Those without their own transport..

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ForeverBroke_

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How do you get around?

I am looking to compete a lot more this year but with most hire companies around here quoting at least 60-100 pound a time, it's going to be a bit steep!!

How do the rest of you cope?

:confused:
 
I dont cope!
I want to get my boy out as much as I can this year but it is not looking likely! We dont have any transport hire local to me except a company that charge £130 which I just cant afford!

The only alternative I have is to buy a 4x4 and hire trailers as they are only £25 for half day, £50 for a full day which I can live with but got to buy the 4x4 first!!
People on my yard have transport but no one compete's apart from my yard owner and she's high level dressage where as I want to jump!

MK eventing is only 4 miles up the road from me so could hack that but its then a long old day!!
 
Its such a pain isnt it! The nearest place for me to compete is a 20-25 minute drive so no chance of hacking even for me sadly!

Currently trying to move some money around for a trailer, but I want to weigh up my options really! Some people I know manage to borrow lifts here-there and everywhere!
 
Move to a yard that runs regular comps? :) Tbh if I had a horse that wasn't a twit to hack, then I'd have up to about 8-10 miles to a dressage comp probably, maybe 6-8 to a jumping comp? I've hacked 6 miles to a fun ride, did the 8 mile ride in mostly canter/gallop/jumping (obviously with breathers!), then hacked home. Pony was very sweaty but not very tired! Otherwise I think the only alternative is to hire or see if you can organise a share type thing with people in your area to share lifts? necessarily people on your yard either :)
 
Luckily on the isle of wight theres a great guy my whole yard uses whos £25 for the day, he picks you up and gets you there in time, but you might have to wait a little while after your finished.
i can't believe someone charges £100+ thats ridiuclous surely?!
that price for me would make competeing completely impossible
 
Wow... At less than a hundred pounds you're lucky!!! Approx 100 quid for self hire, not including petrol and approx 150 (cheap!) For a driven box. I just have to save up and apportion my wages each month for a lorry. Its hard, but I have no choice.
 
£100-130 was the going rate when I was in Hants. I used to hack an hour each way to our local comp centre, but as soon as I'd saved up I bought a lorry. Makes life sooo much easier.

I have to say tho, do the maths on a running a lorry, and if you go out once a month or less you'll prob find hiring a lorry at £100 a throw still works out cheaper...

If you get a 4 x 4 you need to look at impact on your daily mileage too, they are so much more expensive to run than a small car, you could end up doubling your daily commute cost, which again, could cost more than the £100 a month to hire!
 
Luckily if i buy a 4x4 it will literally be just for towing not a daily car as my dad is in the trade so he will have it insured under his trade insurance as he will have to tow me anyway! So i'd only have to pay for the upkeep and fuel.
 
For the past 4-5 years I haven't had to worry as I have been on a yard with my 'second mummy' if you like who took me to every show she went to which was fab :D

Also, was only a 4 mile hack from a massive venue that has BD, BSJA etc every weekend throughout the year so was NEVER stuck for a comp.

HOWEVER, I am now at home :( There is a livery yard/ RS across the road which luckily holds a winter/summer dressage league so that's great but apart from that that's about it. There's a massive competition venue 7 miles away which I WOULD hack to (I only do dressage so it'd be fine) but there's just no way I could really as you have to go down v.busy roads and virtually through the middle of our nearest town and I don't think we'd make it alive :eek:

OH has got a disco and is old enough to tow, he has said he will take me out once a month. HOWEVER, he doesn't have a towbar fitted yet. I've said I'd pay to have one fitted but just haven't been able to afford it lately with everything I've been paying out for. Plus, tbh, we're not ready to go out yet really anyway. Don't mind doing one over the road as may as well but if I'm actually gonig to take him out out then i'd wait until he's more established.

It truly is a pain :(
 
Tbh, I always consider livery yards so that I know there is somewhere in hacking distance for me. But that can still be difficult in the winter with dark mornings and evenings. Other than that I hire but as you say that is £100 a day so not cheap at all. This year ive chosen 2 shows to hire transport for - one of which is for 3 days.
It is a real pain but finances don't allow for buying a lorry atm.
 
I am really lucky as there are two riding clubs within hacking distance and my pony can do everything so I can join in with all the training and competitions.

If I want to go to a special show like an affilated showing one then I hire a lorry but as I can do something nearly every month with the RC there is plenty to do and I am now more into dressage and SJ than showing. I also love sponsored rides and if I want to do one of those then I hire a lorry with two friends who also have no transport which cuts the costs.
 
There are plany of people on the yard with transport, but I can't drive the lorries legally, trailers are a no-no for fat boy and the 3.5t box a friend has I hate driving and am scared of it breaking down or falling over :eek:

Worst thing is I actually have my own lorry. But it is in bits, and even when it's back up running I won't be able to drive it as when it worked, my then OH drove it. But current OH missed out by about 3 months on his license :(

THere is a yard about 3/4 miles away that has shows on and I have hacked to in the past. There are several others all within a 20 minute drive, but not hackable :(

SummerxStarsx - where in Norfolk are you? Looks like Grange Farm in the left of your Sig? Depending on where you are, might be able to share transport costs to some shows/pony parties?
 
We run a transport company.
I am often amazed at people who think that £100 for a days (say 10hours? inc getting from my yard to yours!) hire of a lorry, plus driver, inc fuel is expensive!
You have to factor in hire and reward insurance, CCC insurance, standard lorry insurance, fuel (£20 fuel TO my nearest venue, plus fuel to the yard/s to pick customers up, oil, tyres, depreciation of vehicle, the 18k it cost to build, driver CPC, MOT, tax, maintenance, servicing shavings and hay people request etc etc.
How much per hour would you work for?! ;)
The above works out at less than £5 per hour!!!!!!!!
Under minimum wage.
Work it out, i bet your suprised!
Horses these days are expensive creatures to run :(
Such a shame, long gone are the days when you could box up and go for a cheap hack an hour or so away or away to a decent comp for the weekend :(
OP i reckon if your doing afair bit, a 4x4 and trailer is a good option. otherwise for 6 ish shows a year, hire someone! x
 
almorton said:
We run a transport company.
I am often amazed at people who think that £100 for a days (say 10hours? inc getting from my yard to yours!) hire of a lorry, plus driver, inc fuel is expensive!
You have to factor in hire and reward insurance, CCC insurance, standard lorry insurance, fuel (£20 fuel TO my nearest venue, plus fuel to the yard/s to pick customers up, oil, tyres, depreciation of vehicle, the 18k it cost to build, driver CPC, MOT, tax, maintenance, servicing shavings and hay people request etc etc.
How much per hour would you work for?! ;)
The above works out at less than £5 per hour!!!!!!!!
Under minimum wage.
Work it out, i bet your suprised!
Horses these days are expensive creatures to run :(
Such a shame, long gone are the days when you could box up and go for a cheap hack an hour or so away or away to a decent comp for the weekend :(
OP i reckon if your doing afair bit, a 4x4 and trailer is a good option. otherwise for 6 ish shows a year, hire someone! x
Click to expand...

£100 for transport with driver isn't an issue - it's the £100 for a self drive 3.5te that you can't have a full bladder with that I sometimes begrudge :D
 
problem is with a 3.5 on self hire is it costs the company 40 quid to put u on insurance. thats why its so expensive, as the company that owns the vehicle only sees 60% of what u pay. its worth blocking shows together if u can cos insurance fee only payable once. so often u get big discount for week or few days. hope that helps :D
 
almorton said:
We run a transport company.
I am often amazed at people who think that £100 for a days (say 10hours? inc getting from my yard to yours!) hire of a lorry, plus driver, inc fuel is expensive!
You have to factor in hire and reward insurance, CCC insurance, standard lorry insurance, fuel (£20 fuel TO my nearest venue, plus fuel to the yard/s to pick customers up, oil, tyres, depreciation of vehicle, the 18k it cost to build, driver CPC, MOT, tax, maintenance, servicing shavings and hay people request etc etc.
How much per hour would you work for?! ;)
The above works out at less than £5 per hour!!!!!!!!
Under minimum wage.
Work it out, i bet your suprised!
Horses these days are expensive creatures to run :(
Such a shame, long gone are the days when you could box up and go for a cheap hack an hour or so away or away to a decent comp for the weekend :(
OP i reckon if your doing afair bit, a 4x4 and trailer is a good option. otherwise for 6 ish shows a year, hire someone! x
Click to expand...

I think that's very good value per hour :) but when people say that it's expensive then IME what they mean is that it's expensive if you want to go out weekly, say, in terms of your monthly horse budget.

I've gone years without transport, which is part of the reason why I've never been able to compete like I'd like to. When I was younger/a teenager then my parents had a car that could tow, so we would hire a trailer for the day occasionally, but for the last 12+ years I've been dependent on local/RC things being local enough to hack to, or spluging £100 for the hire of a 3.5T, or very recently another HHOer friend kindly giving me lifts for us to share lessons.

I now FINALLY (as of 3 weeks ago, after 15+ years of waiting!) have a horsebox and it is a dream come true, but it's taken a very long time to get to this and I still have to pass my test so that I can take it out alone (passed my driving test Sept '99, doh!) I can really sympathise with those who haven't got wheels and know that I'm very lucky to have my little lorry; just last weekend I was able to use it to box to the school that I use (previously an hours hack) and the novelty of that shall probably last forever :)

I think the problem is that you have weigh up paying the money that you would pay to hire a lift, (when you could put that cash in the bank to save for something of your own) vs going years without going out, and then you feel like you can't win.
 
We already had the 4x4 so used to hire a trailer at £30 a day about once a month before we got our own. There was a dressage venue that was hackable to but it made for a long day (especally when you chose to go in feb when it was blimmin freezing) and a rc that holds occasional stuff that was just hackable in the other direction but again a long day. I saved up some money and then my parents helped and we got our little trailer for under £900 with full sevivice history and a recent full refurb. It has more than paid for its self over the year we have had it and makes things so much easier as I can just decide to go out when ever and not have to book in advance.

Keep an eye out on ebay as there are some bargains to be had, but also beware of the death traps that go for loads of money on there.
 
Will your yard allow external instructors? When I was riding regulary I really needed loads of lessons with a really decent dressage trainer to get the best out of my horse. Unfortuantly wasnt allowed external instructors on the yard, so it meant going out in the trailer once in a blue moon.

A regular lesson with a decent trainer can really help spice things up a bit at home!
 
Nugget La Poneh said:
There are plany of people on the yard with transport, but I can't drive the lorries legally, trailers are a no-no for fat boy and the 3.5t box a friend has I hate driving and am scared of it breaking down or falling over :eek:

Worst thing is I actually have my own lorry. But it is in bits, and even when it's back up running I won't be able to drive it as when it worked, my then OH drove it. But current OH missed out by about 3 months on his license :(

THere is a yard about 3/4 miles away that has shows on and I have hacked to in the past. There are several others all within a 20 minute drive, but not hackable :(

SummerxStarsx - where in Norfolk are you? Looks like Grange Farm in the left of your Sig? Depending on where you are, might be able to share transport costs to some shows/pony parties?
Click to expand...

Yes it is Grange Farm. I'm actually not from that way though :( I'm over near Acle, otherwise that'd be a great idea. x
 
I'm lucky enough that a horse transporter is based at my yard (3horse lorry) and there's plenty of people that want to go out to compete but is the expense which means I can't (even shared transport!). I absolutely appreciate the time/wear & tear/hourly rate etc to take in to account and that it does work out cheaply but I just can't really justify it at the moment.

Instead I'm spending my money on my lessons (amazing instructor who has taken the fatcob & I from being unable to trot a circle without falling over to elementary) and I'm going to do Dressage Anywhere/Interdressage instead. Same entry as a 'proper' competition but no transport or stress! Shame that as soon as I know a camera is pointed at me I manage to completely forget how to ride :rolleyes:
 
Does it need a 4X4 in order to be able to get near to these places?

Many family cars have a decent towing capacity so is it an option to have a towbar fitted and tow a single horse trailer?

Perhaps that would be an option for those without their own transport who have family or a friend who is willing to tow the trailer for expenses

If a local day event then the trailer could be left and licked up later ...
 
nothing ventured nothing gained. I have spent the last 12 years hitching a lift, mostly from people who i knew, but wernt especially frinds with. They are now some of my best friends and we have travelled all over together. In most cases people are happy to take an extra body in return for contribution to food or a pic nic. And if they say no you are no worse of than when you started.
 
we pay £160 a time plus fuel to compete, so we dont do many, we just try and do clinics close by. or things we can hack to.
 
ROG said:
Does it need a 4X4 in order to be able to get near to these places?

Many family cars have a decent towing capacity so is it an option to have a towbar fitted and tow a single horse trailer?

Perhaps that would be an option for those without their own transport who have family or a friend who is willing to tow the trailer for expenses

If a local day event then the trailer could be left and licked up later ...
Click to expand...

Very few people are comfortable putting their horses in a singe trailer though - I certainly wouldn't. I like a nice heavy trailer with plenty of width to it for stability. I don't care if I can't move it by hand - I'm only concerned that the horse is safe and comfortable. Best trailer I've ever had was an old Rice 3 horse - which was incredibly heavy, a pain the butt to move around the carpark, but absolutely rock steady on the road.

On another note - Earlier this week, I was quoted £360 plus £10 per hour waiting time to take my horse from mine to Basingstoke for a vet assessment - If that's the norm for transporters, I don't know how anyone can afford to get their horses out and about!!
 
Having just paid a £2.6k bill for my lorry to get it through its MOT - I am beginning to think hiring is quite reasonable!!

I've been hemorrhaging cash since I bought it !
 
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