A box that travels to twenty events a season is a working tool, and funders assess it against the business that keeps it on the road.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Yes. Boxes bought for competition use by professional riders, producers and event yards are business assets, which means unregulated business finance and a broader panel of funders than a private purchase attracts. The underwriting looks at the vehicle in the usual way — chassis history, plating, build quality, floor condition — and then at the business behind it: prize and training income, livery or produced horse sales, sponsorship and how long you have been trading. Amateur competitors buying for their own horses are consumers instead, and their agreements are regulated consumer credit.
Used kit: Yes — competition yards buy used constantly, and boxes of fifteen years or more are funded where the maintenance record is genuinely complete.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
Two things separate this from a private purchase. First, the agreement is unregulated because the vehicle is a business asset, which gives more flexibility on structure and a wider choice of funder, but removes the consumer protections that apply to a private buyer. Second, the funder underwrites the business. Equestrian income is seasonal and often mixed — livery, training, produced horse sales, sponsorship, prize money — and some funders understand that pattern far better than others. Filed accounts help. Where the yard is young, expect a personal guarantee. The vehicle side is judged on hard use: competition boxes cover real mileage, live outside at events and take more wear than a private box, so service records and floor condition carry particular weight when the funder considers what it will be worth at the end.
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Oakley Coachbuilders horseboxes | Competition specification horsebox |
| Oakley 7.5t horseboxes | Competition horsebox with living |
| KPH horseboxes | British built competition horsebox |
| Equi-Trek Eventa L | Eventing and showing horsebox |
| Equi-Trek Victory | Competition ready 3.5 tonne horsebox |
| Bockmann Big Horse | Competition horse truck |
| Whittaker Horseboxes | Bespoke competition horsebox |
| Bloomfields Signature | Luxury competition horsebox |
| Theault Optimum | French competition horsebox |
| Ifor Williams HBX511 | Competition horse trailer |
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
Event riders running a string through the season, showjumping and dressage professionals, show producers travelling clients’ horses, and yards that take horses to sales. The trigger is usually the calendar — a box bought in February so it is ready for the first events in March — or a rider taking on more horses than the current vehicle can move in a single trip.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Some do and some do not, which is precisely why the panel matters. Funders who regularly write equestrian business will take a sensible view of income that arrives between spring and autumn. Others apply generic small business criteria and struggle with it. Presenting a clear picture of your income streams up front avoids wasted applications.
It can support the picture, particularly where sponsorship is contracted and evidenced rather than informal. A funder is assessing whether the business can sustain the commitment year round, so any documented, recurring income helps. Prize money alone is rarely treated as reliable, because it is by nature unpredictable.
A box from a respected builder in competition specification holds value well, because the next buyer wants exactly that layout. Heavy event use does not necessarily reduce value where maintenance has kept pace, but neglected boxes with worn floors and tired living areas fall away quickly. Condition matters more than the badge.
Funders classify on predominant use. If the box mainly moves horses in connection with your business, it is a business asset and the agreement is unregulated even though you occasionally use it privately. Describe the position accurately when you apply, as the classification affects both the funder panel and the protections you have.
Yes, and yards do this regularly when the string outgrows a single vehicle. Funders will look at the whole commitment rather than each agreement in isolation, so the existing box and any other finance will be taken into account. Having a clear plan for how both vehicles earn their keep makes the case considerably stronger.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
See everything we fund in horsebox and horse trailer finance →
Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 07581 364281 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.