Rules for travelling horses: licences, vehicles and paperwork

The rules for driving horses around depend on three things: the size of your vehicle, when you passed your driving test, and whether any money is involved. This guide covers Great Britain. Licence categories are different in Northern Ireland, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own animal welfare in transport guidance.

The rules change from time to time, so always check your own licence and the current guidance on GOV.UK. The BHS also notes that its transport pages aren't legal advice.

Know your vehicle's weight

Licences, weight limits and many other rules depend on the vehicle's maximum authorised mass (MAM): the most it may weigh when fully loaded. DVLA says it's listed in the owner's manual and is normally shown on a plate or sticker on the vehicle or trailer.

A car also has a gross train weight: the most the fully loaded car and fully loaded trailer may weigh together. It's usually on the vehicle identification number (VIN) plate, under the bonnet or inside the driver's door. DVLA says that if the plate doesn't list a train weight, you shouldn't use the car for towing.

What you can drive

Towing a trailer with a car

What DVLA says you can tow on a car licence depends on when you got it:

If you don't have category BE on your physical licence, DVLA will add it the next time you renew. To tow heavier combinations, you need category C1E, which means passing the lorry theory test and the C1E driving test. You can check which categories you hold by viewing your driving licence information on GOV.UK.

The BHS strongly recommends training if you're new to towing a trailer, or haven't towed for a while.

Driving a horsebox

DVSA's guidance says you'll need an HGV licence for a horsebox with a MAM over 3,500kg. To get one, you need to pass the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) theory test (part 1) and the off-road and on-road driving tests (parts 3a and 3b). If driving is the main part of your job, you also need to pass parts 2 and 4.

If you passed your car test before 1997, your licence may already include C1. DVLA's comparison of old and new licence categories lists C1 among the categories that older car licences carry, so check your licence information. The BHS points out that this C1 entitlement isn't renewed automatically at 70: drivers can apply to keep it, but must meet the higher medical standard for lorry drivers.

Speed limits

DVSA says horseboxes must follow the speed limits for goods vehicles. Outside built-up areas, unless signs show a lower limit, those are:

When towing, you mustn't drive in the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes. Goods vehicles with a maximum laden weight over 3.5 tonnes must have a speed limiter fitted.

MOTs and checks

DVSA says every horsebox needs an MOT every year. The type depends on its weight: there's one MOT for horseboxes of 3,500kg or less and another for heavier ones. The BHS adds that horseboxes over 3.5 tonnes should have an up-to-date plating certificate, and that all vehicles used for towing need a current MOT.

DVSA also says to:

• have your horsebox checked and serviced regularly by a qualified mechanic
• inspect the floor, including under the matting or plates
• carry out daily walkaround checks: the HGV checks for a horsebox over 3,500kg, or the van checks for a lighter one
• check the stalls, partitions, breast bars and loading ramps
• carry out safety checks on a trailer every time you tow it

You can get a free safety check for a trailer of 3,500kg or less through the National Trailer and Towing Association. For a full list of checks, see travelling your horse safely.

Tachographs and drivers' hours

DVSA's guidance for horsebox owners says you must use a tachograph if your vehicle weighs more than 3,500kg, and follow drivers' hours rules if you use a vehicle over 3,500kg, or use any vehicle commercially.

DVSA's detailed guidance on drivers' hours adds an exemption: vehicles, or vehicle and trailer combinations, up to 7.5 tonnes used for non-commercial carriage. It gives transporting horses as part of a leisure pursuit as an example. Non-commercial means no payment of any kind, directly or indirectly, and nothing linked to a business. Above 7.5 tonnes, or once your journey is commercial, the rules apply.

When money is involved

DVSA counts all of these as commercial use:

• being paid, directly or indirectly, to transport horses
• winning prize money at competitions
• using a horsebox for a business

Being paid indirectly can include a club membership subscription, or paying for another service that includes transporting the horses.

Operator licence

DVSA says you'll usually need a goods vehicle operator licence if you use a horsebox or horse trailer commercially and its combined gross plated weight is over 3,500kg in the UK, or 2,500kg in Europe. You need one even if you only use the vehicle commercially for a day. The type depends on whether you own the horses and where you travel:

You don't need an operator licence if you only transport horses for non-commercial purposes, such as leisure. DVSA carries out roadside checks and can impound a vehicle without the right operator licence.

Transporter authorisation and certificate of competence

APHA's guidance defines a transporter as anyone who transports animals, for themselves or someone else, in connection with an economic activity. Defra's list of economic activities includes professional horse riders. For journeys over 65km, transporters need:

• A transporter authorisation: type 1 for journeys up to 8 hours, type 2 for longer. Authorisations come from APHA and last up to 5 years.
• A certificate of competence for transporting horses, from an accredited course provider. An attendant travelling with you needs one too.

Journeys over 8 hours also need a certificate of vehicle approval. Transporters must also carry an animal transport certificate: a written record of the horses' origin and ownership, where and when the journey started, where it's going, and how long it's expected to take. Keep a copy for at least 6 months after the journey.

If you hire someone to transport your horse, Defra says you must make sure they hold a transporter authorisation for horses. An authorised transporter should let you see their documents.

Rules for everyone

Whatever you drive, and whether or not money is involved:

• The welfare rules: Defra's guidance says that anyone transporting animals must plan the journey and keep it as short as possible, make sure the animals are fit to travel, check them during the journey, and give them enough floor space and height. You must not transport animals in a way that is likely to cause injury or unnecessary suffering.
• The passport: you must keep a valid passport with your horse at all times, including when you move it, says Defra.
• No passengers in the back: the BHS says it's illegal to travel in the back of a trailer or horsebox with your horse.
• Weight limits: never exceed your vehicle's or trailer's maximum weight. The travelling with horses page has a payload calculator.