Although equine shows grind to a halt after summer, winter heralds the beginning of some stiff competition, hunting and racing season, making it more important than ever to make sure your horse is safe in transportation. Whether this means buying a new horsebox for sale or carrying out some maintenance on your current one, follow our winter checklist for maximum security.

Check Tyres

Just like with any other vehicle, making sure you have adequate tread depth to provide substantial grip is important when surveying a horsebox for sale. During the winter months, it’s of utmost importance to ensure you have at least 20mm, so that your horsebox is ready for any frozen or slippery surfaces that wintery weather can create. Better yet, fitting your horsebox with winter tyres offers extra gripping power as well as peace of mind.

Lubricate Latches

Declining temperature and frosty conditions are well known to make latches and locks stick, which can make getting into your vehicle a challenge. When surveying horseboxes for sale, assess the type of locks around the vehicle and try to avoid bolt and latch closings – these are bound to freeze because of their exposed nature. Regardless of the type of lock, we recommend lubricating them before the first frost to avoid stiffness when the cold takes hold.

Supervise Safety

Although horseboxes have to pass an annual MOT to be roadworthy, currently checks do not inspect the cabin area to see if they are safe for actually transporting livestock. This means when looking for a horsebox for sale it’s important to asses the floor for rot and weakening which could unbalance your horse and cause a fall. We recommend laying damaged floors with rubber and treating with anti-rot paint before winter, to halt further damage and to make it safe underfoot for your horses.

If you’re looking for a horsebox for sale visit our dedicated page and browse our selection of new and second-hand vehicles