Horsebox floor checks urged after young horse's death

The owners of a seven-year-old thoroughbred are asking horse owners to check their horsebox and trailer floors, after losing their horse to a floor failure on the way home from his first show. Sunset Over Loule, known as Kevin, was being transported home on 18 July when a hind leg went through the floor of the lorry carrying him. His injuries were too severe to treat and he was put down. Owner Lilly Thompson and her mother Emma have chosen to share what happened, telling Horse & Hound they hope it prompts others to act before a problem becomes visible.

Their central warning is that a floor can look sound while rot and corrosion develop out of sight, on the underside of the boards or beneath rubber matting. The family's advice is practical: have floors inspected regularly by someone qualified, keep up with servicing, replace worn or damaged flooring straight away, and treat damp, rust or soft spots as warning signs rather than cosmetic wear. As Lilly put it, damage is not always visible until it is too late.

For most owners, transport is routine — shows, vet visits, moving yards — and it is easy for the vehicle to sit outside the usual welfare checklist of feed, feet and vaccinations. This story is a reminder that the lorry or trailer is part of that list. A professional floor inspection is quick to arrange and inexpensive set against what it protects. The family say at least one other owner has already booked their lorry in for a full check after hearing Kevin's story, which is exactly the outcome they hoped for.