So, can it be done - 2 horses in a 3.5T horsebox?

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kit279

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I'm posting in here because I want to get some feedback from people out competing who have to carry umpteen bits of tack, water, spare people, dogs etc.

I'm wondering about getting a 3.5T horsebox. I can find one with a payload of 1400kg, which would allow me to take both horses (combined weight about 1150kg). The million dollar question is:- is that enough?

This would spare me the hassle of having to take my HGV (urgh) or towing test (double urgh) and I could get a run around for my commute which is going to get longer as of August. I have also watched the alarming diesel price hike over the past year and I don't see it going away so my feeling is that getting a 7.5T lorry is just shifting around extra weight that isn't necessary, since I'm unlikely to stay away very often.

Any thoughts?
 
I think it is - just with careful planning :) The theault I borrow is under weight with two tbs on board but it is a racing box so is stripped out eg no cupboard in the back ,no seats etc. We are lucky where we are as most of the centres we go to have water avaliable so we don't have to take it with us and generally there is two people and two sets of tack with two haynets. Is there anyway you can load up and get the box to a weigh bridge to see for sure. I think it is more a case of maximising what you have - eg no living,lightweight partitions etc so that then you will have the flexibilty to take more water,people etc
 
What you need to do is factor in how much all your kit weighs, two sets of tack, water for two horses and your's and anyone else's weight. Tack + riding kit + person will add up very quickly. Let alone any extras.
 
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Also factor in that even with water available at the end, I would never, ever travel a horse without at least one water container on board in case you either break down or get stuck in a horrific traffic jam - it's asking for trouble IMO to go anywhere without water.
 
I have been told you need to allow 1 ton per horse, that includes, tack, water, hay, rider etc.

Also you big horse is likely to fill out and get heavier.

Is the 1400kg with a full tank of diesel and 2 passengers?
 
i don't think it will work tbh, particularly as you won't be transporting 2 x 15.2hh.

by the time you have a full tank of diesel, 2 x people, all of the tack and then the rest of the eventing kits- boots, studs, water, rugs, haylage etc i think it will be way too tight.

also, what if you want to overnight somewhere and need to take enough hay for 2 or 3 days- i would rather not have to be worrying about it every time i take the horsebox out.

we are looking at getting a horsebox rather than a trailer and we have pretty much rules out 3.5t- we only plan to take one horse at a time but one horse is 17.2hh and also if we ever did want to take two horses i don't want to be restricted by the box.
 
I would think at best it would be right on the limit the 3.5 ton boxes are very expensive and I would doubt they will last like a bigger lorry.. 7.5 ton lorrys are better value and if you have a run about car like I do then the 10mpg difference between a 3.5 and a 7.5 is isnt a factor unless you are doing 100s of miles a week I dont see the point going down the towing route unless you have other uses/ need for a big 4x4 or only do a tiny mileage comuting etc. Take the hgv test its well worth it and opens up all sorts of possibiltys...
 
i don't think that it can be done... you CAN get the payload upped on the 3.5 tonne boxes but then taht obviously takes you over the 3.5t and so you have to do your HGV licence anyway :mad: perhaps do the test (its not that bad, honest!) and then you could look at 4.5tonnes boxes...still smaller and prob more economical than a big lorry but will give you the extra payload?
 
Have you considered a 6/6.5T lorry? I don't know when you passed your driving test, but it may not require you sitting a further test to drive it, and there are some nice lorries this size around. Plus they tend to be good value as so many want the 3.5 or 7.5 ones :)
 
We've had two in the 3.5t box quite regulaly, but then one is 16.2 and the other 16 so not particularly huge, but even with tack etc. we were under the weight limit so it can be done.
 
vallin said:
We've had two in the 3.5t box quite regulaly, but then one is 16.2 and the other 16 so not particularly huge, but even with tack etc. we were under the weight limit so it can be done.
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Really? What model have you been using? (and where is there a weighbridge near Cambs? :D)

I would find it hard to believe that my two, of the same size, would go in a 3.5T WITH tack, etc, and not be over the limit.
 
my YO takes her 2 16h horses out in her older van type 3.5t box. she said she has a 1.5t payload, which i didnt think was possible?

i think it would be tight- if the 1.4t includes the fuel then it would be right on the line.

only way to tell would be to stick it all in and get it weighed!

ive got a 3.5t but i only take one horse plus as much junk as i want at a time (mostly go on my own to parties!)
 
As others have said, you would be pushing it and most probably over the weight limit. The fine is horrendous so you really wouldnt want to get caught.
 
Off topic ever so slightly, but something worth bearing mind, I was having a similar convo with my OH the other day about this issue. A girl on our yard has one of the Equitreck Sonic 3.5T and has recently been out with friend - both horses are over 16.2hh. She's been told time and time again that it will be over weight, but insists "they are sold to take 2 x 17hh" - yeh, try sticking 2 17hh shires in then!! Despite being told that it's still her responisiblity to make sure it's legal weightwise.

Getting back on track, I asked OH (who works for the police) what does it mean for her insurance if she's travelling 'over weight'. He said that not only would her insurance be void as she'd be driving outside the conditions of her licence/insurance but it would also be classed as dangerous driving, hence a potential prison sentence (seem to recall he said 6 months) and she could loose her license. Just something else to consider when factoring it all in to make your decision.
 
i have a 7.5 lorry which takes 3. and a little lorry which will carry 2 coachbuilt etc! loads of space and headroom and runs beautifully with 2 bigs ones on! (17hh idx and 16.3 MW) but would never weigh in in a million years! you need to load your lorry and weigh it! and horse weigh tapes can be inaccuarate up to 100 kilos! the answer is to weigh the lorry with a full taknk and general gubbins involved and weigh the horses. if overweight ALL of our paper work will be invalidated. the driver is fully responsible!
 
I have a 7.5t lorry...stalled for 3....and every year at it's plating it is weighed....and the weight varies from about 5.75t to 6t depending on what junk is left on the lorry when it is tested. Bearing in mind i have 2 large'ish horses (one a 16.3hh to 17hh and the other around 16.2hh) i have always considered the horses to weigh around 1.3t. Add me (100Kgs+), my OH (75kgs?), my two kids (say 50kgs), my dog (30kgs), 2 x haynets (15kgs ?), two set of tack (50kgs ?) and 50 ltrs of water (50kgs).....and a full tank of diesel (upto about 150kgs)...and you soon see that the 1.5t to 1.75t payload doesn't go far :o

I certainly wouldn't consider it safe or sensible to try taking two horses and all their clobber on a 1.4t (if that's really what it has) payload !?
 
Ludi-doodi said:
Off topic ever so slightly, but something worth bearing mind, I was having a similar convo with my OH the other day about this issue. A girl on our yard has one of the Equitreck Sonic 3.5T and has recently been out with friend - both horses are over 16.2hh. She's been told time and time again that it will be over weight, but insists "they are sold to take 2 x 17hh" - yeh, try sticking 2 17hh shires in then!! Despite being told that it's still her responisiblity to make sure it's legal weightwise.
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I went to a show the other day, where people turned up in a hired 3.5t lorry, think one of those above.

They were carrying one horse, at least 17.2hh (it was mahoosive!!) and another one about 16hh. Plus tack, hay nets, 2 people etc. Couldn't believe that that was legal weight-wise and wondered what the hiring company said to potential customers about what they should carry within it. I bet they said the lorry carries 2 x 17.2hh !!
 
madhossy said:
I went to a show the other day, where people turned up in a hired 3.5t lorry, think one of those above.

They were carrying one horse, at least 17.2hh (it was mahoosive!!) and another one about 16hh. Plus tack, hay nets, 2 people etc. Couldn't believe that that was legal weight-wise and wondered what the hiring company said to potential customers about what they should carry within it. I bet they said the lorry carries 2 x 17.2hh !!
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Height wise they will take up to 17.2hh but I bet both the manufacturer and the hire company wording is so carefully done not to mention weight and height together but to give the impression that it 2 x 17.2hh. Also why does the manufacturer do a bigger engined version "for customers who want more capacity" if it can take 2 biggies?? Very naughty.
 
I think there are plenty of people who are willing to risk "it" in allsorts of things whether its fiddiling taxes, driving after having a drink or drugs , red diesel, overloading, useing overwide continental trailers, cheating at shows , etc etc.. the list is endless ...some are caught some arnt!!!!!
 
I used to have a 3.5t Renault and we were not far off with one 14.3 tb, one 14hh NF, Tack x 2, Water, Haynets, People x 2 and all the junk that I might need (grooming stuff etc) so I very much doubt you would be safely under the weight with two horses.
 
Probably can be done if it's just you, the two horses and someone else drives separately in a car - this is what I do if I take a friend anywhere in my little van. But EVERYTHING apart from the horses, driver and passports goes in the car.

We have it worked out as 2 16.1 horses of about 550kg, me weighing 65kg fully clothed, a tank of diesel (not sure - allow 50kg to be safe). This comes to just over 1200kg and I have a payload of 1300.

I have taken my two out together (one is rather smaller - a slender 16hh) but use the same tack, so just one saddle and one bridle for the pair of them. I didn't weigh it all but I must have been pretty close to the limit. I made sure I only had about a quarter of a tank of diesel on board, and absolutely nothing unnecessary.
 
Why don't you all weigh? Many of the self-weigh VOSA stations are free and will give you axle loads as well (just as important as overall weight) Many quarries/tips will also weigh for free if you don't want a ticket with the weight written on it.

There is no point basing your calcs on the payload given by the converter, they are only an estimate. Some of you will find you are overweight, those that are more cautious could find they have over-estimated and have plenty of payload left.

You will find your permitted weights on the VIN plate, usually located under the bonnet slam panel or on the door frame/seatbox/footwell of driver or passenger doors. First figure is the overall weight, second figure is the front axle limit, and third figure is the rear axle limit. The total of the axle figures will exceed the overall figure but this is just to allow for uneven loading, you can't exceed any of the three.
 
I'd bite the bullet and take the test.(easy for me to say huh) I've an old cattle lorry, which I can fit umpteen horses in and all the kit I need, life is so much easier and the horses have a comfortable journey.
 
The other alternative is to take your towing test then you could tow a trailer with a 3.5 ton
you would have roughly 2000kg avalible................... however a 7.5 ton with day living would be cheaper than a 3.5 ton, its amazing how much people will spend to avoid taking an
extra test
 
I see your point about 7.5T lorries being cheaper - but I have a friend who failed her lorry test a whopping 11 times and for the price of that they could have bought a seriously smart 3.5T lorry!!! :eek:
 
kit279 said:
I see your point about 7.5T lorries being cheaper - but I have a friend who failed her lorry test a whopping 11 times and for the price of that they could have bought a seriously smart 3.5T lorry!!! :eek:
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Ah but you're a better driver and the instructor wont put you in for the test untill your ready.... think positive, good luck whatever you decide...
 
trailer test isn't that hard - just the reversing you need to get the hang of. Lessons worked out quite expensive - reckon it must have cost me £500 to pass it (inc two tests!) I get panic attacks with passengers in the car and managed to do it ok.
 
QR as not read all posts but.... IMHO 2 horses on a 3.5T is scarey. Not just for the payload point, but more importantly (and I stand to be corrected) I've not seen any 3.5T trucks with double wheels on the back axle. If you have a blow out on the motorway, you've got a fairly large problem...

For context, I've just been through this - I went the HGV route. Did my course in 3 days in Leicester, great instructors, passed first time and I now have peace of mind that I can drive anything I might need to. And I learned a huge amount, despite having driven 7.5T lorries in my dim & distant past.
 
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