Transport

TRAVELLING

By Equi-trek

YOUR HORSE

Leading horsebox and trailer manufacturer, Equi-Trek, shares advice on travelling horses to ensure a safe and stress-free journey for you and your horse.

Preparing your horse for travel Correctly fit leg and tail protection and make sure you use a leather headcollar as it will break more easily than a nylon one in an emergency. Choose an appropriate rug for the temperature outside but don’t over-rug – sweating due to excess heat is worse that a horse that is a bit cool. Check you have any documentation you will need for your journey and be sure you won’t exceed your payload. Equi-Trek has the market leading payload on all models due to the use of carbon fibre technology and the fact that this saves at least 100kg as well as being completely wood free. Pre-travel vehicle checks It goes without saying that all horseboxes and trailers must be correctly maintained and serviced in line with the manufacturer’s warranty. Regular checks must be made to tyres, brakes, fluid levels, windscreen wipers, lights, battery, and ramp. It is important to remember that not all manufacturers use aluminium flooring like EquiTrek do. Thoroughly check your vehicle or trailer before every trip and adjust the partition so it is in the correct place for your horse. Ensure any haynets are correctly tied and are high up so the horse can’t become tangled in one. Make sure you don’t forget to pack the essentials such as food, water, rugs and a horse and rider first aid kit. Loading your horse Always load in a quiet and secure area and ensure your vehicle or trailer is parked on flat ground so that the ramp is level. Never rush loading and allow plenty of time so your horse is calm and relaxed when setting off. If the horse is difficult to load make sure you have someone on hand to help you and always load with suitable footwear, gloves and a hat. Many horses don’t load well with a split half ramp as there is too much for them to process all at once – not only are they stepping on to the ramp but they are also putting their head into the horse box and moving straight inside. A low and inviting full ramp allows the horse to get all four hooves onto the ramp before going inside, breaking the process down. Safety doors either side of the ramp are important and so is a heavy duty slip resistant ramp with treads. Also a lot of horses prefer a side loading ramp as the space they are being asked to go into is open and inviting. Secure the horse to a breakable tie inside and make sure they are tied on a short length so they can’t turn around. Advice during transit

• Drive as smoothly as possible

with gradual acceleration/deceleration and gentle braking, if towing a trailer ensure that the trailer is in line with your vehicle before accelerating away from corners or roundabouts. A useful analogy is to drive as if you have a glass of water on the dash board and you are trying not to spill it.

• Make sure there is good

ventilation in the horse area

• Open all available ventilation

even in winter and rug your horse to maintain a reasonable temperature. Unloading the horse Park in a quiet, secure area and give your horse some time to settle before unloading. Make sure you are parked on a flat surface so the ramp is level. Allow plenty of time and stay calm so your horse doesn’t rush and unloads slowly making sure you encourage them to walk to the end of the ramp rather than jump off. A full ramp makes unloading easier as there is room for the horse to come down slowly and not rush on.

Travel top tips

• Aid hydration by providing a soaked haynet during

transport, soaked hay or haylage will also help with air quality

• Always carry extra food and

water (for horses and people) in case your journey is delayed

• Make sure you have a basic equine first aid kit on board

to treat any minor injuries

• For long journeys make stops to offer food and water

and untie your horse’s head to give them a chance to stretch down which may help to clear the airways

• Arrive at your destination in

plenty of time to allow the horse to relax and get used to his new surroundings before you tack up to ride.

www.equi-trek.com

MOVING HORSES

TO THE EU What’s the situation?

New regulations for moving horses to and from the EU recently came into effect and the team at British Equestrian have provided an update on how the new processes are working in practice, some of the difficulties being experienced by those on the ground and what’s being done to improve the situation.

The UK has left the EU single market and customs union and, as of 1st January 2021, operates under a free trade agreement for the import and export of goods, including horses for any purpose. We have been given ‘third country’ status, which brings with it a series of rules and requirements which we now have to work with when travelling horses abroad.

What’s new? In order to meet the regulatory requirements of moving horses from a third country such as the UK to the EU, even if only on a temporary basis, we now need to make sure that horses have: • Pre-travel residency or isolation • Blood tests and export health certificates • Customs declarations or carnets The British Equestrian pre-travel checklist is a helpful starting point for making your first journey under the new requirements. It lists all the steps you’ll need to take in the build-up to departure, with tick boxes. For those travelling horses as an economic activity - for example, professional riders travelling to a competition - it’s now necessary to have legal status in the EU, which includes an inspection certificate for your vehicle carried out in the EU, transporter and handler authorisations, and certificates of professional competency issued in the EU, in addition to the UK equivalents that were in place pre-Brexit. What do these changes mean? • That there is a greater paperwork burden involved in preparing for your journey • Trips need to be planned much further in advance • The use of an approved shipper is strongly recommended • The overall journey time has increased due to more checks required on paperwork, the vehicle and horses being carried out. As a result, it’s estimated that overall travel costs have increased by between 220% and 320%, depending on if you use a ferry or the Eurotunnel. The British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) has also reported that there have been issues for those carrying their own feed and bedding on the crossing to Europe, either on the lorry with horses or in a separate shipment. They recommend carrying a commercial invoice to show that the goods have been purchased in the UK and have warned that you could be liable for VAT changes on arrival. If you’re taking items into Europe which will be returned, use a carnet or duplicate list with the relevant forms to avoid VAT or duty on return.

www.britishequestrian.org.uk

REVOLUTIONISING TRANSPORT: HORSEBOXHUB

HorseboxHub promises to streamline the process of transporting horses across the UK and Europe - for both owners and transporters - by enable horse transporters to advertise their empty return journeys in one place, giving horse owners the option to choose a cheaper and more environmentally conscious way to move their horse.

In addition, horse owners can submit details of their journey into the HorseboxHub platform to receive quotes from horse transporters in real-time. This means that if an empty return load is unavailable on the day of their desired journey, they can instead receive quotes from a wide range of horse transporters.

www.horseboxhub.com