Care and Maintenance

• Diesel engines like to work, so if you have a period when the weather is bad/the horse is lame/the family too demanding for you to take the horse out, do try and run it once a week if only to pick up your feedstuffs/do a supermarket shop/pick up your kids from school, etc. It keeps oil around the upper parts of the engine and prevents oil seals from drying out and perishing, which in turn prevents oil leaks.

 

• Do not park for any length of time on grass/mud - nothing rots a chassis or makes brakes seize quicker.

 

• Check oil and water levels before every journey, this way you can monitor levels and hopefully detect any leaks and in this way protect your engine and safeguard your reliability.

 

• Modern engines, oils and filters mean service intervals can be every 15,000 – 25,000 miles. Despite horseboxes rarely seeing that sort of mileage annually, an oil and filter change every year is good practice.

 

• If your horsebox is fitted with a cambelt (also known as timing belt) then it should be replaced every 5-6 years, or 60,000 miles (whichever comes sooner). Horseboxes fitted with a timing chain shouldn’t need the chain replacing during the engines expected lifetime.

 

• Do not ignore unusual lights coming on the dash. Sometimes this can be a faulty wire, a something or nothing scenario, but it should always be checked out before proceeding. The more modern the vehicle the more likely inexplicable lights on the dash become a problem. Customers are welcome to phone us if this happens to them when they are out and about, and we will do our best to advise whether it is prudent to proceed or to call out the breakdown service!

 

• Because it is in the nature of transporting horses that brakes have minimal use, it is quite a good idea to periodically go for a spin without the horses and really use the brakes - this often pays off at MOT time as underused brakes can create issues at test time, as the discs can become glazed with lack of use.

 

• Tyre pressures. These should be between 55-60psi. We would recommend 55 in front then up to 60 at the back dependent on load.

 

• Ramps will last longer if they are used on level ground. It may not always be practical, but if it can be avoided try not to put a 500+ kilo horse on a ramp that only has one side resting on the ground as this will lead to an enormous amount of stress being put on the ramp, which may result in it twisting and becoming difficult to close. If unloading/loading on uneven ground then the use of a chock under any raised ramp rubbers is a good idea.

 

• The wall and floor matting is particularly susceptible to expanding in hot conditions, which will put stress on the adhesive holding it to the wall/floor. If it is possible try to avoid the matting being in direct sunlight on hot days for long periods of time.

 

• Periodically check sealant in joins around matting, between panels and around windows both internally and externally. Preventing water ingress significantly increases the life of the horsebox and prevents premature structural degradation to the build.

 

 

Please remember we are only ever a phone call or email away if you ever need advice or assistance on the care of your horsebox.