3 hour towing rule?

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Strawberryzz

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Hi everyone,

Is there a rule/law that says you must have a special license to tow a trailer for more than 3 hours?
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My pony is due to be collected on Sunday for a 250 mile trip to Somerset. This has been arranged for a month and my current YO is expecting a free stable, and has a pony waiting to move in.

My best friend is coming to collect my girl as due to financial reasons I can no longer keep her. The loan of a trailer was agreed over a month ago and now at the last minute the owner of the trailer has used this so called 3 hour rule to say the trailer cannot be used.
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I have searched all over the net but cannot find any reference at all to this. And I have to say that in 15 yrs of being around horses I have never heard anything like it.

Please help. It's a hard enough time as it is without my girl being stranded and homeless
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It could be to do with the new defra regulations WATO on moving horses. I am not sure whether you would fall into these as I'm not sure where loans of horses fit in, but if you are moving someone elses horses or doing it for hire or reward you do have to have the qualification before you can legally move them.

Look on the Defra website.
 
Thanks guys,

I've looked on Defra, DVLA, and countless other towing info sites and couldn't find anything at all. I'm thinking the owner has just changed their mind and can't just come out and say it.
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Hiya Jinglejoys, how are all your long ears doing? ;o)
 
There is a new law for towing, OH half a farmer and he had to get licence. I think you just need a licence if you a towing for financial gain, eg cattle/ horse to a sale. But there is a bit of a grey area that if you won prize money at a show that would be financial gain too. Here is the help line No and web site for SVS (State Veterinary Service). This is where my OH got his licence. Let us know how you get on. 0845 6038395 www.svs.gov.uk
 
I think theres a guideline that you should rest a horse and offer it water after 3 hours towing? Is someone getting that confused?

Poor you in a horrible situation
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This is a private arrangement not a commercial one so new transport rules dont come into it
Cant imaging you would tow non stop 250 miles without stopping for break yourselves and offering horse water etc
However it does sound like trailer owner has started to worry
You may now have to hire a trailer or pay transporter to deliver--balance that cost against fuel going there and back towing a trailer
 
Many thanks again to everyone. I'll pop back and update as to how we get on.

There will be regular stops and waterings and my friend has an itinery for the whole journey with places to stop. She's so excited as I bought the pony from her 6 years ago when she got into financial trouble so we've come full circle.
 
My friend's new horse just arrived after a 5 hour journey in a trailer, he came out looking calm and happy but he is used to travelling. I have never heard about this law.
 
The farmer where I keep my horse has told me that there is a new DEFRA regulation applying to cattle - he is supposed to take a test now before he can drive his cattle to market if it's more than 45 miles away!

Don't know about horses though.....
 
Never heard of it either. We'll probably be towing for 3.5 hours tomorrow (depending on traffic) - I've never heard of this rule and don't see how its possibly enforcable! HOW do the police know how long you've been on the road?! Its not like a jeep and trailer have meters like lorries.
 
New rules governing the transport of animals by road only apply if done for commercial gain. There are grey area's, and because the law is so new no one can say how rigidly it will be enforced
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In your case - private use you would not have to have the relevant licences,
For more information have a look at:
Horse Transport Law - short journeys up to 8hrs
Good luck, hope all goes smoothly for you
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