equi trek after havin same debate as you. I worked out the running costs and decided it was a cheaper option. Did look at several lorries but for what I could afford would be hign maintenance.
 
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I love my stupid little steps
smile.gif
up them it's warm and dry, my own loo and a hot shower a fridge full of goodies,a kettle, friends hanging out ( sometimes good somtimes a PIA) bed for overnight, seats, and windows for watching less fortunate people with trailers
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Me too!!! The last show I went to it was absolutely heaving it down with rain - me and horse were snugly tucked up in the lorry - and all the peeps around us were hanging around outside their trailers!!!
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I love my stupid little steps
smile.gif
up them it's warm and dry, my own loo and a hot shower a fridge full of goodies,a kettle, friends hanging out ( sometimes good somtimes a PIA) bed for overnight, seats, and windows for watching less fortunate people with trailers
grin.gif


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ME TOO!!!!

I have had a 4x4 and trailer going back when fuel was much cheaper and I still found it cheaper to run an old lorry and small car!!
Not too mention far far more comfy
 
I worked this out and found (for me) that it was more expensive to buy a decent 4x4 - 2nd hand maybe £5000 - £7000 (you really need to make sure it has the right weight to tow a horse or horses) and a new trailer (£4500) than a horsebox. Plus if you use it as your main vehicle its heavy on fuel.

4x4 insurance was more than my fully comp insurance on my horsebox (£330 inc rescue) (tax £165 for 12 months). Last service cost £350 and last MOT cost about £600 (Ive had cars that cost more than that to get through MOT!). However there is always the chance that something major could go wrong, the body work will need attention at some time and if your horse is off games then it can detriorate if not used.

I love my horsebox but it cost me twice as much as you are intending to spend. Its a Merc 709D a bit slow but mechanics alway say what a little workhorse it is and how they go on forever. Fingers crossed! 3 years of freedom so far - Yay
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I would LOVE a lorry!! but just not practical for me.....I only live 7 miles from the yard and my work is between yard and home - so I only do a round trip of 14 miles per day!! this makes it no problem for me to run a 4x4 to tow with, If I had a lorry and a small car, that would be 2x sets of tax and insurance, and I don't go out so much in winter so a lorry would just sit around and that's not good for them... I have an IW 505 which is great as I only do local events anyway, plus wet, muddy showgrounds are no problem for me!
 
Im pretty good at towing but get really worked up that something bad is going to happen, and to get out from my yard is a narrow lane for half a mile so if you meet an oncoming vehicle somebody has to reverse Im dreading everytime I leave yard im going to meet another trailer as one would have to reverse around blind corners etc,

Had a nightmare when I had my trailer serviced I need a new floor (quote £500 for aluminium) once that is done it shouldnt need replacing again.

and at the same time something went wrong with my landy which cost me £300 to put right.

So iv'e been debating whether to just get a lorry as I would compete everyother weekend (so could justify having one)
and I have a 2year old son that sometimes comes with me and my friend so a living area would be a plus side.

I would just like to point out that make sure if you do buy a trailer that your horse will go in one. some will only travel in a lorry.

and that if you passed your test (I think it is after jan 1997????) you have to take a towing test.

Good luck whatever you choose
 
I'm selling my trailer and getting a 3.5 tonne box. This is because the trailer wasn't really doing the job I needed - I am out most weekends doing round trips of 80 miles plus and would like to stay overnight occasionally. I have slept in the back of a trailer at a 4 day show and it wasn't great, though better than a tent! I'm also pretty damn good at towing, reversing, turning, etc but even so I nearly had a bad accident when someone undertook me joining a motorway at speed into a traffic jam and then suddenly stopped right in front of me and I had no choice but to run into the back of them - it was either that or risk the trailer jacknifing or my horse coming through the front.

I think trailers are better for shorter journeys. I am also buying a small box to save money - my Jeep was not very economical on fuel at all, meaning I had to have a second, more economical car for the long drive to work and other long journeys. Even though I downrated my trailer to 1800kg so I could tow it with my Mercedes (which normally gets 35mpg) it still only gets around 22mpg when towing and a small box should get around 30mpg. And it also ruins the car by making it all dirty.
 
Depends upon how many miles you do normally and how much you intend to do with the horse.

If you do a high mileage for work then a 4x4 will be expensive to run and you might be better with a small run around and a lorry, especially if you intend to get out with your horse most weeks even in winter.

If you need to run a big car anyway or do low mileage then a trailer might be more economical.
 
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