How often do you use your horsebox or trailer?

[Namexhangedforthis]

I’m thinking of investing in transport for my horse so we can get out and about a bit and explore new hacking, clinics, maybe join a riding club etc
It would either be a horsebox (3.9/4.5T so I could take a friend) or a trailer and bigger car as the one I have doesn’t tow (not sure about towing the- never towed anything before).

Has anyone regretted making the investment and found they didn’t use it? Or conversely think it was the best thing ever?

I did think of self-drive hire but the nearest is almost an hour away.

I love my lorry - hideously expensive to buy and maintain but it makes getting out and about with the horses so much easier. We use it every week - at least once but often two or three times. I used to have a trailer which was almost ‘free’ transport as we already had a car capable of towing. I didn’t have to take the test (it was before the rules changed) but I still had a couple of lessons to practise reversing. To be honest I never really loved towing - it was just too stressful! But I did appreciate the freedom it gave us and I ended up selling the trailer for what I bought it for so it did hold its value very well.

I use my trailer at least 3 x a week, if you really find you are not using it you can always sell it. Not sure I would spend the extra money just so i could always take a friend though, could end up with a lot of extra hassle, ponies being excessively bonded to each other at competitions, hanging around at clinics etc.

We use trailer all the time but if money wasn't an issue I’d definitely go for a box instead. As above I don’t love towing and reversing isn’t easy to learn

I'd start by checking that a 3.5t can actually carry you and a friend, even more so the larger 4.5t - one that I looked at could only just carry our (large) horse, no tack, water, driver etc without going overweight.

A trailer is next to nothing to maintain, and if your tow car is out of action you can borrow one more easily than borrowing a lorry. Unless you're doing travelling a couple of hours to do an ODE each weekend and go for the trailer unless you can spend a lot on a reliable horsebox.

Yes do check the payload on a small 3.5/4.5t box as unless you and your friend both have little ponies I don't think you'll safely fit 2 horses, driver plus passenger plus kit in a 3.5 and possibly not even a 4.5. The set-up is very confusing as even really small boxes usually have 2 or more stalls but you need to check the weight capacity and account for the people and kit (particularly if you're bringing a lot of feed, water etc along) as well as the weight of the horses. Can be really dangerous to overload your box as well as potentially invalidating your insurance so be very careful and don't take the salesperson's word as golden!

As to the box vs trailer argument, I think it depends a bit on your horsey lifestyle/plans as to how much use you get out of your transport - when I had DC in pony club and doing local comps etc we were out near enough every week in our beat up old trailer, sometimes even more frequently, this was close to 20 years ago now but it was old and second-hand, cost very little to buy and maintain, the biggest expense was buying and running the big car to tow it with, plus like others although I got to the point of competence with towing including reversing and parking it, I never ever liked doing it and on windy days, winding roads or muddy venues it was a nightmare. Now kids are grown up and it's just me with my older boy and competitive ambitions long past, I only go out maybe max once a month to a clinic or fun ride, and for that me and a friend will split the cost of hiring a mid size box, which being oldies with pre1997 licenses we can drive without needing an HGV test, so much less stressful, the horses travel better and because the hire boxes are brand new no worries about breaking down. I do have to say though that everyone I know with a second hand/older box spends loads of money on it, not just the initial outlay but MOTing and maintaining the things seems insanely expensive.

So sorry, I haven't helped you there, for occasional outings I'd recommend van hire, more frequent and if on a budget a trailer is fine so long as your horse travels ok on one and you've budgetted for plenty of trailering lessons!

Love my box. Used to have a trailer but find a lorry a much better experience all round, even with the added expense of MOT/Insurance etc.

With your own transport you can attend stuff without having to really plan ahead etc.
The only thing i dont do is lend mine out to others, too many bad experiences.

I am similar to pleasedontdothat
I co-owned a 3.5t van conversion with a friend and we got out and about a lot, when we sold up I borrowed a trailer, did a towing course and was a total wuss about it. It made so much sense both practically and financially but it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t like not having a reversing camera for a start but I was just making excuses.
I bought a high mileage new regent conversion six months ago and have counted that I’ve used it 30 times already (I compete BD and my kids do pony club and local shows). My horse is 475kg so I can take one of the ponies with him as my payload is just over 1,000kg.
Although that’s about a grand per use(!) that will go down of course, and I think we do more because of the freedom and flexibility. I’m on the best thing ever side of your question! The rubber matting still smells new and I get a little tummy flip whenever I go and unlock it to take it out for the day.

I adore my box, we’re generally out and about in it a couple of times each week.

I love my 3.9t box, one of the best things I've ever bought. About 12 years of towing a trailer before that. I've not found it especially expensive to run, cheap tax and then it was a case of finding a good and reasonably priced local HGV mechanic to maintain it and get it through the annual test. For a 1/3 of what the main dealer was charging for the same job.

im not using the lorry very much as my circumstances have changed, but m keeping it for now, its not plummeting in value and I so prefer it to the 4x4 and trailer! I would have thought you'd be hammered on the road tax for a relatively modern 4x4?

I have a 3.5 ton horsebox with a payload of 1.1 tonne. Its perfect for me and my 400kg pony, but not enough for another horse, I can travel another pony with mine. I use it every week, sometimes 2 or 3 times. Its an expensive luxury but I love having it and have so much freedom !

It’s great to hear how positive you all are about your boxes. I think I’ve convinced myself that buying a box wouldn’t be much more expensive that buying a 4x4 and trailer in any case.
I just have to find a suitable one now!

We’ve solved this in the past by taking a car with the gear. The box we used to hire had a payload of 1100 with full tank and spare wheel so was ok for our 14 and 15 handers, haynets and a driver. It can also be very handy to have a spare run around car - especially at stay aways and in OP’s case if a friend is getting the benefit of a lift for her horse it’s no hardship to buzz along in her own car. We now have a trailer but I never love towing it and always dread a tricky parking spot at a show. I’d love to afford a little lorry of my own