What are the rules for transporting racehorses?

Transportation, in Britain, to Europe, or further afield can be a stressful experience for racehorses and, as such, is subject to a whole raft of rules and regulations. Some of them relate to transporting live animals, in general, and some of them relate specifically to transporting racehorses for commercial purposes.

For example, unless you are travelling directly for veterinary diagnosis or treatment, you should not transport a horse that is not fit, in terms of fatigue, illness or injury, for the intended journey. In any case, you should not transport a horse in anything other than a clean, spacious vehicle, which is fit for purpose and unlikely to cause injury or distress. Of course, you must keep a valid identification document, or equine passport, with a horse whenever it is transported.

Racehorses are most often transported to and from racecourses, in horse boxes or horse lorries, by trainers acting on behalf of the hours. Racehorse trainers may or may not employ grooms to drive such vehicles but, either way, further regulations apply to horses being transported as part of a business or, in other words, for economic activity.

Depending on the distance, duration and final destination of the journey, in addition to a goods vehicle operator’s licence, businesses may need to hold a transporter authorisation, issued by the Department for Environment,Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and complete an Animal Transport Certificate (ATC), issued by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Other requirements include a certificate of vehicle approval and certificates of competence for drivers and attendants.