It is pretty much an accepted fact that horse racing is not a cheap industry to get into. You can read elsewhere about how much it would cost to own a horse, including the appeal of syndicate ownership. Add in the price of getting the horse trained and the expense of entering it into competitions and you can see why it isn’t the sort of thing that someone living in a council house is likely to be able to get into any time soon. One of the costs around horse racing that is often not thought about is the cost of getting a horse box to transport your animal from race to race in.

As you might imagine, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing when it comes to horse boxes either. This means that there will be some for people with a relatively low budget, whilst others will be a lot more expensive and present you with the chance to offer your horse a lot more comfort as a result. If you were thinking of getting into horse racing then you will need to make sure that you budget for the travelling of your horse just as much as you will be thinking about the likes of feeding it and paying for vets’ bills, especially if you want to enter competition with your horse.

Buying A Horsebox

The first question you will want to ask yourself before you buy a horse box is why you want to buy one in the first place. The answer to that will help you narrow down which sort of horse box it is that you should be buying, given the fact that different ones will offer different things. You will need to consider the likes of how often you plan to use it and where you’ll be transporting your horse to within the box. If you might end up travelling abroad with it, that will also throw up other issues that you’ll need to consider, to say nothing of the fact that you’ll need a specific driving licence and insurance to be able to drive a horse box.

Whilst you might be tempted to look solely at the ticket cost of a horse box and think that that is the key factor, the reality is that there are loads of things that you’ll need to consider when it comes to buying a horse box. If a cheaper box is going to need more upkeep, for example, or is more likely to break down in the near future then you might find yourself in something of a ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ type scenario. That being said, if all you can afford is a cheaper box then you’ll know that you’ll need to make sacrifices in the short-term in order to be able to use it more long-term.

The reason you need to think about where you’ll be taking your horse in the horse box is that there are many different levels to what you’ll be able to buy. If you’re planning to take your horse 15 minutes down the road every Sunday to let it have a trot in a field, you probably won’t need a motorised horse box that has a private living quarters for the rider, soundproofing for the horse and a tack room as part of the vehicle. Similarly, if you plan to be eventing around Europe, getting a cheap horse box that you can tow on the back of your car might be cheap, but it won’t do the job.

Storing Your Horse Box

A key consideration then you’ll have to think about when buying a horse box is where you’re going to be storing it. Obviously if you own a big farm with loads of land, you won’t be even remotely worried about storage. If, however, you’re going to need to store your horse box somewhere else then both the size of the horse box and the easy manoeuvrability of it will be important. A nearby farm might be willing to store your horse box for a fee, but they might well charge you more depending on how big it is and therefore how much of their land it will take up.

These costs soon add up, which is why it is something worth thinking about before you move to buy your horse box. If you’re buying one that you’ll tow, you need to make sure that your car will be powerful enough to tow it. That might mean buying a new car, to say nothing of adding a tow bar to it, both of which might add expenses. If you want to get a motorised horse box then you’ll need to leave your car there when you collect it, so you’ll need to make sure that whoever it is that you store it with won’t mind you leaving your car there in its stead whilst you’re away.

The Type Of Horsebox You Want

The most important decision that you’ll need to make when it comes to horse boxes is the type that you want to buy. You can choose to go with either a motorised horse box or else one that you tow. As mentioned, if you pick one to tow then you’ll need to make sure that your car is heavy enough to tow it and find out whether you need to pass a test to be able to tow it legally. Motorised horse boxes, on the other hand, may well require you to get an HGV licence, depending on how heavy it is and when it is that you passed your test to get your driving licence.

The reality is that tow horse boxes tend to be much less glamorous than those that are motorised. You’re essentially talking about the difference between a caravan that you can stick on the back of your car and that has enough room for a bed and a motorhome. Some of them are more like the kinds of motorhomes that rock bands tour the country in, being decidedly more luxurious and having the ‘car’ part included in the vehicle. Of course, that obviously tends to mean that they’re much more expensive, to say nothing of being a lot more costly to keep them on the road.

The Cost Of Horses Boxes

In the United Kingdom, the average cost of a horse box is between £3,000 and £12,000. That, though, is at the lower end of the scale in terms of what you’ll be able to do with your horse box. If you want to have more than just space for a horse, you’ll very much pay for the privilege. A company such as Double D Trailers, for example, offers a horse box with living quarters for the rider. They can be customised for your needs and can even come in towing varieties, with the likes of a cooking and dining area, toilet, shower and refrigerator, as well as a sleeping area.

The more that you want in terms of features for your horse box, the more that it is going to cost you. A horse box with partitions, living quarters and a small wardrobe that is to be towed, for example, would cost you a little over £10,000. One that is motorised with a Mercedes-Benz engine, meanwhile, offering you an automatic gear box and living accommodation for two people, including a gas oven and toilet, will be more like £85,000. It is clear that there are different levels of quality in both the towing and motorised horse box world, meaning options for most budgets.

Second-Hand Or Buy New?

One of the key questions that you will need to decide upon the answer to is whether you want to buy your horse box second-hand or get a brand new one. The obvious benefit of buying second-hand is that the cost will be much lower. That is the case with anything you’d buy that someone else has already used, so it makes sense that it would also be how it works with horse boxes. There are pros and cons to both scenarios, with new horse boxes likely to come with a full manufacturer’s warranty and be in perfect condition when you pick it up, meaning you won’t have to worry about fixing anything.

The downsides to buying new, though, are that it will be a lot more expensive. You will also find yourself on the top of the list for thieves that are operating in your area, who will realise that there is a brand new horse box that they could steal and then move on for a huge amount of money. It is also likely that any insurance costs will be higher if you buy new. Of course, those ‘problems’ might well be preferable to a second-hand horse box that needs a lot of work doing to it. If it’s in a poor condition then you might end up needing to spend much more than just the cost of a new coat of paint.

Whilst second-hand horse boxes have benefits, with the fact that they’re cheaper and less attractive to thieves being high on the list, they might still have other issues that you may not have considered. It isn’t out of the realms of the possible that there are still long-term finances owed on it, which you’ll have to check before you agree to buy it. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you could end up in a situation where end up buying something that is dangerous for the horse to travel in, as well as yourself. Just because something is cheaper doesn’t mean it’s a bargain.

What About Hiring?

If you’re unlikely to use a horse box on a regular basis, you might want to consider hiring one. It will always be an expensive thing to buy, especially if you’re looking to get the best quality one there is. The amount of money that you’ll spend buying one, even second-hand, is likely to be a lot more than it would could to hire one of the length of time that you need it. You are likely to be looking at the difference between a few grand to buy a second-hand one and a couple of hundred quid to rent it. Even if you’re desperate to buy one, renting the exact model first might let you know what you’re in for.

Then there is the fact that hiring one regularly instead of buying one means that you don’t need to worry about any of the running costs and upkeep. You don’t need to try to find somewhere to store it, for example, or worry about and repairs that it might need. You’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that you’ll have a quality vehicle that you can just give back at the end of your time using it, taking away any of the stresses that come with ownership of such an expensive and cumbersome vehicle. Ownership might be right for you, but if you’re not sure then try hiring first.

Additional Costs

As well as the cost of the actual horse box, you need to think about a few other things in terms of expense. The insurance that you’ll need for the horse box will differ based on whether it is a motorised one or a tow one, plus there is the fact that you’ll need to ensure that it is locked up safely overnight. If you’re keeping it on your own property, you’ll need to look for the likes of CCTV installation and an alarm in order to keep it safe. You might also want to fit an immobiliser or some other form of protection to stop it being stolen by someone for its high resale value.

There are certain criteria that must be met in order to take your horse box abroad. If you want to go on Le Shuttle through the Eurotunnel then the horse needs to be in an area with a ventilation system, for example. This is another expense that you’ll need to think about, with the ventilation needing to be able to work on its own for four hours at least. You aren’t likely to get that sort of thing with a horse box that can be towed, whereas motorised horse boxes will have the ability to have ventilation as part of the package, but obviously it is an added expense to think about.