My lorry broke down with my horse on board

A

Amy_08

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 November 2006
Messages
877
Location
Epsom, Surrey
Visit site
Was on my way to a competition this afternoon and was on a very busy A road, when my lorry just died on me. Luckily I could pull on to the hard shoulder. I phoned the recovery people who said they would be an hour to an hour and a half. They told me to wait away from the lorry on the verge-just in case someone went into the back of the lorry (I told them in no uncertain terms that I would be staying with my horse in the lorry. She was so well behaved bless her. The lorry was getting blown all over the place with all the lorries coming past, I was in tears but Rosie was so good, she just seemed to take it all in her stride. We had to wait over an hour and then the recovery guy said there was nothing that could be done and he'd either have to tow the lorry home on the truck (so the lorry would be slightly raised at the front or get someone to come and get me and unload my horse and reload her (no way would I do this on such a busy road). Anyway I got Rosie home eventually-she seems ok and hopefully won't be too scarred although I am worried about the next time I try and travel her. As for the lorry I'm not sure, he thinks the engine may have seized but I've got to get it checked out. Its been the worst day ever.
 
Sorry to hear you broke down - it's horrible I know having experienced it myself.

I'm sure your Rosie will fine next time you go out as she won't understand what all the fuss was about. Horses always surprise us by being unbothered by situations we find stressful.

Can I ask how you eventually got her home?

Only, a friend broke down on the way home from Aston Le Walls last weekend, with car and trailer. She had RAC cover but they wouldn't tow her off the motorway with the horse on board. Eventually the Highways Agency closed all lanes of the motorway to enable her to offload the horse from her trailer into our lorry before the car could be winched on the back of the recovery lorry and the trailer towed behind.

Since that incident, I've checked my 'horsey' breakdown cover, which I understood paid for transport of my horse. Turned out it doesn't. Have just upgraded which has doubled the price, but if I breakdown on a motorway or A road I'm sure it will be worth it.
 
What a nightmare! Glad you got home ok....I had to have my 3yr old filly towed off the motorway at a angle (in the lorry!) as the stupid man couldn't free the spare wheel. She was fine and loaded afterwards. She was at the very back of the lorry, luckily, so had the ramp to rest against but she didn't hold it against me! Hope yours doesn't!
 
The lorry is insured through Anthony Evans and the breakdown cover is with them- I think the breakdown cover was only about £80-but well worth it. The recovery gut put the lorry on the back of his truck, so it was slightly raised. I was with her when he lifted it off the ground and she was fine. As I said the other option was to unload her on the road and to reload her again, but this would have involved getting the police to stop the traffic, and it would've taken forever to get organised-I just wanted to get her home as quick as possible.
 
Must be something in the air at the mo I know how you feel.
Coming back from a show on Wed, my engine went up in smoke whilst towing - rush hour, pouring rain and just managed to get off a dual carriageway in time. When I opened the trailer to get ponio out I could only see a pair of eyes looking back at me the trailer was full of black smoke.:(
Got him off only to be told to get him back on by the police once the firemen sorted the car. Then had to get him back off when friends lorry turned up to get him home. They closed the road whilst we loaded him, he didn't have much choice in going on as 3 firemen were pushing him on.
blush.gif

I got another friend to come and get the trailer as I knew my breakdown didn't cover it.
Don't want to go through that again in a hurry its a horrible, horrible experience.
Anyway with no car we wont be going anywhere anyway
frown.gif
 
Oh god Salceysaddlery that sounds even worse than mine. It has always been my worst nightmare, but today it came true. I'm so gutted as she's been going so well competing and we seemed to be on a roll, but now I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't afford a new engine
 
Its certainly not a pleasant experience.
I had a front tyre blow out on my 7.5t lorry whilst doing 55mph on the M1 in winter at rush hour in the dark.

Suffice to say we now carry sedative for the horses, 3 warning triangles, flashing beacon and I have a full HiViz relective jacket as used by the police.

2 hours on the hard shoulder of the M1 is not something I will forget easily.
 
Sorry to hear about everyones travel troubles, but 4faulter you have just reminded me to check I have the sedative on board. Several years ago a friend got stuck on the M1 due to an accident, highlighted to me the importance of a sedative.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Several years ago a friend got stuck on the M1 due to an accident, highlighted to me the importance of a sedative.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, its one of those things you never think of until the day you first need some and haven't got it on board. It's frightening how fast really good travelers can become upset when lorries are speeding past your stationary lorry with inches to spare. A very different feeling for the horse compared to when actually moving. The shake / movement of the lorry and the noise is significant.
shocked.gif
 
My OH is a traffic officer for the highways agency and breakdowns of vehicles with horses is really very high. It is also surprising the amount of people that do not have cover. You may or may not be surprised to learn that both the HA and the police have a list of emergency contacts, they can call to come and get your horse safetly off the motorway but it will cost you an arm and a leg.
 
I really feel for you, never been in that position but I can imagine it's your worst nightmare. My father owns a garage and we are listed as horse recovery, not lorry but horse, due to us having a large 3 horse lorry, so guess who gets the nice early or late calls, ME!!!!
grin.gif
I don't mind, would just hope that somebody would do the same for me in my hour of need...... I can remember picking up two eventers who's lorry had caught fire, the police blocked the busy motorway off while we off loaded the 2 horse and loaded them onto mine, bless they just walked on as if nothing had happened.......... The police that day performed brilliantly, apart from when they met us and proceeded to escort us down the hard shoulder at speed, hello mr policemand my lorry doesn't go that fast..
shocked.gif
... So please be reassured that perhaps in your hour of need you may find a little angel like myself collecting you armed with tea and coffee and cheese rolls........
wink.gif
grin.gif
 
Have to say it is everyones worst nightmare, but the firebrigade and police were fab. People stopped and helped and two ladies even walked back to us and asked if we needed stabling for ponio.
There are lots af angels out there when you need them.

Still no news on my car yet
frown.gif
 
This would be my worst nightmare. My coloured horse loads brilliantly but is really worried in the box and I would hate to breakdown with him on board on a motorway. What sedatives do you have on board and where do you get them. I will put high viz jackets in the lorry [ have plenty from work]
Lovely to know there are angels out there like Heidi1.My daughter , who is a pc once phoned me and asked me to go and pick up a horse in the middle of the night that was found on the road, which I did .It took the owner 3 days to discover it was not in the field and she never even tried to contact me or thank me. Suppose she thought I would charge her, the farmer I found to care for the horse just got a quick thanks.Some people!
 
I also carry sedalin and yes it is only available from your vet. If you explain why you want it should imagine most will let you have it, commonly used for sedating horses when clipping so widely available/used.
 
Its a nightmare isnt it, i feel for you.
When bringing my old horse home from the yard she was being schooled, we were halfway over the huge Dartford Tunnel bridge (very high up) if anyone knows of it - i was half asleep as dad was driving then all of a sudden a huge bang and we've stopped. Dad got out to look and it appears a lorrys exhaust had fallen of, flicked across 3 lanes of the dual carriageway and wedge itself under us...just missing the main engine parts!!!!

So as you can imagine, we're stuck high up on the top of a bridge, a young, nervous horse on board and cars and lorries zooming past. Luckily the recovery guys come up and we managed to roll of the exhaust and rolled down the bridge to safety
blush.gif
Thank god Ari stayed pretty calm and didnt seem to mind bless her...
 
thats not the first bad story ive heard about AE break down service.
Im with SEIB and whilst it is more expensive when we broke down the first thing they did was arrange alternative transport for the horse and get the police there to stop the traffic when needed.
Luckily the mechanic got the lorry going again enough to get it off the motorway and we unloaded and re loaded onto the new lorry on a quieter road. My ponies stood like angels for all this and luckily didnt need sedatives (well the youngest is 17 and traveled all over the country, the other is 25 and he cant be bothered to get wound up about anything!)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top