I need some advice on the above subject please.
I have a chance of some work next week taking horses to Spain, Valencia. As it’s a private vehicle as such, the horses are for competion not sale so the vehicle is not required to have an O’licence as its not run as a business(I believe). So I need to know whats the score when it comes to tacho’s, do you need one, are there any driving restrictions? Anyone ever done this before?
All help/advice appreciated.
Put the horses out front and save fuel.
I can see where you’re coming from, but have to say it’s not the advice I was looking for.
Thanks for your help on this 
EU Drivers hours, the exemption is “Vehicles used for non-commercial carriage of goods for personal use.”
If the wagon is a private use then there is no requirement for an O licence. There are only four types of O licence - Restricted which is Commerical carriage of own goods in connection with your own business and Hire and Reward with a national and international for both.
m
The crux of the matter is whether or not the horses are run as a business. My parents show dogs. However they charge stud fees so the dogs are a business.
If there is serious monetary reward for winning these competitions it could be regarded as a business.
I would get a letter from them stating that it isn’t a business, its personal use and see proof of MOT, insurance, tax. And then go enjoy yourself on a nice run to Spain.
i know from a test station sid eyou can exempt upto 7.5 tonne which isnt for commercial carrage of goods.but if they are going to a competition were prize money is offered this could be classed as a gain also if the truck has sponsorship on the sides this can be classes as reward . if its a privetly owned box i would first check the tacho callibration plate to see if it is in date 6years for anologe 2 years for digital if it is stick a disc/card in it wont do any harm.
if they are going to a competition locally, then you could convince the authorities that you do this as a hobby. however, you would have a serious job on your hands trying to convince someone that you are going to drive 1500 miles with a truck load of horses for the fun of it.
if it was your truck, and your horses, then you wouldn’t need an o’licence or a tachograph. but i assume that you’re being paid, so you will need an o’licence, a tachograph, vehicle docs, insurance, attestation letter, test certificate for the trailer, and the unit, & a hi vis.
It isn’t a business Conor. It is the same as F1 and there is a serious monetary reward for McClaren and Red Bull.
It isn’t the horse box that wins prize money, it is the horse and rider. It isn’t the Mercedes race transporter that wins a race, it is Jenson or Lewis
Unless the lorry is owned by someone else and he is transporting another horse. (Hire and Reward)
If the lorry operator gets paid to take a horse to Spain, then that would be Hire and Reward
The OP is driving a horsebox for someone taking their own horse to a show or on holiday, it is not required to have a standard international o licence.
The OP will get some specialist advice from the TN ladies who have done horse transport presently
if its over 7.5t gross you need to use tacho whether or not its private use, its a new strange ruling as you dont need o license if its private use but must use tachos 
,have had the same issues using a 13tonner for motor racing.
dbcooper:
if its over 7.5t gross you need to use tacho whether or not its private use, its a new strange ruling as you dont need o license if its private use but must use tachos
rubbish
limeyphil:
dbcooper:
if its over 7.5t gross you need to use tacho whether or not its private use, its a new strange ruling as you dont need o license if its private use but must use tachosrubbish
No Fact! regs changed in 2007.
The following table shows current exemptions in the left hand column, comparing them to those which will come into force on 11 April 2007 in the right hand column.
Current Exemptions:
Vehicles used for the non-commercial carriage of goods and personal use.
New Exemptions:
Vehicles or combination of vehicles with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 7.5 tonnes used for the non-commercial carriage of goods.
So if I use a tacho do I have to drive to eu regs?
limeyphil:
dbcooper:
if its over 7.5t gross you need to use tacho whether or not its private use, its a new strange ruling as you dont need o license if its private use but must use tachosrubbish
sorry limeyphil you are wrong this time i looked into it before i bought a 7.5 tonner for my kids horses, and if its over 7.5tonnes you have to use the tacho. its explained here drivinghorseboxes.co.uk/driv … graphs.htm
Fileep:
So if I use a tacho do I have to drive to eu regs?
simple answer is yes sorry 
i am not sure either about the animal welfare stiuation on how long the horses can stay on the box before they have to be off loaded and rested. so that is some thing you will ahve to take into consideration, as you are responsible as the driver, not just the owner of the horses
wildfire:
limeyphil:
dbcooper:
if its over 7.5t gross you need to use tacho whether or not its private use, its a new strange ruling as you dont need o license if its private use but must use tachosrubbish
sorry limeyphil you are wrong this time i looked into it before i bought a 7.5 tonner for my kids horses, and if its over 7.5tonnes you have to use the tacho. its explained here drivinghorseboxes.co.uk/driv … graphs.htm
tacho regs, and o’licence regs are for vehicle over 3.5 tons.
we had an international licence and factory fitted tacho in a 4.5 tonner.
Fileep:
So if I use a tacho do I have to drive to eu regs?
Yes. All your prayers are answered here.
For impartial advice, one of the regular posters on here, works for VOSA and also writes in Horse and Hound
muckles:
limeyphil:
dbcooper:
if its over 7.5t gross you need to use tacho whether or not its private use, its a new strange ruling as you dont need o license if its private use but must use tachosrubbish
No Fact! regs changed in 2007.
The following table shows current exemptions in the left hand column, comparing them to those which will come into force on 11 April 2007 in the right hand column.
Current Exemptions:
Vehicles used for the non-commercial carriage of goods and personal use.
New Exemptions:
Vehicles or combination of vehicles with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 7.5 tonnes used for the non-commercial carriage of goods.
Fact and also emergency vehicles are also exempt from it
limeyphil:
dbcooper:
if its over 7.5t gross you need to use tacho whether or not its private use, its a new strange ruling as you dont need o license if its private use but must use tachosrubbish
not rubbish Phil, private use for vehicles over 7.5 tonne was scrapped in 2007 ! ( and the op says C+E )
there are also issues with the O licence, what sort of competition is it, does the rider run an equestrian yard ? does the rider own the horses or are they ridden for someone else ?
C+E sounds unusual for a hobby rider !
there is also EU Regulation 1/2005 . The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 , Are the Horses FEI registered ? as they may be out of scope if they are !
My gut feeling on this is that the distance and vehicle size mean that you are going to have a hard job to convince the gendarmes that this is a private journey so I would suggest you use a tacho and take plenty of “coffee money” to help with the lack of O Licence 
dennis got in before me about resting the horses enroute, because of the time they will have to spend on the trailer
mickyblue:
muckles:
limeyphil:
dbcooper:
if its over 7.5t gross you need to use tacho whether or not its private use, its a new strange ruling as you dont need o license if its private use but must use tachosrubbish
No Fact! regs changed in 2007.
The following table shows current exemptions in the left hand column, comparing them to those which will come into force on 11 April 2007 in the right hand column.
Current Exemptions:
Vehicles used for the non-commercial carriage of goods and personal use.
New Exemptions:
Vehicles or combination of vehicles with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 7.5 tonnes used for the non-commercial carriage of goods.Fact and also emergency vehicles are also exempt from it
exemptions which do not apply in this case.
the vehicle is over 3.5 tons, it is used commercially, it is not a 7.5 ton vehicle in an exempt class.
it dosn’t make any sense why they would even bother to refer to 7.5 tonners. you can drive a 44 tonner without a tacho, or o’licence for non commercial activities. but the fact remains you need an o’licence, and tacho for a vehicle over 3.5 tons, not 7.5 tons, unless it’s in an exempt class.
i don’t know where you got your info from, but it certainly isn’t the EU regs.