Transport - how did you buy / afford yours?

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Walrus

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Hello,

Slightly nosey, financial based question (sorry about that!). But I'm intruiged as to how "normal people" (i.e. those who haven't inherited a small country pile or found a winning lottery ticket down the back of the sofa) afford horse transport of any type?

For example, I'm in my late 20's, single, work full time. I keep my pony on DIY. I'm currently very lucky as I'm living at home doing some serious saving (this only started last month!). Problem is, say I managed to save 8-10K over the next 18 months (if I can last that long) - what I should do is use it as a deposit for a house, what I'd like to do is get a 3.5T box to go showing with my boy! (and yes, everyone has mentioned I could live in the box!). I don't have an OH so house buying would be on my own. I'm not really having a whinge (well, maybe a little one) - but I'm genuinley interested in how people afford transport as however which way you look at it - it's flipping pricey. Especially when you consider that I currently drive a little car so if I wanted to go down the trailer route I'd need to buy the 4X4 and take my trailer test.

How does anyone do it? Loan, credit card, rob a bank, sell a kidney....??? Ideas on a postcard please. :D :D
 
I'm in the same situation as you apart from the fact I very fortunately have a wonderful OH who is saving for a house so I can spend all my money on horses (I will also inherit enough for a deposit at thirty which is very, very lucky) I do have to live in one of the most expensive parts of the country and pay rent, council tax etc though which takes nearly all my salary.

I saved really hard to take my B+E test. It cost me all my savings so now I can't afford a trailer.

Luckily again (I am a lucky girl I think) my grandmother left me some hideous but rather valuable jewellery. I am about to flog it, think next week it is off, so that I can afford a trailer.

Luckily again OH's parents gave me a car I can tow with


I will never complain about how poor I am or how unfair life is. Reading that back I realise how utterly lucky I am.
 
your situation sounds very similar to mine. This is how i did it.

Bought a cheap 3.5t, did it up myself, sold it for a small profit.

Found a newer 3.5t i wanted.

Got a small bank loan.

Add money from first box to bank loan and a few pennies from savings to give me enough to but new box.

I was thinking of saving say £100 a month for the next year but then decided i am impatient. So took a small bank loan with £100 monthy repayments, so i am no more out of pocket than i would have been, and i get to play with my new box this year! :D

Obviously you dont want to buy and sell but i would urge you to look at a small bank loan.
 
I already have a bank loan for my car (not the free one, my proper car) so I couldn't do that but my repayments have always been manageable and there isn't a problem with having one as long as you're sensible about how much you take and how long a period you take it for. As long as you set it up so you don't ever miss a payment I don't see the harm in it :)
 
Thank you. Yep, I am definitely thinking a bank loan may be the answer. I don't need transport this year (pony is a baby) but would like it to be a realistic option towards the second half of next year (all being well). I was thinking that if I could save up enough for half a box and then get a bank loan towards the other half - I wouldn't need masses, the boxes I'm looking at are 6-8K-ish. Hmmmm, either that or I have until next year to find myself a nice man / a long lost rich relative or a lottery ticket!!
 
Bought an old wooden three horse trailer. Took it apart and put it back together over time :D. It means we have a good solid trailer that we know is safe :D.



Did have a four horse lorry, but everything that could leak did and everything that could rust had - had only just passed its plating as well just before we got it. Learnt a big lesson that time!
 
Bought an ancient 3.5t box and did it up myself (before I couldn't even change a tyre, now I read the Hayne's manual before bed) ... unlike previous poster I kept mine when it was done as doubt I would have made a profit after all the work haha
 
My first lorry I bought when I was 25 ish and was a 1975 Bedford which cost me £1800. I drove it for 2 years, and saved alongside it, was lorryless for 6 months, then bought an M reg Leyland Daf. I'd still be driving that now, except I inherited some money and spent it on getting a lorry built.

You don't need to spend £££ to get safe, reliable transport. The only reason I got rid of the Bedford was that I'd saved enough to buy something newer. You just need to take someone who knows what they are looking for to check it with you.

TBH I think you'd be bonkers to spend that kind of money on a lorry when you could use it as a house deposit....and I personally wouldn't be comfortable with a car loan let alone one for something which was a complete luxury!
 
I am in the situation that I have to run a 4x4 anyway due to my yards location. By a complete fluke I managed to find a pick up which is peanuts to run and can tow a max of 2t so will never need to take my test with this vehicle as it only weighs a tonne.
Up until 2 months ago I had ponies so bought a small, old Bahill pony trailer which weighs about 500kg unladen, obviously as I now have 16.1 I will need something bigger so am looking out for an old Rice. My Bahill cost me £500.
 
I know, I'm not sure I could justify getting a lorry when there is a realistic change of saving a big chunk of a house deposit. :( But then what, I sit in my own house and my pony doesn't get a showing career and we stay at home. I know not the end of the world but I would so love for us to have the opportunity to try and get to county level.
 
Walrus said:
I know, I'm not sure I could justify getting a lorry when there is a realistic change of saving a big chunk of a house deposit. :( But then what, I sit in my own house and my pony doesn't get a showing career and we stay at home. I know not the end of the world but I would so love for us to have the opportunity to try and get to county level.
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You're only in your late 20s! People don't die and stop being able to show horses when they hit the age of 35, honest ;) Presumably you have a career rather than a job, so your salary will increase as your experience increases (and regardless of this particular recession, it too will pass and eventually salaries will increase), so eventually you will be able to sit in your horse and show your horse!

I suppose it depends on your mentality. To me, the house thing made sense from a long term security point of view, whereas the horses to me have always been a 'nice to have' but would be the first things to go if I couldn't afford them. So I got a decent job, bought a house (on my own!), bought a horse, and then bought a lorry. If, however, you don't think like that, (and on the continent most people rent rather than buy), then you don't have to live like that....
 
What about having kids though?

I am desperate to get transport sorted as in a few years time I'll have to sprog and take a rain check and I'd really like to have a decent crack at jumping before I bottle it because I have a baby! (obviously I might not lose my nerve but I know more than one person who has)

Life is complicated so much by being addicted to horses isn't it?
 
SpottedCat said:
You're only in your late 20s! People don't die and stop being able to show horses when they hit the age of 35, honest ;) Presumably you have a career rather than a job, so your salary will increase as your experience increases (and regardless of this particular recession, it too will pass and eventually salaries will increase), so eventually you will be able to sit in your horse and show your horse!

I suppose it depends on your mentality. To me, the house thing made sense from a long term security point of view, whereas the horses to me have always been a 'nice to have' but would be the first things to go if I couldn't afford them. So I got a decent job, bought a house (on my own!), bought a horse, and then bought a lorry. If, however, you don't think like that, (and on the continent most people rent rather than buy), then you don't have to live like that....
Click to expand...

Haha, that's very true. But my boy is my baby, he's 6 and I've broken him in and ideally he needs to get out next year if we're going to do this properly! Yep, I think head down and work work work is the 4 option and probably more realistic than winning the lottery!! :D
 
I saved up! I saved up and bought my trailer first, and borrowed Dad's 4X4 for towing. Next, I saved for the car. Saved over half the value, and got finance on the remainder. Feel very proud of myself. It does help that I have only one horse, no kids and an OK job.
 
You really dont need to spend that much on a reliable box. I was in a similar situation to you didnt really have the money to spend on a box but really wanted to not have to rely on other people to get me around. I bought my 1st 3.5t for £600 and spent £600 on the engine and £200 on wood for the floor and lets say £100 for a few other bits and I had a really reliable N reg 3.5t for £1500, not the lightest but if I was only carrying 1 horse it was not a problem at all. So my advice would be to keep your eyes open for a bargin and ebay is great but just take a knowledgable person with you and check everything so you know what you are getting into.
 
Don't forget the other costs of running a lorry the plating, insurance, fuel etc can up to quite a lot too.

I don't have my own house or horse transport but I do have 10k saved up partly due to some inheritance. However I don't have the luxury of being able to move back with my family if I loose my job and I do have a pony as well. I am keeping my savings as a safety net in case I did loose my job and was unable to get another one quickly.

I hire horse transport if I want to go to a show including county ones but I also am very lucky that I can hack to two riding clubs as well and have been able to share hire costs with other transportless friends to do sponsored rides. My pony is only 9 and could be competitive for many years to come so no need for me to go out and do something every week.

I do think buying things on HP when we are in uncertain financial times is not a very good idea unless you know you can get financial assistance from family if you get into a tricky situation.
 
I harrased the bank until they gave in!

I have a dear wee truck max GLW 6tonne. It is old and tatty and goes like a bomb!

Our area pony club has a large email database of members and send around adverts for ponies and trucks etc.

There was a truck ad that arrived one Friday morning - a real bargain price - owner splitting from partner and moving away. I emailed and asked if I could come and have a look.

Looked at truck which was actually bigger than I had thought, took it for a drive and then harrased the bank the next day. They weren't easy to persuede but I managed it eventually and I've had my truck for nearly three years now. It's given me so much freedom and I love being able to go to shows without the horrendous nightmare of organising hiring floats and finding a friend prepared to drive.

Inside it was very basic, I sanded it all back and repainted it. In the living area was a sink/cupboard unit and a wardrobe. I built in a bed with storage underneath - decorated it all and made blinds for the windows. It's my home away from home. I now visit a friend who lives 5 hours away and near the beach and take a horse along with me.

If you are at all handy with a drill and a paintbrush then buy something that needs some work on and go for it. I got the timber merchant to cut everything to size for me.
 
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