AFFORDABLE TRANSPORT Director Neil Savage explains: “Many leading riders who have an HGV lorry find a Foxy Twin a useful alternative to take one horse out locally. However, it is possible to have the Renault Master chassis uprated to 3.9 tonnes GVW, which gives a payload up to ı.4 tonnes and extra scope if you want to transport two horses.” Foxy Twin has also come up with an innovative solution to concerns about young horses trying to climb the breast bar in rear-facing lorries. The Stallion specification replaces the breast bar with a full wall and jockey door to each side, allowing easy access to the horse from a separate grooms’ area. There is also a full partition between the horses. Alexanders Horseboxes incorporates many features suited to large, powerful horses into the design of its Windsor lorry,
including the option for a 4.5-tonne model with increased payload, 8ft internal height, head divider and full bulkhead separating the horses from the grooms’ area. This lorry is the choice of Olympic individual rider Richard Davison (see below).
Weight issues: staying within the law
It’s important to know the weight and payload of your lorry and take care not to exceed it. Horse boxes, like other vehicles, are subject to spot checks by the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency FINANCE DEALS (VOSA). If it is suspected that the Specialist finance for horse vehicle is overweight, VOSA will escort boxes can help spread you to a weighbridge and weigh it. WHILE WE USE the cost as Alexanders A VOSA spokesperson explains why THE BIG LORRIES TO sales manager Julian overloading is an issue: “It makes the TAKE HORSES TO DISTANT Ekin explains: “We vehicle less stable, difficult to steer AND OVERSEAS SHOWS, offer a flexible hire and take longer to stop. Vehicles WE WANTED SOMETHING purchase option over react differently when the maximum MORE CONVENIENT TO TAKE weights which they are designed one to five years, ONE OR TWO HORSES TO and at the end of the to carry are exceeded, and the LOCAL EVENTS agreement, you own consequences can be fatal. the vehicle outright. “Additionally, massive strain is put Deposit sums can be on vehicle tyres. Overloading can RICHARD DAVISON cause the tyres to overheat and wear Professional’s choice rapidly, which increases the chance of premature, dangerous and expensive failure, such as a blowout.“ It is also worth bearing in mind that insurance cover is void, as overloading is illegal, so in the event of an accident you wouldn’t be covered by insurance. If a vehicle is found to be overloaded then VOSA can prohibit it from further use until the excess weight is removed. If the lorry is being used for commercial purposes, a fixed penalty and prosecution could also follow. The best way to avoid this is to know the weight of your vehicle and the available payload that remains, and stay within it. When buying a horse box ask for a current weighbridge ticket or weigh it yourself. A relatively new piece of legislation that may affect purchasers of new horse boxes and trailers, particularly Olympian Richard Davison has recently purchased an Alexanders Windsor 4.5-tonne horse box, by pushing prices up, is European which will be used alongside his two 26-tonne Ketterers. Community Whole Vehicle Type “While we use the big lorries to take horses to distant and overseas shows, we wanted Approval (ECWVTA), a process something more convenient to take one or two horses to local events,” he explains. “My son, that has to be undertaken by the manufacturer. Tom, runs our office and he did an enormous amount of research into what is on the market.” Designed to increase safety Richard says that the solid construction and build quality of the Alexanders lorries appealed. standards, lorries built on unregistered “These are big horses and can be hot – they crash about on the lorry when it’s parked up so vehicles (ie a brand new chassis) of it needed to be able to withstand that.” 3,500kg or less have needed approval The 4.5-tonne payload means that the lorry is legally able to carry two horses, and Richard by VOSA or the Vehicle Certification points out that ensuring transport complies with all legislation is important when you have a Agency (VCA) from 29 October 2011 high-profile sponsor such as Hiscox. and the legislation also came in for “Alexanders also offers good after-sales service and was responsive to our feedback, such vehicles above 3,500kg on 29 October as on the design of saddle racks. But, generally, the specification is so high that everything we 2012. Horse boxes built on a secondneeded came as standard.” hand chassis are not affected. Type Richard adds that he hopes to keep the lorry ‘forever’ as it has already proved a hit with all approval is also required for trailers who drive it. “It is so nice to take a horse to show in a lorry that is easy to drive and park. And the manufactured after 29 October 2012. economy is great, too – the fuel level needle has hardly moved!”
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| ISSUE 1 2013 | BR ITISH DR ESSAGE