I think Im losing the plot!

Joyscarer

Joyscarer

Active Member
Dec 30, 2006
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Yesterday hubby suggested we might have the money to buy a horsebox. I said 'NO!' :redcarded:

It's another sign of him trying to even things up as he's looking at buying a very expensive car and knows I don't approve but wouldn't say no to him. He's played the ultimate card in trying to buy my approval!

I pointed out to him that the costs of buying, storing, insuring, taxing the box would all make it cost inefficient and that we'd be better off just giving me the pool of money for me to hire a box when needed to. I would only ever want it during the week anyway so it's not like I'd be after one in peak weekend times.

It could just be that I'm insane. I like to think I'm sane though. Doing it this way I get to use a modern box that is well maintained and used regularly. If I had my own box I'd only use it a handful of times a year and would sit and rot the rest of the time. Can't believe I've passed up the chance many of us dream of. If I can't get enough opportunites to ride because of life getting in the way then it's going to be even worse to find time to travel Joy and then ride her.

Tell me I'm right in being sensible as I can't quite believe what I've done :redface:
 
Not right at all - totally insane !!

I guess if you don't have the need or desire to travel more than a handful of times a year there's not much point. Would be nice though..... Just wondering if you'd enjoy different things with transport eg meeting other riders, sponsored rides??

I love having my trailer (10 months now) . The amount I use it increases all the time - but definitely once a week on average (3 times next week).
 
this is something we considered before buying transport.

we decided buying our own transport was better - the amount i use the trailer meant that i would have been spending quite a fair amount of money on hiring.

plus the flexibility of having your own transport is fab.

however, if you are literally only hiring a few times a year and generally mid-week then it would seem more sensible to hire.
 
I would have the horsebox in a flash! My ultimate ambition is to have my own horse and get into showing. I would love to be able to keep my horse on a smallish yard on DIY and be able to box to lessons, clinics, shows etc. When you have your own box I think that this makes you get out and about so much more. It could be the best thing you have ever done.

Just make sure that you are saying no for the right reasons. Just because you suspect your OH of points scoring to try and get his car, it dosen't mean that he is. And, if he is going to get the car anyway then you may as well get the box.
 
Mad, insane!!

I'm trying to convince OH to sell his car to get a landy so I can have a trailer (I now also work for a driver training company that does towing so it's an even better excuse ;) and he is slowly coming round to it. Very slowly tho. I would love to have one just to go for little trips to the woods or the beech!
 
It sounds very sensible to me - the one thing that would swing it for me though is knowing if I had to get them to horsepital, I could without having to trouble anyone else
 
I think I'd prefer having the money. It's like when I was car hunting for me. J gave a budget £1500 above what I actually spent.

I'm one of those people who likes to spend on what's important, and don't on what's not.

If I had spare cash I would pay for someone to school Joy in an enclosed space. This would not only get her fitter but it's one thing I hate but she could benefit from. Then she'd be fitter to do the things I like, she'd be thinner and healthier. I'd also have someone out to help with loading so that when I do take her out I can do it without worry. Remeber, I do everything on my own.

Yes, I would do the occasional fun ride (these tend to be weekends and that's my family time so wouldn't do too many weekends), I'd also box her over to friends, do beach rides.
 
Would you think about getting a sharer in to help with her schooling? If I lived nearer to you I would love to ride Joy. I don't hack Bailey at the moment because the roads are too busy for my liking so I am concentrating on schooling. I am sure that you could find someone like me to help school her.
 
I intended always to hire (and I can't drive it anyway so would be dependent on either my dad to tow or a hire company so it seems pointless having access to something that I wouldn't be able to use readily).
My dad had other ideas and bought a trailer - would love to use it for loading practice but its filled with junk at the moment. I think my horse was just an excuse - its been used more for carrying the likes of sit on lawnmowers, quad bikes, the contents of my flat and is currently full of rubbish ready for the skip.
Maybe your OH sees it as an investment for the same sort of purposes as my dad lol!
I would agree though, if you don't intend on using it enough to warrant its purchase then I wouldn't bother just now. Save it for when you have more time on your hands - I hate buying stuff that I want rather than need. I can be so good for ages, really frugal (not that I'm a skinflint) and then all of a sudden I go 'oh sod it' and buy something nice only to get buyers remorse immediately after.

Mmmm although there's something in others' comments - it might indeed encourage you to go further afield and use it more often.
 
Have no advice really, but for me part of me would love a trailer and part of me thinks ummmm if I get one I then have to tow !!

I am far from a 'nervous' driver but I do become very nervous when my Horses are in a trailer and sort of go into 'blank' mode !!

Friends tell me it would be different if I was the one actually towing them rather than a Friend and maybe that would be true.

I do know that although I am licenced to have one and tow I would go get some 'proper' lessons although Hubby tows all the time and has offered to teach me.

One day perhaps !! I like you don't think I would use it that much, on the other hand I have missed so many shows because of lack of transport that I would probably suprise myself...........its just this 'fear' I have when the
Horses are in a trailer, and tbh its totally unwarranted as they have always been fine !!
 
!!!! You could box over to the forest and ride out with us !!

I understand what you are saying though, we have our horse box but it's very very rarely used these days. Keep to-ing and fro-ing about selling it.
 
Its made me think i need to push forwards and get the cash together to get some help. I'm wondering whether to just go for hiring a box and give it a go myself, or whether to get SW out and see if she can bring a trailer with her.

If I can get over my aversion of trailers then I could get one. Failing that I could hire ver cheaply for a few days at a time compared to horsebox hire for the day. A trailer would store at home. However, I'm worried as anythig I do will be me on my own. I can't reverse and what if I get blocked in? How would I be so in touch with what Joy is doing? Plus the couple of times I have travelled her haven;t been the best for confidence.

Thing is that if I have so little time to ride then how am I going to have the time to box, travel and ride?

Trailer is the obvious solution but could Joy and I ever be comfortable with this?
 
hmmm well with regards to getting confident driving/reversing the trailer - strongly recommend going on a small training course - we have a local driving school (who i did my course and test with) who has a horsey person in the company, she runs training days through the local riding club at only £15 per person....my friend was terrified of reversing - i mean seriously terrified - one hour with this lady and she has not had a problem since!

does Joy not like travelling generally? or does she dislike trailers specifically?

Moet was never a keen traveller - but since having my own i have been less stressed and been able to spend time getting her happy with the trailer....

if you already have a 4x4 then hiring a trailer for a few days would give you an idea of whether you are confident enough, or if you need a training hour at a driving school, or if Joy likes/dislikes it....

i wouldnt be without my trailer now!
 
I've had her 4.5 years. When I picked her up in the trailer she loaded like a dream with no hessitation. By the time I cam to do my first fun ride she was troublesome to load and then worse to come home so I haven't tried again since. :cry:

She used to travel in boxes occasionally with her previous owner and didn't have issues. I think its the trailer. I'm tempted to get a box and see how that goes. I'm petrified of being somewhere and her not wanting to load and I'm on my own.

Given this is obviously an issue she's developed since I travelled her the first time then i'm not confident at fixing it so my plan is that when I do tackle this I'll be asking Sarah Weston to deal with it. I think I'll get the car purchase out of the way and then get Joy sorted. I've been saying I'll sort this for the past 3 years though :redface:

I'm wondering about having Joy go to her for a week or so but am thinking of having Hampshire Horse taxi out to see if she'll load on a box first. If she does then all's well and good and I'll stick to doing short local journeys until I'm confident I'm not ruining her for boxes too.

I really want to travel her to ride out with Ruskii, Flump and others on another forum. I love taking Joy on new hacking routes. This year is the year I get this sorted.
 
Yes, perhaps you are a bit mad - don't we all dream of owning our own horsebox, but very sensible too.

I have been asking hubby for my own trailer since 2007 when I had to sell my old one (it was going to cost a lot to repair). There has never been the cashflow to get one (money needed to buy cows, machinery etc for the farm), so I have been renting one when needed. However, this is a hassle - with a 35 mile round trip to collect it and return it, which meant I didn't do some rides last year when I just didn't have the energy to cope with this extra mileage, as well as the actual drive to the ride and the riding itself.

My health took another downturn in November and now I don't ride very often, so I actually turned down my hubby's offer to buy a trailer this month.

I have been looking into getting a horse walker, which would be more useful for me in keeping Frayne exercised and getting the weight off her - and hubby just asked which would be more useful for me; a horsewalker or a sandschool (another thing I want to be built when we have the money). He thinks a horsewalker would be best, as there are so many days when I can not do anything with Frayne (apart from the usual daily care), but now I am confused, as a sandschool would be great for actually having fun with her, rather than just getting her exercised.

A horsewalker is the cheaper, and probably the most sensible, option.

Now I am wondering why hubby is being so understanding - wonder if it has something to do with him planning to buy a new and very expensive mountain bike???

Ali x
 
I'm aiming for similar jc, nearly losing pony made me realise how much I was gabbing onwhat we were going to do and actually doing Nowt.

As long a her health permits I want to get some lessons, maybe a simple dressage test and a Trec training day. I suspect we won't be able to do Sponsored rides or long rides for a while if at all but I think the three things I want to do are realistic.

We should have a goals club like the weight loss club!!!!
 
I don't think your mad for not wanting one! OH and I don't have a trailer or horse wagon, we could have bought one a while back, but there really is no point, it would sit down at our little yard and rot away.......hopefully not getting used to take either of them to the animal hospital. I hated having to organise transport for Joe when he needed hospitalisation, but I certainly did not begrudge paying out for it. Besides, the state I was in worry-wise, I'd not have been safe enough to drive him there if I'd had my own transport (I sort of went to pieces rather a bit).
 
I don't think you're mad for not wanting one either. Lots of expense and upkeep for little use... it's a no brainer :happy:
 
Had a talk with hubby today. He's put a deposit down on a car. Best bit is that it's to be mine in 4 years time.

Anyway, back on topic, I'm going to have a lump sum.

My plan is to hire a box. See if Joy will load in that and if her issue is just with trailers. If not I'll get in touch with Sarah Weston. I'd see what she suggested but wouldn't rule out a weeks residential to really knock this on the head.

Once I'm confident I'll have loads of money in the pot to rent either a box or trailer. The new car is an XC60 so good for towing a trailer if I can get over my worries. I suspect I'll be opting for a box though.
 
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