Insuring a horsebox lorry

Declare the living area and the tack room separately

A horsebox lorry is fitted out by a coachbuilder with living space, a kitchen, washing facilities and a tack room. That fit-out and the belongings in it are not in the registration data and therefore not in the standard sum insured. Declare the fit-out value and the contents separately, and note the condition many insurers impose: saddles and tack are only covered against theft if the tack room was actually locked and the vehicle was at the location declared.

Your liability for the horse continues to apply

If the vehicle is involved in an accident and a horse gets loose on the carriageway, further damage is a real scenario. As the keeper of the animal you are liable under Article 6:179 of the Dutch Civil Code, even without fault on your part. That liability does not run through the own-damage cover but through liability insurance. Check whether your policy covers the keeping of horses. For commercial use, private cover is not sufficient.

Driving licence and weight determine acceptance

Below 3,500 kilograms you may drive on a category B licence; above that a C1 or C licence is needed. Insurers check that, and driving without the required entitlement is a strict exclusion. Just as important is that the unladen weight of a fitted-out vehicle with living accommodation is high, which quickly leaves little payload for two horses plus tack. If you exceed the permitted mass, damage arising from that falls outside the cover.

What is not included

Three things are structurally excluded. The horse itself, including injury or death during transport. That is a matter for horse insurance. Third-party horses that you carry for payment, because you are then in the sphere of care, custody and control, and commercial animal transport is often excluded altogether. And damage caused by inadequate securing or by not using the partition bars, in which case both the damage to the compartment and the further damage remain at your own expense.

From 750 kilos a registration number is required

A heavier trailer has its own registration number. Also check that the driving licence is adequate for the combination.

Uncoupled is the moment of risk

As long as the item is coupled, liability runs through the towing vehicle. Once uncoupled that no longer applies, and damage to the item itself was never covered in any case. Insurers therefore require an approved coupling lock and a declared storage location. For higher values, a tracker as well.

Business trailer