Racehorse Transporters Association Code of Conduct

The Racehorse Transporters Association is the trade body representing both UK and Irish equine transporters and shipping agents.

Objectives

The RTA has the following objectives:-

1. To establish and maintain a high level of conduct and trading practice amongst its members, and to instil confidence in clients who use members of the Association.
2. To support, promote and publicise its members, and to advance the status of the Association within the Equine Industry.
3. To represent the membership on the Industry bodies and to give the benefit of members’ experience to the Equine Industry.

Conditions

The Association makes the following conditions of membership:-

a) Where members operate vehicles of over 3½ tonnes, that they have the appropriate Operator's Licences.

b) That members are registered with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as competent to transport horses.

c) That members operate within the guidelines of a set of Terms and Conditions of Trading. The RTA has its own industry-standard set available to members.

d) That members operate within the Law regarding the use and record keeping of tachographs and maintenance records, and that their vehicles are roadworthy, taxed, insured and have the appropriate Department of Transport certificates.

e) That members employ competent individuals both as drivers and grooms, and that the drivers have the correct licences and the grooms have the appropriate Certificates of Competence.

Recommendations

The Association makes the following recommendations to its members:-

i. That high standards of hygiene are maintained and that movements are in accordance with DEFRA regulations.

ii. That members are properly insured in respect of their employees and their legal liabilities.

iii. That water, or the wherewithal to give horses a drink, is carried on horseboxes.

April 2016