Once the show season winds down, plenty of horseboxes and trailers sit still for weeks or months at a time. Winter is hard on a vehicle that isn’t being used. Damp gets into living areas, batteries go flat, tyres take a set, and a quiet yard can be an easy target for thieves. A couple of hours spent laying up properly in the autumn can save money and hassle in the spring.
This checklist covers horseboxes and horse trailers kept in the UK, whether you’ll still use them now and then over winter or park up until the spring.
Start with a deep clean, inside and out
Muck, wet bedding and urine are the biggest enemies of a horse area. Left over winter, they hold moisture against the floor and the lower walls, and that’s where rot and corrosion start. Take everything out, lift the rubber matting and wash the floor underneath, then leave the mats propped up so both sides can dry fully before you lay them back down.
While the floor is bare, have a proper look at it. Soft patches, flexing boards, rust around fixings or water sitting along the edges are all worth sorting now rather than finding at the next annual check. Wash the outside too, and pay attention to the underside and wheel arches. If you tow or drive on gritted roads, road salt left on the chassis keeps working all winter.
Keep damp out of the living area
A living box or a trailer with a tack locker can grow mould surprisingly fast once it’s shut up in cold weather. Before you park up:
- Take soft furnishings, bedding, rugs and clothing home, or at least stand cushions on their edges so air can get round them.
- Empty the fridge, leave its door propped open and clear out any food that might attract rodents.
- Keep the vents clear, and consider moisture traps or a small dehumidifier if you have a safe power supply.
- Open lockers and cupboards slightly so air can move.
Drain down the water system
If your box has fresh water, a pump, a water heater or a shower, frost is the main risk. Water left in pipes, taps or a heater can freeze, expand and split fittings, and you may not see the damage until the first trip of the spring. Empty the fresh and waste tanks, open the taps, drain the heater as the manufacturer describes and leave the drain points open where the handbook says to. If you’re not sure how your system drains, ask the converter or a leisure vehicle engineer rather than guessing.
Look after batteries, gas and fuel
Batteries go flat quickly when nothing is charging them, and some alarms and trackers draw a small current all the time. Either keep the vehicle and leisure batteries on a suitable maintenance charger or solar panel, or disconnect them and charge them up every few weeks. A battery that’s been left completely flat may never recover properly.
Turn gas bottles off at the cylinder. Follow your gas supplier’s advice on where and how to store them, and never keep them anywhere they could leak into an enclosed space. On a horsebox, many owners keep the fuel tank well filled over winter to cut down condensation inside it, and run the engine or take a short drive now and then if the box stays taxed and insured.
Tyres, brakes and wheels
Tyres that sit in one position for months can develop flat spots, and an old tyre can look fine but still be perished. Pump them up to the correct pressure before you park, check the sidewalls for cracking and note the date codes. If you can, move the vehicle a short distance every few weeks so the same patch of tyre isn’t always carrying the load.
Handbrakes can stick on if they’re left applied for a long time, especially in damp weather. On level, secure ground, wheel chocks are a common alternative for long storage. Check your handbook and only leave the brake off when the vehicle can’t roll. For trailers, grease the hitch, jockey wheel and corner steadies, and check the lights and brakes before the first tow of the year.
Security over the winter months
A horsebox or trailer that hasn’t moved for weeks is easier to take without anyone noticing. Layer your security:
- Use a wheel clamp and, on a trailer, a good hitch lock.
- Park where the vehicle can be seen, with something blocking the exit, and avoid leaving it at the roadside.
- Fit or keep a tracker active, and check it still reports.
- Take clear photos of the outside and inside and write down the chassis or VIN number, so you can identify it if it’s ever stolen.
- Never leave keys, the V5C or other paperwork inside.
Tax, SORN and insurance
If you’re taking a horsebox off the road completely and stop taxing it, you need to tell the DVLA with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). A SORN vehicle must be kept off public roads, and the only journey it can make is to a pre-booked MOT. Horse trailers don’t have their own tax, but they still need to be roadworthy when they go back out.
Even if the law doesn’t require road cover while a box is on SORN, it can still be stolen, catch fire or be damaged by a storm. Talk to your insurer about laid-up or storage cover rather than simply cancelling, and make sure you’re covered again before the first drive of the spring.
Thinking of selling in the spring?
If you’re planning to sell, winter is a good time to get organised. A well-stored box is easier to sell, because buyers notice dry floors, a fresh-smelling living area and tidy paperwork. Keep receipts for any work you do, photograph the box once it’s clean and dry, and gather the MOT, service history and plated weight details in one place. Our guide to selling your horsebox walks you through the rest, and the advertising packages start from £4.99. One listing fee. 0% commission when it sells.
If you’re buying instead, quiet winter months are a good time to look without the spring rush. Browse the latest horseboxes for sale or the horse trailers for sale, and ask each seller how the vehicle has been stored. It’s a simple question, and the answer tells you a lot.