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Inspection and approval of animal transportation vehicles

Vehicle inspection and approval is a legal requirement where journeys are over eight hours and involve transporting unregistered horses and ponies.

Inspection and approval requirements also extend to trailers used to transport.

Additionally, you must have your vehicle inspected and approved to transport registered horses and ponies if either of the following apply:

  • the journey will exceed eight hours and pass through and/or deliver to an EU country where valid approval certificates are a requirement
  • the journey will exceed 12 hours

Satellite navigation and tracking systems

Vehicles used to transport unregistered domestic equidae on long journeys must be equipped with a satellite navigation tracking system. In the UK, this legal requirement currently applies to:

  • export/dispatch journeys that exceed eight hours
  • journeys that exceed 12 hours

Ventilation and temperature monitoring

Vehicles used to transport domestic equidae for export journeys over eight hours or journeys over 12 hours must have special ventilation and temperature monitoring equipment. The functionality of this equipment must include:

  • sensors to monitor and record the temperature within the animal compartment, positioned where conditions are likely to be worst
  • the ability to maintain the temperature within the animal compartment between 5°C and 30°C (+/- 5°C)
  • a warning system to alert the driver if the temperature in the animal compartment reaches the maximum or minimum limit
  • a ventilation system with a minimum airflow of nominal capacity of 60 cubic metres per hour per kilo Newton of payload that can operate independently of the vehicle engine for at least four hours

14th July 2016

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