Horsebox- just agreed purchase

[Butkin]

Well after 15 years of our Ifor Williams trailer (a great buy) we've decided to take the plunge with a horsebox. Just too many shows were we've been hanging around all day and no where really for DD to change in comfort. Been looking for a while and have plumped to have one built to order on a 6.5 ton Iveco body.

We're going for 2 horse forward facing with a tack locker on the rear and a small living with sleeping for 3 (if we can get 2 in the Luton as planned).

Our coach builder is off to buy the chassis on Tuesday so we're hoping for about a 54 plate.

We're hoping it will be finished in time for the BSPS Summer Champs in August so keeping our fingers crossed. DD is looking forward to choosing the colour and graphics. She even wants to go to the paintshop to see modern designs.

This will probably be the biggest purchase of our lifetime other than our house. Already worrying about "did we make the right decisions on configuration etc" !

Congratulations! I often 'amuse' DH by looking at them in Horse and Hound and commenting on the ones that are more luxurious [and expensive] than our house was.

Fantastic!

Just a couple of things to consider from my experience (do tell me to shut up if not interested!):

• buy as good a chassis as you can afford. An old or well used chassis is going to cost you a fortune to maintain and get through tests in the future so it's well worth the investment. I have seen more than one person spend a fortune on a super duper box put on an old chassis that promptly broke down.

• beware of add-ons you can easily go overweight. The living should be just the bare essentials, don't go for extra cladding on walls - it may look nice but it kills your payload. It's really worth getting an acurate measurement of the horses you want to carry so you have an idea of what you have left to play with.

• your manufacturer should commit in writing the payload of the finished lorry and you whould not make final payment until you take it to a weight-bridge and see the weight-load for yourself! I know of more than one person caught out because of not doing this.

• also question the manufacturer closely on the materials used. The new aluminium bodies are great for weight, but you still need someone who knows how to construct the body for safety, e.g. balance the ramp, make sure the horses won't fly into the cab in case of an accident, removable breastbar, positioning of the jokey door, etc.

Very exciting news!

Thanks Mirage - I did explain to our man that DD was disappointed that we weren't buying an Oakley Supremacy. That would be her box of choice. I've explained to her that we'd have to sell the house to buy one but this doesn't seem to faze her. She says we could just live in the box and has visions of us doing the school run in it!

Thanks Booboo - we'll take all your points on board. We've gone for a very light configuration and we've gone for the 6.5 ton rather that 5 ton in order to give ourselves a bit more safety on this. We're not putting much into the living - just hob/fridge, small cupboards and some seating - no loo, wardrobe, heating etc. We going for light materals wherever possible. He says that it will easily take two 16 hand horses and at the moment the most we'd put on would be a connemara and Section B. The ramp won't be covered in heavy rubber - just matting and aluminium struts and will have gas pistons to give it a smooth and balanced lift (hopefully...)

The horses will have a breastbar and then a corridor space and then the living wall/door so no chance of flying into cab!

I hope I don't sound like a total cow giving unwanted advice, but I have had friends lose a lot of money on horseboxes, so please forgive me for harping on!

The 6.5 is a great choice! I have the 5.2 with a 1.2 (only!) payload and would love to upgrade it but Ford won't allow it sadly. What payload has the manufacturer promised you? The living sounds very sensible, I think the loos are one of the heaviest things you can have and it's good to avoid those. Sizewise my box can take two 17.3hh horses very comfortably so with only one horse on board I find I can easily tack up in the box. I also have the same configuration and find it works really, really well. I also think this is one of the safest options available, although do make sure the breastbar is easily removable.

The only thing that I would query is the "easily takes two 16hh horses" as it is a bit nonsensical weight wise. I have a 16hh WB who weighs 500 kilos and a 16hh HW cob who weighs 800 kilos while my 16.2hh WB comes in at 720 kilos and all that is just the last time they were at the vet's weight-bridge, I would imagine their weight flunctuates. Given the investment it's really worth future proofing the box as much as possible, you never know what horses you may want to travel in the future, so if it were me I would push for a weight-load estimate now.