Here at KBIS British Equestrian Insurance, we are well known for providing comprehensive horsebox insurance as well as equine specific breakdown cover. Here are some of our most frequently asked questions about insuring a horsebox and what to consider when taking out a breakdown policy for a lorry or car and trailer…

My daughter currently drives our 3.5 ton 2 horse lorry on her car licence. She is going to start driving our 5 ton HGV as well. Who can sit with her in the cab while she is learning?

Before getting behind the wheel, your daughter must have a provisional HGV license. Anyone who sits with her while she is learning must have passed the relevant driving test, or higher, and must have held their licence for at least 3 years. If you can drive the lorry by ‘Grand Father Rights’ and have not passed the relevant test, unfortunately, it is illegal to sit with a learner.

Am I covered to transport my friend’s horses?

A standard horsebox policy will allow you to carry other people’s horses, as long as no money changes hands (other than a contribution to fuel/running costs). If you are being paid for transporting horses, you will need cover for ‘Hire & Reward’, otherwise, your policy would be void. KBIS can increase your cover to include this. This also applies to using your horsebox in connection with your business.

My friend and I are planning on a 5-hour round trip to an event once lockdown ends. She has offered to share the driving with me – is this OK?

You may allow other people to drive your horsebox provided they have held the correct licence for the vehicle for at least 1 year and they are covered under your insurance policy. Driving restrictions can be extended to include any driver over 25 years old, or you can name a specific friend as an additional driver.

I have cover for any driver over 25 years old on my insurance; my friend has 3 points on her licence – will this affect the cover?

This will not affect the cover, as long as you have made us aware of their adverse driving history before they get behind the wheel. In certain situations, we may need to refer this information to our Underwriters and sometimes an additional premium may be added. Under the insurance conditions, you as the horsebox owner are responsible for checking the driver has the correct licence and advising your insurer of any prior claims or convictions.

I have just bought a couple of youngsters and they have never travelled before. Can I purchase extra cover for any damage to my lorry caused by the horses?

If you have a fully comprehensive policy, damage to the horsebox caused by horses will automatically be included.

I am looking at staying at a show for 4 nights once lockdown restrictions are lifted. I will be keeping my tack on board for the duration, is it covered under my horsebox insurance?

Under your horsebox insurance, policy contents are not covered. If you wish to cover your tack, it can be included on either a horse insurance or a property insurance policy. Alternatively, a stand-alone policy can be set up just for the tack. We will advise you of the security precautions that must be taken to secure the tack before you take a policy out.

I think I already have breakdown cover for my lorry. How is an equine specific breakdown policy different?

The biggest difference between a standard breakdown policy and equine-specific cover is that, if your policy is equine-specific it will include the recovery of your horses if you breakdown with them on board. A standard policy will deal with the vehicle (whether that’s a horsebox or a car if you’re towing a trailer) but this means you could be left at the side of the road with your horses trying to arrange transport for them. If your policy is equine-specific, this worry is taken out of the equation as they will arrange transport for your horses if your vehicle cannot be fixed at the roadside. There are also extra benefits with a KBIS equine specific breakdown policy should you break down over 50 miles from home, including overnight accommodation, stabling and vehicle hire.

If a friend is driving my lorry and we break down, is that still covered?

Yes, as long as your friend is insured to drive the lorry, this would not affect the breakdown cover.

What exactly is covered under an equine specific breakdown policy?

There are many benefits, including:

• Assistance at the roadside
• Recovery to the nearest repairer
• Recovery to any UK location
• Home Start
• Vehicle Hire/public transport/overnight accommodation
• Misfuelling
• Lost Keys
• Replacement Driver

We use two different cars to pull our trailer when we’re able to get out and about. How would this work with breakdown cover?

Trailer breakdown cover is specific to the tow car rather than the trailer, so you would need two policies in this instance. The great news is that the policy will cover the car even when it’s not towing so there would be no need to double up with cover elsewhere for the same vehicle.

With lockdown set to begin lifting soon, make sure you have appropriate cover in place so you can get out and about safely with your horses. We are even offering 10% off our horsebox insurance throughout March with the code HBM10. To find out more or get a quote, call KBIS on 0345 2302323 or visit kbis.insure/motor.

*Please note: All information applies to KBIS horsebox and breakdown policies. If insured elsewhere, please check with your provider.