serious dilemma- what would you do?

[BeckyD]

What I would say is don't get into debt over this. Do whatever it takes to keep your head above water. I run a 4x4 and do about 400 miles a week, but I'm saving up to get a smaller car and a 3.5t, as the sums are just blindingly obvious - I'll save myself about £250-300 per month on fuel, which will more than cover the cost of the 3.5t road tax and insurance and fuel. And my 4x4 is not even 3 years old yet - still within warranty - but keeps going wrong (think it was a "Friday afternoon" car!).

And don't get yourself wound up about selling your horse because you don't want to happy hack. You don't have to be out competing regularly to be progressing. Put the money you aren't spending on entry fees towards lessons, set yourself some huge goals so that when you get back out competing again, you can quickly go up a level or two. Think about the pros in BD and BS - they rarely compete young horses at the lower levels - just the odd outing to make sure the horse knows its job, then its just masses of training then out comes the horse at the higher levels and wows everyone.

 

[Ranyhyn]

Really sorry to read this (obviously have from FB too)

From my POV with the 3.5T option, I only ever found one that I was happy to travel Murphy in - and that was a VWLT35. Certain models seem to have a really good headroom and a decent centre of balance. Everything else I seriously wasn't happy, even the nice Bedford I had, was hairy!!!

The newer boxes are great but obviously expensive and I feel for you that you pushed yourself through your towing test only now to consider a 3.5t it must be very frustrating.

When we're about to help, we definitely will. I miss being out and about with horses and obviously mine isn't doing anything for a good while so would love to help out when we can. It might not always work out perfectly, but it might work as a compromise for the time being.

No selling Wollie, you've done FAR too much and achieved so many things, he's a keeper!!! If worst came to worst you could put him here for free for a few months to help you out. Not perfect again, but you're close to Kate for lessons and there are arenas for hire very close for schooling etc xx

 

[flyingfeet]

I think you should definitely ditch the shogun

If you swapped for a small run here are the sums:
Road tax £0 v £270 (Or more?) = £270
Fuel per week £90 @20mpg v £40 @45mpg (or better) = £2,600
Insurance depends on age, but ought to be able to save at least £100
Tyres - half the size, half the price £50 v £100 per tyre lasting two years £100/yr
Servicing - smaller car less oil, ought to save £100

Rough total saving £3,170

Cost to hire lorry / rig circa £150 a pop = 21 outings per year
Allowing competing once a fortnight, if you want to do more than this you may want to consider an alternative.

 

[Kat]

Kat- I have considered this but didn't kno where to start to ask--- did you adevertise thorugh word of mouth or facebook/freeads etc

I didn't, we've just bought a trailer, but I would suggest that an advert on facebook pages and any freeads would be a good place to start. Maybe a notice at your local competition venue or any big livery yards.

You could even look into getting insurance that enables to you hire out your trailer. That would mean that it is earning some money when you aren't using it which goes in the buying a new 4x4 fund and or pays for you to hire until you get a suitable tow vehicle.

When you come to look at tow vehicles think outside the box a bit to get value for money. Consider estate cars, vans, and pickups as possible cheaper options than a 4x4.

 

[Rafferoo]

Having run a car alongside a 3.5 ton personally I don't think it is always the cheaper option. If you only need to tow one I would stick with your trailer and look for a small 4x4 which is more economical to run (this is what I do and so far it is much cheaper than running a car plus a lorry). A friend tows with a Saab estate and reckons that with one horse on it is within the towing guidelines for the car. In fact I know a few people that tow 1 with an estate so that might be worth looking into. Don't give up on getting out and about with your horse - speaking from experience sometimes it is harder than you think to find a good horse and be out having fun on it so go for it - you only live once!

 

[Angua2]

Another one here with a broken 4x4 atm ... in my case though it is the electrics that have just gone. I did the sums last August and I got my self a little 50cc scooter for the work run, rather than run the disco. That arrangement worked beautifully until the scooter died in Jan, when I upgraded to a 125cc bike. Sold the scooter spares or repairs on e-bay for what I paid for it. Don't regret it though, as I get to keep the expensive 4x4, the trailer and horse and still have a form of transport

 

[Caol Ila]

Another member of the broken 4x4 club. LOL. I have a 1996 Disco currently sitting in front of boyfriend's house while I figure out how I am going to sell it as a spares and repairs job (anyone want a broken Disco?). The repair it needs to run again will cost about £1300 and like you, I had already sunk a ton of money into keeping it on the road. I finally had to cut my losses. I gave up on it and bought a Santa Fe.

Honestly, your horse is young. I think it is a wee bit overdramatic and very shortsighted to be thinking you may need to sell him because you might not be able to compete as much as you want over the next few years while you sort yourself out financially. Like another poster said, you don't just have to be a "happy hack." You can train all you want at home.

 

[Puffin]

I Totally sympathise I've been through the lorry+car vs towing cycle several times, I haven't read all the replies but he's my 2pen'orth:

1. ditch the 4x4 enough is enough, get what you can for it as a fixer up (or fix it then sell it IF you can get more than the cost of fixing)

2. get a CAR to tow with, if you only have 1 horse you don't need a 4x4, do the research and make sure its heavy enough. I use a ford mondeo diesel estate, it does 55mpg for work and aout 35mpg towing, which means that doing 250 normal miles a week costs me £30max.
I took the partition out of my trailer as horses often travel better that way, it gives me space to tack up in there AND its lighter.

Cars (especially things like fords) are much cheaper to buy than 4x4s and when they go wrong are generally easier and cheaper to fix, mine cost £1700 to buy with 100k on the clock and has cost about £400 each year to keep on the roads.

The other alternative I considered was a moped and lorry but decided I do too many miles to want to do that, I do have access to another car if I need it so it would have been doable.

I have run a car and lorry and unless you can afford to get both almost new it just costs too much to keep 2 vehicles running (not to mention tax, insurance etc)

Good luck though and don't give up