Tow truck wanted to move lorry with horses on board - is this legal?

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juliette

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I went out with my friend and her husband in their horse lorry on Friday. We broke down at the venue. The rescue company wanted to tow the horsebox home with the horses on board. Does anyone know if this is legal? We fortunately managed to get a lift with a friend as we refused to travel the horses this way. Thank goodness we did. Everything stored on the luton fell onto the floor of the living area, what state would the horses have been in if we'd travelled 80 miles with them at an angle?
 
I believe it's legal Juliette... I just read the T&Cs of Anthony D Evans which states "unless the vehicle is damaged in such a way it is not safe to do so", the horsebox can be recovered with the horses in it and travel at a particular gradient blah blah...

I guess some companies might use it as an option to avoid having to recover the horses and horsebox separately... Can't say I like the idea at all...:(

Glad you all got home ok and safely... Your friend might want to do some roadside recovery shopping and find an organisation that will always provide separate transportation for the horses involved if roadside repair isn't possible... No idea if that means a mahoosive hike in price though...

:)
 
Mine went on the back of a flat bed in the back of a lorry Not sure I would like them towed on an angle though. wentwithout a hitch.
 
Yes it's legal and it's the reason why it's a good idea for people taking out insurance on their hrose transport to read the T+C's very carefully. There is one company that won't do this, but I can't remember the name off hand.
 
On the one occasion we broke down the horses were recovered seperately. (We're with SEIB.) I've never heard of any company seeking to recover the lorry with the animals on board. Although I am aware of trailer recovery which has just hitched up and towed the loaded trailer - which is fair enough.
 
No it is NOT legal!!!

The tow truck driver will not be ACET approved to drive the horses!!!

End of!

However! What one particular equine recovery company is doing is getting you to sign off on a disclaimer to say 'you agree to your horses being transported this way'. If you look very carefully at the DEFRA WADTO it clearly states that horses should be transported on a flat floor (no gradient) So again THIS IS NOT LEGAL.

Read the SMALL PRINT!!!!!! You get what you pay for!!! You want to pay £60 for this kind of recovery then go for it, but when a horse is injured or worse die due to this stupid way of transporting horses then you go to your horse insurance company to recover costs read their small print you will find you are not covered not only due to the disclaimer you signed in desperation at the road side but also due to their small print!

Get looking and paying for PROPER legal and correct Roadside recovery, one who doesn't hide behind small print!

Check Equine Rescue Services!

http://www.equinerescue.co.uk/

The guarantee that they will always send out a horse transporter to rescue your horses safely!

Glad you saw sense though!!!!!
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think it is legal to tow, not sure about at an angle. If for instance you break down on the hard shoulder, towing (on a level) to somewhere safe before loading onto another box is far more sensible than having the horses out at the side of the mway.
 
juliette said:
I went out with my friend and her husband in their horse lorry on Friday. We broke down at the venue. The rescue company wanted to tow the horsebox home with the horses on board. Does anyone know if this is legal? We fortunately managed to get a lift with a friend as we refused to travel the horses this way. Thank goodness we did. Everything stored on the luton fell onto the floor of the living area, what state would the horses have been in if we'd travelled 80 miles with them at an angle?
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I'm not convinced it is.

We needed a livestock trailer recovering a while back. Asked several times if it was okay with animals on board, otherwise would have to send for our other trailer.

Told several times it was fine - when it came down to it, they would not take the animals. Phoned a few recovery companies, all said the same. Lower staff believed it was fine, all higher staff said absolutely not possible

Pan
 
Thanks for all the feedback everyone! Interesting reading. Just glad we had a friend to hand, we were going to hire a horse transporter otherwise, no way were they travelling back like that!!!
 
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