Horsebox Security

For those who have experienced horsebox theft, you will be familiar with that heart stopping moment of realisation that your lorry has in fact been stolen, and you haven’t just forgotten where you parked it!

While the information contained within this page is in no way a cast iron guarantee that your horsebox won’t get stolen, if followed, it should go someway to deter even the most determined horsebox thief.

The general consensus is – the more you can do to deter theft, the better. We would always recommend that you check with your own insurance company before making any modifications and additions, but you may find that your insurance premium is reduced in some cases.

Keep good records

It is a good idea to keep a record of your vehicle’s chassis and identification numbers so that you can provide these to the police if necessary.

Take photos of the horsebox, paying particular attention to any distinguishing features, i.e. paint detail or bumps and scratches.

Keep all official documentation at home. The vehicles log book should remain in the vehicle, but ensure you have the registration and insurance documents at home in a secure place.

Theft Deterrents

Make your vehicle easily recognisable, this increases the chances of somebody spotting and remembering your vehicle. Vinyl letters on the roof or writing on the side of the vehicle can both prove effective. Note: logos and branding on the side of a horsebox can suggest that your vehicle is used commercially (i.e. sponsorship or similar), which could expose you to EU Driver legislation, so think carefully about what you place on the vehicle.

Anti-theft/intruder alarm

You can use anything from a standard car alarm to more sophisticated wireless devices offering greater coverage of the whole vehicle. Once again, check with your insurance provider before purchase and installation as certain alarms might result in lower insurance premiums.

Tracking device

A tracking device or ‘tracker’ will emit a signal that can be picked up by the police, with the more sophisticated systems being traced by satellite, making it much more likely that your vehicle can be located and recovered successfully.

Isolator Switch

These are becoming commonplace on horseboxes, not just as anti-theft devices, but also for preserving battery life and power. Via a simple key type mechanism, an isolator effectively disconnects the battery from all power sapping devices after use, e.g. the tachograph. Removal of this key then prevents the thief from connecting the power and starting the vehicle.

Secure parking

At an event or when at home, it is important that you park your vehicle as securely as possible. The following all prove useful deterrents:

Locking your vehicle
Security lights
T-posts
Alarms
Security cameras
Securely fastened gates

If you have any advice that you think will benefit our site visitors, please contact us.

If you have products or services that might be of interest to our users, please contact us.

If your horsebox has been stolen, please forward details and photos to us and we will circulate in our regular e-newsletter.

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Last updated: 02/07/2010

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