Driving Licences for Horseboxes

 (and a few other important details)

Driving licence rules are very simple but there several little things that are handy to know.  

In the UK, years ago, you could pass your test in an Austin Metro or Vauxhall Nova in the morning and then take your horses to a show using lorry and a trailer in the afternoon.  The rules changed in February 1997, and the UK – along with other EU countries – introduced new categories of driving licence: 

B – a car licence, you can drive a car or van up to 3.5 tonnes (e.g. a transit van)

C1 – a licence to drive large van/small lorry up to 7.5 tonnes

C – a licence to drive vehicles we describe as "rigid HGV", things bigger than 3.5t and beyond 7.5t

If you passed your test before February 1997, you automatically got the B and C1 entitlement under grandfather rights.  Some of the older terms are still used.  For example, a Class 1 HGV is the old term for driving an articulated lorry; now you need a C+E licence. 

Any of these rigid licences will allow you to tow a trailer that has a MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) or up to 750kg.  Horsebox trailers tend to have a MAM of between 1500kg and 3000kg. 

Is it true that you can tow bigger trailers on a car licence without taking a trailer test?

The B category licence (ordinary car licence) will allow you to two bigger trailers, so long as two rules are met:

1)       That when you add the MAM of your car and the MAM of your trailer together, the total is no more than 3500kg.

2)      That the MAM of your trailer is not more than the unladen or kerb mass of your car.

For example, some compact 4x4s (such as a Toyota RAV 4) will have a MAM of around 2000kg and an unladen mass of 1500kg.  This will allow you to tow a trailer of up to 1500kg.

1)       MAM of car + MAM of trailer            =             2000+1500 = 3500kg        RULE 1 OK

2)      Unladen mass of car = 1500kg.  The trailers MAM isn’t bigger than this so   RULE 2 OK

Smaller car-trailer combinations may not need a trailer licence

Realistically, this sort of setup will only be suitable to those carrying a horse no bigger than 15hh, using lightweight single horse trailer.  If you have a lightweight trailer, you can ask the manufacturer to downrate the MAM of the trailer so you can be legal, but you must ensure that you don’t overload the trailer to take it over the lower MAM. 

Also, ensure that your car is capable of towing your trailer, as you are not allowed to tow a trailer that is heavier than what the car manufacturer has stipulated (usually by giving a gross train weight - the weight of your car and trailer together; others give a specific trailer weight. 

Taking a C1 Test

There are many firms offering training courses for C1 driving licences and are popular amongst horsebox owners and ambulance drivers. 

A C1 licence will permit you to drive a van or small lorry up to 7500kg (7.5 tonne).  You can also tow a trailer that has a MAM of 750kg or less. 

C1 licence training and tests are often done in larger
vans of about 5 tonnes with car-like controls

To get a C1 licence is almost as complex as getting a fully-blown "rigid HGV" or C category licence: you still have to have a medical, pass a lorry drivers’ theory test and then complete an extended practical driving test.  Some people therefore prefer to train full "rigid HGV" (C category) licence, rather than the C1. 

However, a C1 driving test can be passed in a large van, such as an up-rated Ford Transit, Iveco Daily or Mercedes Sprinter.  These have similar driving set-ups to cars, such as having five or six speed gearboxes, simple braking systems, and so on.  A "HGV" will have two ranges of gears, retarder braking systems, air brakes, etc.  Vans are also a bit smaller.

Because of these differences, it is cheaper (and usually easier) to train and pass in the C1 category. 

Trailer licences

When you pass either a B or a C1/C category licence, you are automatically given a provisional licence for your respective trailer licence (i.e. B+E or C1+E). 

You don't have to take a medical or a theory test if you're adding trailer entitlement (unless your adding full trailer entitlement to a restricted C1+E obtained through grandfather rights - see below).  The practical test is extended, and includes reversing manoeuvres.    

Passing a B+E licence allows you to tow any trailer that doesn't have a mass bigger than 3500kg. (It used to be "any trailer" - so some engineers were making mini-articulated lorries using vans as tractor units, but the Department for Transport have closed that loophole.)

If you already have a B+E licence, you aren't automatically allowed to tow with your C1 or C test; you have to take a further towing test for this category.  However, if you do pass a C1+E or C+E trailer test, then trailer entitlement will be added to your car licence (so you get B+E too) if you don't have it already. 

A C1 licence allows you drive a 7.5t lorry with a
trailer with a MAM of no more than 750kg.  This combination
would need a tachograph as it is over 7.5t

A C1+E licence allows you to tow any size trailer, so long as the combined MAM (the tow vehicle MAM plus trailer's physical weight at the time is no more than 12000kg (12 tonnes).

If you passed your licence before 1997, you have a C1+E entitlement, but with a restriction.  You can tow a trailer behind a vehicle, but the combination MAM (the tow vehicle MAM plus trailer MAM) must not be bigger than 8250 and the MAM of the trailer must not be more than the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. You can remove this restriction by taking the C1+E test, but you'll need to pass a medical and do the lorry theory first. 

If your lorry and trailer combination are over 7500kg (7.5t) you will need a tachograph and observe driver hour’s rules, even if it is for private use.  

Supervising a learner driver

A rule brought in recently now means that you can only supervise a learner driver if you've passed the test in that specific category.  So if you have C1 or C1+E entitlement thorough grandfather rights, you'll have to pass the tests yourself before you can teach others. 

Trailer MAMs and the Law

I called the DVLA to check the rules.  They were insistent that your trailer’s rated MAM, rather than what is physically weighing on the day, is what matters when you are considering your driving licence.

For example, if you have a 1000kg MAM trailer that weighs 600kg when you load it up, you could be prosecuted for driving without a valid licence, even though it physically weighs less than your 750kg entitlement. 

The good news is that most manufacturers will provide a replacement plate with a lower MAM, so long as the trailer and its components are capable of going down that low.

VOSA, on the other hand, will regard what it physically weighs, rather than the MAM (assuming your trailer isn’t overloaded anyway!) if it checks your trailer against the towing ability of your car.

Manufacturer's plates

For example, if you have a car that is rated to 1500kg by its manufacturer, you are perfectly OK to tow a trailer that has a MAM of 2000kg, so long as it is never loaded above 1500kg (and you have the appropriate licence, of course). 

The MAM of the trailer can be found on the manufacturer’s plate (which all trailers have been legally required to have since 1983) and this is found on the A frame, close to the towing hitch.

DISCLAIMER - I'm not a lawyer, nor a government official.  Check with these if you want definitive answers; this is as much as I think I know.

Volkswagen 1989 Marketing Brochure: For Horse and Rider

Here's a few pages from an interesting brochure from Volkswagen (published around 1989), promoting some of their vehicles for equestrian use.


It's entitled Volkswagen fur Ross unt Reiter - which roughly translates as "for rider and steed".

I don't know if they did an English language version of this, but the TriStar (double cab 4x4) was ahead of its time back then. 

 

Horseboxes in Sweden

Sweden in a country with a  very strong tradition of horsemanship.  I visited southern Sweden in 2010, starting off in the wonderful city of Malmo, before moving inland to Lund and to see the National Stud and Equestrian College at Flyinge.

 
Firstly, here some photos taken a couple of years ago at the Malmö City Horse Show.  The venue is right in the heart of this wonderful little city.  It will be hosting the European Eventing Championships in 2013.

Gimmel is a German horsebox manufacturer. 
Note the elevating roof section over the centre of the lorry - quite possibly for a groom's bunk over the bathroom.

The horse show seemed to have two main events:  An international FEI three day eventing competition and a local pony club meet.  See if you can guess which horseboxes belong to which event.  

There were quite of few of these little single-axle trailers, pulled by modestly-sized family cars.

This is actually a 7.5t motorhome towing a simple horse trailer. 

The area around Flyinge must be some of the most horsey in the world.  So between visiting the wonderful equestrian estate at the Swedish state stud and equestrian college, I managed to snap a few pictures of horse transport solutions.

VW Transporter and single-axle horse trailer

VW Transporter and single-axle horse trailer

German built high spec. horsebox

A very large horse trailer and a small 4x4

Horsebox Stalls: How Big Should They Be?

Obviously, this depends on the size of your horse or pony.  It also depends, to a lesser extent, on the shape of your horse (one horse may have a longer body and higher neck than a horse of the same height, measured to the withers).  Let’s use the example of a 16hh horse (with a fairly standard shape!) for the time being.

Are the sizes of horsebox stalls really fit for purpose? 
Scientific research would suggest otherwise.

In the horsebox trade, manufacturers and dealers alike will give you dimensions that have been used for time immemorial.  It’s what has always been done.  It generally works for most horses and most people, most of the time. 

However, packing people into London Tube carriages seems to work for most of the people, most of the time. 

If we want our horses to arrive in top condition for competition, our horseboxes need to exceed these standards.  We don’t like arriving at our destinations tired, dehydrated with aching muscles and a snotty nose, so why should our horses?  Does your horse really feel comfortable in that space?  Does it feel calm and happy facing that way?  Is it going to arrive feeling fit and healthy? 

Sadly, we can’t ask them.  Horses will probably only reject what is totally intolerable in the first instance, rather than just uncomfortable in the long term. 

There has been some scientific research and informed writing on what horsebox stalls should provide for horses to be safe and content.  Much of this has been to analyse and promote the welfare of horses being transported for slaughter – they discuss minimum standard (again, as competitors we need to ensure we’re giving our horses the best.)

Does your horse really feel comfortable in that space?  Does it feel calm and happy facing that way?  Is it going to arrive feeling fit and healthy? 

What is the ideal size for a horsebox stall?

This is a tricky thing to define as we usually only measure one thing:  the height of a horse’s withers.  What about the height it needs from hooves to ears?  What about the length of a horse? 

In a document publised to promote greater welfare of horses in transit to slaughter, World Horse Welfare (WHW), describe the average length (from tail to nose) of a sample of 15 horses (equidae over 14.2hh) as 2.4m.   However, this measurement would have been taken when the horse was standing, its head raised and – critically – not moving.

WHW very reasonably suggest that additional space is needed to permit the horse to move its head and neck freely, so that it can improve its balance. 

Horses have evolved to spend most of their time with their noses to the ground, eating grass.  Being able to lower its head is natural and comfortable. According to scientific research (Cjrieger, 1982; Clark et al 1993), a not only does a horse find it tiring to have their head raised, but it finds it more difficult to keep its balance.

Moreover, in this position, their airways are not able to drain effectively and keep clear of mucus and dirt.  If this doesn’t happen, it increases the chances of the horse developing an infection (Racklyeft and Love, 1990).

This pony shouldn't feel too claustrophobic in his transport.

It is therefore important that horses have stalls that are longer than 2.4m.  WHW recommended that horses should have stalls 0.8m longer than their length (bigger horses will be longer than 2.4m) for a horse to have the necessary space to.  This brings the necessary length for a horse stall to over 3m (10’).

How about width?  Well horses can lean against partitions or walls to improve stability, but evidence suggests horses would prefer to use spread their legs (as nature intended).  WHW suggest 0.3m of space on each side of horse, which seems perfectly reasonable given the size of horses. I’ve not been able to find the average width of horse – I suppose this is even more variable. 

A very interesting book published in the US (Scheve and Scheve, 1998) suggested horses need at least 3’ (0.9m) stall width to provide them with sufficient room.  If you consider most traditional American horses are a little smaller than our modern Warmblood breeds, then perhaps the stall width ought to be a little bigger, say 1m wide or more. 

And what about height?  The WATO (Welfare ofAnimals Transport Order) guidance tends to be a bit limited; just 1.98m minimum height when horses travel in livestock carriers (more usually designed for farm animals like cattle or pigs). 

A small study by Canadian scientists (Whiting and Sauder, 2000) suggests that horses hoof to poll height tended to be up to 135% of their withers height.  In other words, a 16hh horse needs to have a 2.2m high container.  Extra headroom would no bad thing either, as it can only help to improve safety and air circulation.

Your horse may be perfectly OK in your traditional stalls.  But roomier stalls make for healthier and happier horses and the best athletes beat their rivals by making important marginal gains. 

Introduction to This Blog

This blog is about transporting horses.

I am an equestrian and an unrepentant anorak.

Function and form need to go hand-in-hand when it comes to the designing vehicles for transporting horses.  Designers, engineers and craftsmen have to work creatively to produce good horse transport that's totally fit for purpose.

Most horseboxes, particularly in the UK, are produced by small firms or traders which follow a few basic "rules of thumb" to produce tried and tested designs using tried and tested materials.  When you have no R&D budget, this makes economic sense.  Horse owners too are, understandably, conservative when it comes to design; they want something safe for their horses and safe for their wallet.

A nicely liveried truck and trailer horsebox combination

There are a few examples, here and there, that push that much clichéd design envelope a little bit further.  This blog will celebrate clever design and outstanding craftsmanship.

In horsebox design and operation, engineering and regulatory constraints are manifold.  Driving licence rules, tachograph rules, operators licences, Welfare of Animals Transport Order (WATO) regulations and Road Vehicle Construction and Use (C&U) Regs are all there to make our roads safer and our horses happy.  This blog will elaborate on these.

There's also a growing catalogue of research and publications on the welfare and health of horses in transport.  Although mainly concerned with the welfare of horses in transport for slaughter, the physical health and emotional well being of  our cherished sports horse is no less important.  This blog will report such research.. 

And I've got pictures.  Lots of pictures.