What would you do ?

burtondog

burtondog

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2 December 2002
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902
Location
SE London/Kent, UK and Devon
www.michellehudson.co.uk
I share a horsebox 50/50 with a close friend and this arrangement works great. I've recently sold my horse but will be getting a new one early next year so my friend has the box to herself at the moment.

Another friend of ours called me and said "as I wouldn't be using the horsebox until I got a new horse, wouldn't it be a good idea if we let her 'hire' it from time to time, to keep it ticking over"

I said "nice try, but I wasn't interested in 'hiring' it out and neither was my sharer".

She said she couldn't understand why I didn't mind 'sharing' but I wouldn't 'hire' it to her.

The difference is that my sharer and I have an equal stake in the horsebox so if either of us damages it we can be sure it was not through lack of care and whatever happens we would sort it out together. Whereas even though I'm sure my other friend will take reasonable care with the box, if something did go wrong it would still end up being my sharer and I that had to sort it out.

I'm fine with my decision but I'd like to know, if you own a horsebox would you hire/lend it to a friend ?
 
Totally with you on that, I only lend my box to people I trust implicitly with it - my best friend and my yard owner. I think I have only offered it to one other person once. It only goes out with a 'you break it, you fix it rule'
 
No I wouldn't hire / lend it to a freind, unless it was for a one off genuine emergency and then I would drive it myself. I would be worried about them damaging it and not paying for repairs. Also, you need to be careful of the insurance and legal implications.
 
I used to lend my wagon out, but only to people who would do the same for me, and I have even had people ring me and ask if I could borrow a lorry for them!!!!!! I dont like doing it myself unless there is absolutely no other way, so no you are not using my good name.
I wouldnt lend it if it is shared 50/50 as your sharer took the risk as such on sharing with you not your friend.
 
You will be delighted to hear that you CAN'T hire out your horse box... unless you take out extra insurance. That would make you a business, your current insurance will not cover you for 'hire and reward'. The premiums for business insurance ie, 'hire and reward' would be so exorbitant that it would not be worth it unless you ran itas a full time business. You would also have to declare any earnings that came from the hire of your horse box and they could be liable for tax.

The same goes for giving lifts in boxes or trailers. If any money is exchanged you enter a world of liability! Any payment in kind, like a bottle of wine still counts as payment.
 
The "you break it, you fix it rule" sounds fair enough but what would you do if this happened ? ..................

The same friend borrowed another girl's horsebox earlier this year and unfortunately while she had it the starter motor broke. Obviously it could have gone anytime the owner had driven it. The owner fixed it.
 
I wouldnt lend it! I wont lend my nice new Ifor trailer to ANYONE!
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Seriously, we went to a show with a friend once - in our lorry - and their horse went crazy and jumped over the rear partition, falling off the ramp and shattering the interior of the lorry. We were never reimbursed for this
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So I can completely see why you have said no re. hiring out your box!
 
Yes, I thought there would be all kinds of insurance implications.

Sometimes, if I have a space I'll take somebody else's horse to a show along with my own in return for a little diesel money but I think I may stop doing that just in case something goes wrong.

I'd never hesitate to take someone elses sick horse to the vets in an emergency but I think I'll limit my favours to just that from now on.
 
Thats the other problem, where do you draw the line on 'you bend it you mend it?' as you say the starter is a mechanical part and can fail at any time, I thinkthat the rule applys to body damage.
I got rid of my lorry because as it would take 4 horses and I was only taking 2, I sort of felt obliged to take others (paying or not??) and it meant hanging around if they werent doing the same classes and it was just another load of hassle added to the already stressful showing situation!
Much happier with trailer now as people dont just assume that as you have an empty space that you can take them!
 
I've got a box and no I wouldn't hire it out for the reasons you mentioned and also I think it's now illegal to take money from someone unless you have an operators license.
 
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