Insuring a horse trailer and other trailers through Turien & Co
A horsebox trailer is expensive, often stands outside and carries something the policy does not insure. That makes this insurance a different calculation from the one for a box trailer.
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In brief
The insurance is about the trailer, not about what is inside it. The horse is not cargo in the sense of the policy and is not covered; injury to or the death of the animal in an accident falls outside the cover. The same goes for saddles, tack, rugs and the contents of the tack locker. If you want to insure the animal itself, that means separate equine or accident cover, and for valuable equipment you should look at your home contents insurance or separate valuables cover.
For liability on the road the ordinary rule applies: as long as the trailer is coupled to the car, damage to third parties falls under the third-party liability cover of that vehicle, on the basis of the insurance requirement under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). If, however, the horse gets loose, breaks away while being loaded or kicks a parked car, that is not a traffic loss but liability for an animal. Article 6:179 of the Dutch Civil Code places that liability on the keeper, even where there is no fault, and that claim belongs on your personal liability insurance.
The third point is theft. Trailers stand in plain sight on a yard or at a riding school and are quickly taken. Insurers therefore set requirements for the coupling or drawbar lock and sometimes for the storage location or a tracking system. Those requirements appear on the clauses page and are a condition for payment. Also pay attention to the basis of settlement: with a trailer that lasts for years, market value produces a considerably lower payment than a purchase price arrangement.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare trailer insurance.
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What to look out for
Four points that lead to a rejection more often with horsebox trailers than a collision does.
The animal and the contents are excluded
The policy covers the trailer. The horse, the tack and the contents fall outside it, even where the cause is insured, such as fire or a collision. Veterinary costs after an accident with the trailer therefore do not come from this insurance. Consider separately whether you want to insure the animal and against which events.
Carriage for payment is business use
If you carry other people's horses for a fee, or hire the trailer out, that is business use and on a private policy it is usually excluded. Declare it when you apply: Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to give correct information and under Article 7:930 DCC an undeclared use can cost you the payment.
Wood rot, rust and inherent defect
A trailer with a wooden floor or wooden walls needs maintenance. Damage caused by wood rot, rust, damp and wear is an inherent defect and is not insured, not even where the floor gives way as a result. If the floor gives way during transport and the horse is injured, that is also a liability matter towards any owner of that horse.
Weight, driving licence and a loaded trailer
A trailer with a horse in it quickly reaches a combined weight for which a category BE licence or code 96 is required. Driving without the correct entitlement is an exclusion: the own-damage claim is not paid and the third-party liability insurer can recover the amount paid out. Also check the nose weight and the maximum permitted mass; overloading can be treated as recklessness.
What does your premium depend on?
- Value and year of manufacture of the trailer: the basis for the own-damage premium
- Valuation arrangement chosen: market value, purchase price or a valuation
- Storage location: locked barn or open yard
- Security: hitch lock, wheel clamp or tracker
- Use: private carriage or journeys for other people
- Excess per event: noticeably reduces the premium
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Through the towing car | On the trailer policy |
|---|---|---|
| The trailer comes off the tow ball and hits an oncoming car | Yes | No |
| The trailer is stolen from the yard while the prescribed drawbar lock was fitted | No | Yes |
| A tree blown down lands on the trailer in storage | No | Provided that |
| While reversing you push the trailer's rear ramp in against a fence | No | Yes |
| Your horse kicks a side wall of the trailer to pieces on the way | No | Provided that |
| Months later you discover a dent in the mudguard and do not know when it happened | No | No |
Liability only runs with the car as long as the trailer is coupled; damage to the trailer itself never does.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Is my horse insured during transport?
Not under the trailer insurance. That covers the vehicle, not the animal. If the horse is injured in an accident, the veterinary costs do not come from this policy. If you want that covered, you need separate equine insurance, choosing which events and which costs it applies to.
Who is liable if my horse causes damage while being loaded?
In principle the keeper of the animal, under Article 6:179 of the Dutch Civil Code. That liability also applies where you did nothing wrong, because the law starts from the animal's own energy. For private use it runs through your personal liability insurance (AVP). If you keep horses as a business, that claim belongs on a commercial liability policy.
Do I have to insure the trailer separately or does it run with the car?
Only third-party liability runs with the towing vehicle, for as long as the trailer is coupled or has just come loose and not yet come to a standstill. Damage to the trailer itself, theft, fire and vandalism are not included. For a trailer of any value, own-damage cover of its own is therefore the heart of the insurance.
What if the trailer is stolen at the riding school?
What matters then is whether you complied with the security requirements on the clauses page: the prescribed lock, and sometimes locked storage. Always report the theft to the police and notify the insurer immediately, as Article 7:941 DCC requires. Keep the purchase invoice, the chassis number and a photograph of the lock, because without evidence the valuation becomes a matter of argument.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.