Heading off to a stay-away show involves a lot of preparation. There are so many things to think about, and whilst security might not be top of your list, it should feature highly amongst the buckets, rugs, tack etc. (and that’s just for your horse!). Keeping you, your horse, your belongings and those around you safe should be a priority. Here are some ways you can put safety first at a stay-away show:
How to keep your tack safe
Sadly, most equestrians have heard about tack thefts. As a result, a lot of people in the horse world are looking for ways to deter thieves and make sure their tack is as safe as possible when they are staying away from home for a show, training or camp.
Before you leave home, consider data tagging your tack so that it’s marked with a unique fingerprint enabling it to be identified as yours and only yours.
Often, people keep their tack in a tack locker whilst they are out and about away from home. This is a popular choice as everything is in one place and portable tack lockers make getting all that you need down to the stables nice and easy. Consequently, the downside of a tack locker is that it makes it quite straightforward for thieves to identify where tack is likely to be stored and therefore where to try their luck at gaining access. It may be worth moving your tack inside your lorry, rather than leaving it in external tack lockers.
Some ways to make your external tack more secure in a tack locker and deter thieves might include:
- Using a battery-powered audible alarm in your tack locker and signage externally to explain this is in place. You could also put an alarm in the living if your tack was moved here and you were sleeping elsewhere.
- Consider changing the lock on the tack locker and external living door. Some locks fitted by the manufacturers are fairly generic, therefore someone else’s key may fit and work to open it.
- Padlock your ramp, for the reasons above
If you are using a portable tack locker, whether it’s being kept in your lorry/trailer or down at the stables, there are some extra considerations:
- Secure your portable tack locker to the floor or to your stable, so the whole thing cannot just be picked up and taken
- Also secure a chain around the doors so even if the lock is accessed, the doors will not open for the tack to be taken
Many of the suggestions above are with insurance in mind. For Tack insurance with KBIS, there must be sign of forcible entry or exit in order for a claim to be paid. This means that in the event of a tack locker or lorry/trailer being unlocked and your tack being stolen it would not be covered. Following the above suggestions will likely make you less of a target for thieves plus it will demonstrate to insurers that every possible precaution was taken to keep the tack safe in the event that it is stolen and a claim needs to be submitted. Although you are away from home, make sure you still follow any security requirements stipulated by the insurer so that you are covered if the worst happens and your tack is stolen.
In addition, be vigilant about not leaving equipment on the ramp or next to your lorry or trailer whilst you are untacking or popping inside the lorry for anything. These instances would not meet terms for a claim to be paid as there would be no evidence of forcible entry or exit. Similarly, it would not be covered if your tack is inside the lorry but the back ramp is not locked and is dropped allowing access without forcible entrance or exit, so make sure you have all possible precautions in place at all times.
If this has got you thinking about insuring tack that isn’t already covered, it’s worth checking if your home insurers cover this under ‘sporting goods’. If they don’t, or the cover offered isn’t sufficient, you can either add tack cover onto a Horse insurance policy with KBIS or take out standalone tack cover through our Property team.
For the purposes of the insurance, keep hold of receipts when new tack is purchased and consider asking your saddle fitter to note down an approximate current market value of your tack when they visit for their annual saddle fit checks. As the cover provided is market value at the time of loss, rather than new for old cover, this helps to support the valuation of any stolen tack is worth which can be tricky to do retrospectively.
Now, it’s not just tack to think about…
How to keep your trailer and horsebox safe at stay-away shows
If you are taking your trailer to a stay-away show with you when parked up secure it with a hitch lock or wheel clamp. You can also data tag your trailer in advance of the show to mean it can be identified as yours.
When going away in a horsebox, it’s simple but really important to keep all entrance points locked at all times, that’s the driver’s side door, passenger door, external living door and the ramp(s).
On arrival, make sure you park up with enough space around you to tie your horse to the side if needed and allow for those on either side of you to do the same. Whilst your horse will spend most of their time at the stable, having room to tie him up to the trailer or horsebox briefly on arrival or when you are almost ready to leave will be handy.
Whilst not directly needed whilst staying at the show, ensuring you have adequate Breakdown cover before setting off is important. Should you break down on route to or from the show, having cover that will include transporting your horses home again is invaluable.
What else should I consider before heading to a stay-away show?
Think safety first. Your horse won’t be used to the environment so be sensible when leading him around throughout the show. Give your horse time to take it all in and allow longer to warm up to account for this.
Make sure you have adequate Public Liability insurance in case your horse gets away from you and causes an incident that involves a third party (i.e. someone that’s not involved in the show). These types of claim, which include both third-party bodily injury and property damage, can settle for millions of pounds so it is vital to have adequate insurance in place to protect yourself.
Lastly, just enjoy it and have fun! Head home with pricked ears and a smile. That’s what it’s all for.
Looking for more advice? Read all about other types of insurance you should consider when heading out and about.