Horse
Transportation
Transport of Animals (Cleansing and Disinfection) (England) (No 3) Order
2003
Cleansing and disinfection
Any person transporting horses shall ensure that:
- They are loaded onto a means of transport which has
been cleansed, and where necessary, disinfected
- Any soiled litter and excreta are removed as soon
as practicable
(Pet, non-commercial etc. exemption no longer
applies)
The Welfare of Animals
(Transport) (England) Order 2006
Horses shall not be transported in a way which
causes or is likely to cause them injury or unnecessary suffering, e.g.
vehicles must be of sound construction, have non-slip floors, no sharp
projections, and have adequate space to allow the horses to stand in their
normal position.
A horse shall not be transported unless it is fit
for the intended journey. A
horse shall not be considered fit if:
- It is ill, injured, infirm, fatigued or has given
birth during the previous week
- It is new-born and its navel is not completely
healed, or,
- Is a mare which is beyond 90% of its gestation
period or for any other reason, unless it is transported direct to the nearest
available place for veterinary treatment or diagnosis.
Note:
Registered Horses are exempt
from the regulation prohibiting the transport of pregnant females beyond 90% of
their gestation period and transporting mares with their newly born foals if:
- The
journey is to improve the health and welfare conditions of the birth and
- If
accompanied throughout the journey by a dedicated attendant.
A horse may not be dragged or pushed by any means,
or lifted by a mechanical device unless under the supervision and in the
presence of a veterinary surgeon who is arranging for it to be transported with
all practicable speed to a place for veterinary treatment.
Where horses are not led into, or out of a vehicle,
the loading ramp must be provided with protection on each side, sufficient to
prevent them from falling off or escaping. Ramps must not have an angle
exceeding 20 degrees and must be fitted with foot battens or otherwise to
prevent slipping.
Precautions in the form of partitions must be fitted to
support the horses and prevent them being thrown about by the motion of the
vehicle.
The 2006 Order has no further implications for the
transport of pet horses, including privately owned horses used for recreational
purposes, unless the transport is of a commercial nature.
Commercial journeys:
Anyone transporting horses in connection with an economic activity must
comply with the following ‘EconomicActivity’ will include farmers, livestock hauliers, those who
move domestic equines in connection with professional riding, livery, breeding
or racing.
If you employ a groom to
drive your vehicle, you will almost certainly need to comply with the
following.
For journeys over 65km and under eight hours
- Hold a transporter authorisation (Type 1) issued by
DEFRA
- Ensure that drivers and attendants are in
possession of a certificate of competence
- Complete an animal transport document (ATD)
For journeys over 65km and over eight hours transporters must:
- Have a long journey transporter authorisation (Type
2) issued by DEFRA
- Ensure the vehicle used has been inspected and
approved
- Ensure that contingency plans are in place in the
event of an emergency
- Ensure a journey log is completed for journeys
going outside the UK (this
does not include registered horses)
- Complete an ATD if journey is within the UK
- Drivers and attendants are in possession of a certificate
of competence
Construction:
Vehicles used for the transport of horses shall be
designed, constructed, maintained and operated so as to:
- Avoid injury and suffering and to ensure the safety
of the animals
- Protect the animals from inclement weather and
extreme temperatures
- Prevent the animals escaping or falling out
- Ensure the air quality and quantity appropriate to
the species transported can be maintained
- Provide access to the animals to allow inspection
- Minimise the leakage of urine or faeces
- Provide a means of lighting sufficient for
inspection of the animals
- Provide sufficient space inside the animal
compartment to ensure that there is adequate ventilation above the animals when
they are standing in their natural position
- Have anti-slip flooring and ramps with foot battens
- Have partitions strong enough to withstand the
weight of the horse, with fittings designed for quick and easy operation.
- Be clearly marked to indicate the presence of live
animals
Vehicles used for the transport of horses over
eight hours must be inspected and approved by an authorised body.
Except
in an approved vehicle, no horse may be transported on a journey in excess of
eight hours (except Registered horses).
In an approved vehicle,
horses may be transported for 24 hours, provided that, at eight-hour intervals,
they are given liquid and, if necessary, fed. At the end of the 24-hour period
of transport horses must be rested for at least 24 hours.
Registered Horses:
- Must be registered with a recognised breed society
or company such as Wetherbys , transporters must be able to show to an
Inspector that the horse’s are registered
- Registered horses not going to market or slaughter
are exempt from the requirement for journey logs, watering and feeding
intervals, journey times and rest periods and ATDs
General:
- Horses may not be transported in a vehicle with
more than one deck in operation. Minimum internal height shall be 75cm higher
than the height of the withers of the highest animal.
- When transported in groups, horses older than eight
months must wear halters (unless they are unbroken).
- Unbroken horses shall not be transported in groups
of more than four individual horses.
- Tied animals shall be transported separately from
untied animals.
- A stallion or a mare with a foal at foot may not be
transported in the same undivided vehicle as any other horse (unless the horses
were raised in compatible groups, are accustomed to each other or where
separation will cause distress).
- During transport, horses must be accompanied by an
ATD, giving details of the journey and the horses being transported. Persons
transporting their own horses, within their own means of transport, for a
distance of less than 50km from their holding, are exempt from this
requirement.
Please Note
This webpage is not an authoritative interpretation
of the law and is intended for guidance only.
For further information please
contact your local Trading Standards Service
