Word of mouth sells more horseboxes than any forecourt, but a private purchase brings a much smaller funder panel and stricter checks.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Yes, though fewer funders will do it. Most lenders prefer to pay a VAT registered dealer, so buying from another owner cuts the panel down. The funders who do support private sales require a written invoice or bill of sale signed by the seller, the vehicle registration and chassis number, the V5C, and evidence the seller owns the box outright with no finance registered against it. The money is paid to the seller directly by the funder, never through the buyer. Private buyers are usually in regulated consumer credit, yards and businesses are not.
Used kit: Yes — private sales are almost always used vehicles, judged on floor condition, plating history and provenance rather than registration year.
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).
The funder is being asked to pay a stranger for a vehicle carrying no warranty, which is why the checks are heavier than on a forecourt purchase. Expect identity verification on the seller, payment restricted to an account matching the registered keeper, an outstanding finance and theft check against the chassis number, and frequently an independent inspection. That inspection is in your interest too: on a private sale there is nobody to go back to if the floor fails in June. The equestrian market makes this more acute than most, because trailers and boxes are frequently sold with informal paperwork and occasionally with finance still outstanding. Whether the agreement is regulated depends on use as always, and the combination of regulated consumer lending and a private sale leaves a particularly small panel, so start early.
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 |
|---|---|
| Equi-Trek Endeavour | Private sale 3.5 tonne horsebox |
| Equi-Trek Space-Treka | Private sale horse trailer |
| Oakley 7.5t horseboxes | Private sale coachbuilt horsebox |
| Oakley 3.5t horseboxes | Private sale light horsebox |
| Bloomfields Prima | Private sale British horsebox |
| KPH horseboxes | Private sale British built horsebox |
| Ifor Williams HB506 | Private sale two horse trailer |
| Cheval Liberte Gold Two | Private sale horse trailer |
| Bockmann Champion | Private sale German trailer |
| Whittaker Horseboxes | Private sale bespoke horsebox |
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
Riders who have found the right box through a yard contact, a Facebook group or a rider retiring from competition. Often the box has been owned by one careful person for years and never advertised publicly. The trigger is the opportunity itself, usually at a keener figure than a dealer would ask, with pressure to commit quickly because word travels fast in the equestrian world.
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.
Because paying the seller directly is what proves the transaction is genuine and the vehicle exists. Funds going through a buyer cannot be traced to the asset, which creates fraud risk the funder will not accept. Payment is made to the seller, normally into an account in the registered keeper’s name, against a signed invoice.
That is common and usually fine, but the paperwork has to match. If the V5C shows a company as keeper, the invoice should come from that company and payment should go to its account. Mismatches between keeper, seller and bank account are the most frequent cause of delay on private sale cases.
Yes, without hesitation. There is no dealer warranty and no comeback. An independent horsebox engineer checking the floor, ramp, chassis, brakes and living area costs a fraction of the purchase and regularly saves buyers from expensive mistakes. Funders often make it a condition on older or higher value boxes anyway.
A vehicle history check against the registration and chassis number will show finance interests, write off markers and theft records. Run one before you pay a deposit rather than after. The funder will run their own check, but discovering a problem at that stage has already cost you time and possibly a holding deposit.
Longer than a dealer would, because of the seller verification and vehicle checks. Explain this at the outset so nobody feels messed about, and gather the V5C, service history, plating certificate and any inspection reports before the application starts. Sellers usually accept a short wait if they know what is happening and why.
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.