Horsebox safety is no accident

The British Horse Society is joining forces with NFU Mutual, the UK’s largest rural insurer, to promote horsebox safety and maintenance.

The BHS and NFU Mutual will be working together to raise awareness of the risks associated with loading and transporting horses and the importance of regular maintenance and routine checks of horseboxes and trailers.

Mark Weston, Director of Access, Safety and Welfare at The British Horse Society, said: “We are pleased to work in partnership with NFU Mutual on this important issue which will help to improve the safety and welfare of horses while being transported.”

Mrs Nicki Whittaker of NFU Mutual added: “Although many people invest a lot of time and effort in the training and turnout of their horse, a few individuals don’t invest the same amount of time checking that their horsebox or lorry is in tip-top condition and this oversight could jeopardise the safety and well-being of their animal. Only recently, a mare being transported in a poorly maintained trailer had to be put to sleep after the floor on which she was standing gave way while she was in transit.”

Although incidents of this nature are (thankfully) not common, NFU Mutual still receives a handful of claims each year for this tragic occurrence. The insurer also handles around 500 claims for vet’s fees relating to loading injuries every year and believes many of these could be avoided.

Sheila Hardy, Senior Executive (Safety), at The British Horse Society said: “The initiative will begin with an online survey in July. The survey aims to highlight general attitudes and awareness to horsebox safety and BHS members who take part in the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win £50 of vouchers to spend in our BHS bookshop and an NFU Mutual saddlecloth.”

Look out for more news about this initiative and the online survey on the BHS website, www.bhs.org.uk.

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