VOSA Lorry checks....just been pulled over, reminder to carry passport

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KatB

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Was driving with Goddy this morning, and got pulled over at a weight bridge for VOSA checks. Had truck weighed, Goddy's passport checked against him and details recorded, the "conditions" in which he was travelled checked, and a bloke advising me on how to travel my horse, advising me that he had too much space and was at danger of falling over and breaking a leg (
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) and someone poking around doing ramp and floor checks.... luckily they didnt find any faults and I now know how much my truck weighs fully laden....but apparently they would have issued me with a fixed penalty notice if the passport hadn't of been produced...has anyone else had these checkes carried out recently?! And a reminder to always carry your horses passport....
 
Yep, I don't mind, but what I did object to was being told I should travel my horse with a partition when I have done hundreds of miles without a prob, my box is a LDV 3.5ton so prob smaller space than travelling in a trailer with no partition, and my horse is 16.1hh and uses the whole space. But thank god I did have passport as otherwise would have had a £2k fine....
 
We got stopped outside the Blackwall Tunnell and they didn't even bother coming in or asking for any paperwork - the moment the lorry started rocking they said off you go!
 
Too much space?! How does that work? My horse prefers lots of space - he chews the inside of the partitions if we put them closer together - I can show them the toothmarks if they ever stop me!!
Whereabouts where you? Scary to think you could have been fined!
 
Nottingham. TBH I dont think he knew much about horses...G tried to head-butt him out of the jockey door!
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Worried1, having a horse on board seemed to cheer them up. Was put on weigh bridge, and then stopped for 15mins whilst they took all details and poked around him in the back!! Least i know my lorry only weighs 3.1ton fully laiden anyway!!
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They need to check up on their laws don't they !? You only need your passport with you if you are travelling to a competition or a change of premises....
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Rambo thats exactly what i though t!!!! will be taking my passport tomorrow though as i normally do but if they pull me baby hasnt got one as thats what im going to get wonder what they will say then !!
 
Blimey, best make sure I put mine in the lorry and best make sure I produce the right one for the horse I am carrying too.........Only have one problem, Spur is down as bay and she is chestnut, spoke to vet about it and they said not much can be done, but everything else fits in, i.e. sock and blaze....... As for space, one of mine travels with two partition spaces as he is a big lad and doesn't like been shut up...........
 
Ha, thats a good point heidi - my favourite on my passports is that my mare is down as chestnut or roan! No, she's chestnut roan!! Doh!
Silly, isn't it!
 
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Only have one problem, Spur is down as bay and she is chestnut, spoke to vet about it and they said not much can be done, but everything else fits in, i.e. sock and blaze

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I hope they're not too picky about things like that - I wasn't paying attention when I filled in Chex description so it says he has a black&white hoof on his body, which clearly he does not
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I have had someone tell me that you have a week to produce a Passport if it is not with you. I dispute this, can anyone confirm which is right?
Whilst we stall horses and ponies, the donkeys always travel loose, as most donkeys are travelled this way.Wonder what they would say to that then?
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After you left this morning I started thinking about the passport thing .... you don't need to carry it if you are just transporting for exercise do you? Can someone clarify what the rules are? I wanted to be clear on it as I just know it will be me next time
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I was always told that if you had a bad traveller you give them more room so they can spread their legs, can someone please clarify this how much room do you give a horse
 
Got this from the DEFRA website:

The Government announced on 14 February 2002, that all horses and ponies (and other forms of equidae) will need to have a passport identifying the animal. It is now an offence for an owner to:

export a horse
use a horse for the purposes of competitions
move a horse to the premises of a new keeper
present for slaughter for human consumption
sell a horse
use a horse for breeding purposes
if the horse is not accompanied by a valid passport.

So, if you are going to the vet/farrier/gallops/hacking/lesson etc. you don't need to carry your passport it would seem. How on earth do you prove where you are going???
 
Hmm, thats interesting to know! But the first thing he said to me was "Can i see the passport" and then said it is alot easier when they havethem as they don't like fining people!! I didnt know enough about it to dispute it, as have always thought that you had to have them if you were transporting them anywhere...they didnt ask where I was going either... hmm....
 
I got stopped by VOSA and I was in my sisters lorry and my passport was in my lorry. We told them that we were going XC schooling and they said, that counts as exercise and you don't need one for that. Although VOSA weighed the lorry etc, it was Wiltshire Council that did the passport check.
 
Hmm, maybe because I had it on me anyway...?! Would have been interesting to see what had been said if I didnt.... but the fine comment raised alarm bells!
 
Yep. Most 3.5tons would be the same, and I know my lorry has an unladen weight of 2.3tons so actually has a higher payload than alot of 3.5tonners....
 
Yap and it is expensive if you are over weight!! I was pleased I still had 400kg of weight left....means travelling to an overnight show with lots of cr*p shouldnt be a prob...but the 3.5tonners are almost defiitely only one big hores legal....I had me, half a tank of diesel, 3 rugs, a bucket of grooming stuff and 2 sets of tack and XC boots/bodyprotector etc on board along with my 16.1hh approx 570kg horse.....
 
Trading Standards are working closely with VOSA and it would have been them who are doing the passport checks, although VOSA can ask for your passport to prove you are just moving your horse and no one elses otherwise they will be impounding your lorry-whilst you have to prove that you were not doing it for reward and hire.

It is better to travel with your passport AT ALL TIMES as each Trading Standards for each county are interpreting the passport laws how they see fit!

You will just need to get a Vets letter for your horse stating that he cannot travel with partitions! That's what I did for mine and they cannot say anything then about the lack of partitions or the amount of space your horse has!
 
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Trading Standards are working closely with VOSA and it would have been them who are doing the passport checks, although VOSA can ask for your passport to prove you are just moving your horse and no one elses otherwise they will be impounding your lorry-whilst you have to prove that you were not doing it for reward and hire.



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How can you prove you are not doing it for reward and hire, I frequently take my friends horse, she doesn't pay diesel or give me any money as just as frequently she will take mine in her lorry but how do I prove that? Or do we just have to go in two separate lorries now?
 
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