A HORSE-rider from Ashwater believes annual services and regular check-ups on equine transport are an integral part of horse ownership and is encouraging others to take up the practice during Horsebox Safety Week.

Juliette Huckstep learnt to ride as a small child and has spent the last decade re-training racehorses for eventing. Juliette uses her trailer on a weekly basis to transport her 11-year-old thoroughbred Balgarry and believe annual services and regular check-ups should be an integral part of horse ownership.

Mrs Huckstep is supporting Horsebox Safety Week, which began on August 22 and will run until August 26. The campaign was created by NFU Mutual, The Pony Club and The National Pony Society to encourage young riders and their families to prioritise the maintenance of their horseboxes and lorries.

Horsebox Safety Week hopes to highlight seven key issues; pre-journey safety checks, old and worn tyres, rotten floor and ramps, overweight vehicles, accidents, breakdown and safe loading. Each day of the week will highlight one of seven individual safety topics through a short video.

Mrs Huckstep said: “My first trailer was quite old, and straight away it occurred to me that I should get it checked over before even thinking about putting my half-a-tonne horse in it.

“You wouldn’t expect to get in a bus or an aeroplane without being satisfied it was safe first, so it’s amazing that people don’t think to get the vehicles they put their horses in checked.”

Although horseboxes in the UK have to pass an annual MOT or ministry plating, the process does not include checks on the vehicle for its suitability or safety to carry horses. This means dangerous faults such as rotten floors or ramps can pass unnoticed. For trailers, there is no annual MOT test, meaning even greater impetus on the owner to ensure trailer safety.

Mrs Huckstep agreed that although a trailer may look to be in good shape there can always be hidden damage that could easily be missed and that is why regular checks and services are so vital. She said: “On a recent check-up the walls of my trailer were found to be damaged. I had no idea just by looking at them, so wouldn’t have known without an annual check-up.”

People can follow the campaign and take the pledge to keep their horse safe using #HorseboxSafetyWeek on Facebook and Twitter.