My lorry breakdown experiance..... :o((

Perissa so sorry to hear of your tale.

It is traumatic enough to breakdown let alone have all the waiting and worry of being towed!

Sadly as pointed out it is on the website and small print that this is the 'level of service' that they provide so I am not sure if going any further like Trading Standards to state that of course this is not HorseTransport according to the WADT 2007 standards.

I would look at all the recommendations and change straight away! Send a letter to Anthony Evans stating why you are changing!

We use Equine Rescue Services to protect our Fleet of horse lorries! Would not step out in ANY lorry unless it had this cover!

The staff are horse people themselves! The 24/7 control room is 21st Century and their reputation is BEYOND reproach!

We have used them for 2 tyres AND a starter motor. No hanging about! Always on the phone to make sure you are fine with your horses and their co-ordination for recovery is brilliant.

Cannot fault them at all.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Equine-Rescue-Services/126231940779232

They have a facebook page as well as normal website.

Would not delay! Would join today!

Good luck!
 
Thanks to all who've said kind things about Equine Rescue Services...

Just to confirm, we will ALWAYS send fresh horse transport to take your horses wherever they're going, if we can't get your horsebox or horse trailer fixed at the roadside.

We NEVER tow your horsebox with your horse in it (unless it's to get your box off a motorway and onto a slip road where your horse can be more safely transferred), and we would NEVER put your horsebox on the back of a low loader with your horse in it. It's illegal!

Debbie MacMorran
MD, www.equinerescue.co.uk
 
millimoo said:
Mike007, how judgemental are you......
The lorry had been serviced and plated 4 weeks prior to this and had been out on 3 long journeys in the meantime. And yes, it was a corroded jubilee clip, and it went straight back to the mechanic to re-check everything - I had diagnosed the problem before anyone arrived.....
And for your information, the lorry is very well mentained, the chassis has even been steam cleaned and wax oiled this year. My mum has a fantastic mechanic, and has used him for years - and one thing she's very hot on is maintenance of her lorry.
She is not one of these people who leaves the lorry standing, with minimum maintenance and expects it never to breakdown.
In 12 years of lorry ownership this is the first time - I think we can forgive the mechanic just this once.
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Well if you are happy with a mechanic who overlooks somthing this basic ,and since this doesnt happen overnight,has been overlooking it for a long time. But what else has he failed to check?
 
frightening - im with anthony evans for my breakdown and had no idea they didnt recover the horses separately.

that will teach me for not reading the small print - ill be onto equine rescue first thing - my horses safety is paramount and i just wouldnt want to risk my horses being travelled home at an angle.

thank you OP for posting this and opening my eyes. you may just have saved me and my horses some stress in the future !!!
 
jenni999 said:
I am insured with Anthony Evans. We broke down on the M4 with diesel all over the road due to the bottom falling out of the fuel pump. Waited an hour on the hard shoulder, which was how long we'd been told it would be. The recovery driver winched the front up VERY CAREFULLY, the horses just shifted their weight slightly but were absolutely fine. He towed us back to our yard at a very reasonable speed and drove incredibly smoothly, dropped the horses and us off and then took the lorry to our normal mechanic which was 20 miles away.

I was very happy with the service we got. Wessex Recovery were the company who took us. Our horses were OK, never got stressed and got out of the lorry absolutely fine.
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Wesses recovery were super when we broke down too. The horse was shipped off in a separate recovery , this was NFU. breakdown .
 
Mike007 said:
Well if you are happy with a mechanic who overlooks somthing this basic ,and since this doesnt happen overnight,has been overlooking it for a long time. But what else has he failed to check?
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Go get back in your box.... i didn't post to have you pick over our maintenance regime or mechanic. It's posts like yours that spoil this forum. This was a topic about breakdown and recovery experience, not maintenance of an individuals lorry.
 
millimoo said:
Go get back in your box.... i didn't post to have you pick over our maintenance regime or mechanic. It's posts like yours that spoil this forum. This was a topic about breakdown and recovery experience, not maintenance of an individuals lorry.
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Since the vast majority of horse box recoveries are a result of poor maintenance ,it is relevant. And as I pointed out,your problems could have been avoided by proper maintenance.You may not like what I say ,but it does not alter the facts.
 
I thought you might like to see how I found my horse on Sunday...

Image013.jpg


I have to admit that I went with this insurance company as it came recommended by a number of people BUT I have to admit that I am guilty of not reading the small print for which I must take full responsibility. In the past they have been excellent, having said that this is the first time I have had to be recovered with a horse on board.

When I spoke to them I was told that it is perfectly legal to recover vehicles with horses on board as there is a disclaimer for the horse stating they are not responsible for anything that might happen to the horse. I explained that what concerned me was that they sent a company out to me who weren't licensed to deal with any animal. They explained that as the horse would have been recovered with the disclaimer in place it would have been legal for them to recover me. Yet the owner of the recovery company was adament that it wasn't legal as they aren't licensed.

I think it was a good thing that I absolutely refused to allow them to tow me to the services. I think if I had done so without them agreeing to send another company out I really would have been abandoned there.

This is the company that finally came out to me http://wiltshire-recovery.com/
I notice that horse boxes are not mentioned on the website........

I find it very interesting to read, as stated by several people, that it is in fact illegal.

So the long and short of it is that you get what you pay for.

Jon - may I graciously and humbly accept your kind offer with my sincere thanks, I will phone the number given tomorrow.
 
While on this subject may I ask if anyone has any experience of the recovery service offered by The recovery service sold by KBIS and know who it is run by?

Does anyone have experience of the RAC trailer/horse recovery service and again who is it run by?

As regards the servicing of horseboxes the vast majority of horseboxes start of life as commercialy used vehicles most of which are on a 5 year lease. While they are commercial vehicles they must be checked over regularly (every 6 weeks) as well as being serviced in accordance with the manufactures guidelines.

Once the 5 year leasing period is over they are sold off and some are purchased to become horseboxes. If the vehicle is purchased and the container is removed then the vehicle can be thoroughly checked over and any parts that require so easily replaced. In some cases however the container is 'converted' and it is then not so easily to check the vehicle entirely over at this point.

The other issue that arrises is that horseboxes stand around for long periods of time and no longer checked over every 6 weeks or serviced according to the manufacturers guidlines and regime and this can cause them to have component parts that fail and cause a breakdown. Also many horseboxes are checked over and serviced just to get them through the annual test rather than undergo routine maintenance.
 
We are insured with NFU. We have had a few tyres go over the years (say 20 years) and I have to say they have always been brilliant. Luckily our problems have always been fixable by the side of the road, but they were always there quickly and NFU rang me every half hour to check to see if the horse on board was ok, and did I did a recovery horse box to come and take him if he was getting stressed etc. Like the OPs, I was ok as long as the hay was there! :)

Would thoroughly recommend. Can I say though, I understand why it can be a longer wait for horsebox recovery as more specialist equipment etc is required :)
 
millimoo said:
Go get back in your box.... i didn't post to have you pick over our maintenance regime or mechanic. It's posts like yours that spoil this forum. This was a topic about breakdown and recovery experience, not maintenance of an individuals lorry.
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Millimoo I think it's your mechanic you should be annoyed at; you have paid him to maintain
your vehicle which he clearly hasn't done properly; why are you so stroppy with mike for pointing that out?
 
I have to say that I am shocked at the lack of tyre care in lorries belonging to people I know. My sister owns a tyre company (I do her books with her) and I am obsessional about it. I take my lorry to the garage every single time I go on a longer journey to check the pressures, at the start of the show season I take it to the garage for a thorough tyre check INCLUDING the inside walls.

I had a new water tank fitted a couple of years back, my mechanic also replaced all the jubilee clips and I was surprised at how many there where, from really big ones to little ones!

Just for information, my lorry had a full service the week before this show.

My lorry started life as Hovis bread lorry (short wheel base) My mechanic is always saying what a good lorry it is because it has a Cummins (spelling?) engine and being a bread lorry it hasn't really done any work in its life! I bought it a year after it was converted (I have all the paperwork) and I have always maintained it well.
 
May I say a MASSIVE thanks to Jon Phillips for his kind and generous offer.

I telephoned this afternoon and from midnight tonight I am covered :)

My husband is being made redundant so this has come at a very welcome time.

THANK YOU

Vera, John (my husband) and Dennis, Morris, Holly, Minnie and Ailsa (my horses)
 
I'm so glad this thread was started!

I've got to change my insurers for the car and wasn't sure what I was going to do about trailer/horse breakdown cover.

Have been on both the PRP/OHTO and ERS websites and will give both a ring for a quote. It has also prompted me to look into AA cover as at the mo, I haven't got cover for my work car either!!
 
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