Have Horse Will Travel

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Have Horse Will Travel
BY WENDY TALBOT ON 15 JUNE 2022
Have horse will travel
Transporting horses safely needs careful planning. Not only do you need a suitable trailer or horsebox but you also need the appropriate driving qualification the right equipment plenty of time and patience and ideally a spare pair of hands.
Trailer or lorry?
Whether you opt for a trailer or a horsebox its imperative to ensure that the vehicle is safe secure properly maintained and regularly serviced.

Towing
If you plan to tow a trailer you must first check the designated towing vehicles towing capacity. Ideally the fully laden weight of the trailer should be no heavier than 85 of the tow car advises the RAC You also need to check that you are qualified to tow If you passed your driving test on or after 1 January 1997 you will need to pass an additional test you can find out more via the DVLA.
Driving a lorry
If you have a category B driving licence and took your driving test before 1 January 1997 you can drive a vehicle of 3 5 tonnes and up to 7 5 tonnes maximum authorised mass MAM. For those who took their test on or after 1 January 1997 an additional passenger carrying vehicle PCV test is needed. To drive a lorry of more than 7 5 tonnes an LVG HGV licence is needed.
Understanding MAM payload and curb weight
The maximum authorised mass of a horsebox or trailer includes the weight of the vehicle and everything inside horses people water fuel and so on.
Payload capacity is the maximum weight that can be safely loaded on or into a vehicle.
Curb weight is the weight of the vehicle without any cargo or passengers.
Be a good driver
A good driver makes for a good journey for the horse and will help to encourage confidence and a willingness to travel in the future. Make sure you take corners gently and stop and accelerate slowly to give your horse a smooth ride. Leave plenty of time for your journey and ideally persuade a friend to accompany you in case of emergency.
Travel training
Aside from being able to take your horse out and about to shows and events making sure he is happy to load and travel could be a lifesaver if you ever need to get to a veterinary surgery for emergency treatment.
Every experience in the lorry or trailer should