Equestrians are reminded to be aware of the legal requirements involved in transporting horses and tachographs after a rider who thought she was fully compliant was fined £300.
Claire Fielding was pulled over on her way to Aston le Walls on 14 May, she said initially as the DVSA inspectors thought the 12-tonne lorry she was driving did not have a valid MoT.
It did, but the officers then “started looking at everything else” and eventually fined her for not having a tachograph.
Claire had borrowed the vehicle for the day from the firm from which she had bought a new lorry in December; it had issues and had gone back to the company for repair.
“It’s rattled me a bit; I feel I don’t deserve the fine, although I get why I got it,” she told H&H. “But they could pull anyone up and I think they’ll crack down on it, as it’s easy money for them.”
Claire, who missed her event as she was held on the A134 for so long, said the officers were “trying to find something” after they realised the MoT was valid.
“They looked everywhere, they weighed it and then they said, ‘Are you on tacho?’” she said. “I said it was my own horse and they said I was going to a competition, so it counts as hire and reward.
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“I said, ‘Half the time eventing, you spend more entering and getting there than you win anyway,’ and they said it could be a rosette; any prize, it doesn’t matter.”
Transporting horses: tachographs needed
The DVSA confirmed that vehicles must have tachographs if they are over 3.5 tonnes and used for carrying goods – including horses – by road.
This excludes vehicles under 7.5 tonnes and those “used for non-commercial carriage of goods”.
“This covers personal use, such as transporting horses for leisure, sport or private activities,” a spokesperson told H&H.
“If you’re transporting a horse for hobby or amateur competitions and any prize money is incidental, this is usually considered non-commercial and does not require a tachograph as long as the vehicle does not exceed 7.5t.
“If you compete professionally or receive sponsorship, transport of horses will count as commercial and a tachograph will be needed.”
There is no form to declare whether an HGV is exempt from having a tachograph, but this must be declared when the vehicle has its MoT.
Tachograph needed
Drivers are responsible for operating the tachograph, to record all their activities, and must be able to produce records for the current day and the previous 28 days, 56 days for journeys to and from an EU member country.
“They didn’t even ask me if I was doing it for work,” Claire said. “I said, ‘This is my hobby,’ but they said it was hire and reward, and I don’t even know if that mattered, because they said I need to be on tacho anyway, so that’s what they got me for.
“They said I needed 56 days of tacho records, but I said I hadn’t had a lorry since December. It was ridiculous and they didn’t even really know. I told the lorry company and they said the tacho disc was down to me and I should have put one in there.”
Claire said the incident highlights the grey area into which equestrian issues often fall and the need for all equestrians to check they are compliant when transporting horses.
“I get why they do it, but it was really frustrating,” she said. “But they were pulling lots of people over; people need to be aware.”
The DVSA spokesperson told H&H: “DVSA’s priority is to keep everyone protected from unsafe vehicles and drivers.
“Vehicles over 3.5t maximum authorised mass (MAM) used commercially, or over 7.5t MAM for private use, must have a tachograph.
“DVSA will take action where non-compliance is detected and depending on the severity of the breach, this may result in prohibitions, fixed penalties or vehicle impounding.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
