Transporting horses
Transports near the farm
These rules apply when you transport your own horse in your own vehicle, and go no further away from your farm than 50 km.
This applies to all short-range transports
You may only transport your horse when it is fit for the journey. A horse that is ill or injured must not be transported.
You must be able to care for the horse during transport, if it becomes necessary.
The area in which the horse is transported must be designed in such a way that the horse can stand up and lie down in a natural position. If necessary you must be able to insert partitioning walls to protect the horse.
The area in which the horse is transported must have good ventilation.
When the horse is loaded onto or off the vehicle you must use suitable equipment, like loading ramps. If necessary, the ramp must be fitted with railings and foot battens, ensuring that the horse does not fall off or slips. The slope of the loading ramps shall be as gentle as possible.
Please remember that you sometimes need a horse passport for short-range transports. You can find more information about horse passports in the right-hand column.
Exceptions for ill or injured animals
You are allowed to transport an ill or injured animal to a veterinarian if the transport is urgent, even if you do not comply with the above requirements. However, the animal must be in no danger of suffering from being transported. If you are uncertain about whether or not it would be proper to transport the animal, you should ask a veterinarian for advice.
Long-range transports
If you transport your horses over longer distances than 50 km, you need to comply with more rules. There are more rules still if you transport animals in connection with economic activities, which you can read about in the left-hand column. The complete rules on animal transports are in the right-hand column, but some of it is only available in Swedish.
General requirements for long-range transports
You may only transport your horse when it is fit for the journey. A horse that is ill or injured must not be transported.
You must always bring the horse passport.
When the horse is loaded onto or off the vehicle you must use suitable equipment, like loading ramps. If necessary, the ramp must be fitted with railings and foot battens, ensuring that the horse does not fall off or slips. The slope of the loading ramps shall be as gentle as possible.
You must be able to care for the horses during transport, or appoint a suitable person to perform this task. You must be able to care for the horses at least every other hour during transport.
The area in which the horse is transported must be designed in such a way that the horse can stand up and lie down in a natural position. If necessary you must be able to insert partitioning walls to protect the horse.
The area in which the horse is transported must have sufficient ventilation. The floor must be no-slip, smooth, and covered with suitable straw or bedding.
Adult stallions must be transported separated from mares.
There must be a good chance of rescuing the horses from the vehicles in case of fire or some other accident.
Duration of transport
You may transport your horses up to eight hours. If the transport complies with certain requirements, you may transport your horses more than eight hours. The requirements are as follows:
There must be enough litter on the floor to make the animals comfortable.
It must be possible to reach the animals in order to inspect them.
There must be sufficient ventilation that can be adapted to inside and outside temperatures.
There must be moveable partition walls so that separate compartments can be created.
If the animals need to be fed, there must be suitable equipment for this, as well as suitable feed. The amount of feed must be adapted to the animals and the duration of the transport.
It must be possible to water the animals in the transport vehicle.
As regards transport to slaughter, the following rules apply:
Horses may be transported up to eight hours in Sweden. If it is necessary in order to reach the nearest slaughterhouse, this time may in exceptional cases be extended to eleven hours.
Pregnant mares
You must not transport a pregnant mare
- less than 35 days before expected foaling
- less than 7 days after foaling.
Foals
A foal must be at least 7 days old, and its navel fully healed, before you may transport it.
Category | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Adult horses | 1.75 m² (0.7 x 2.5 m) |
| Young horses (6–24 months) less than 48 hours | 1.2 m² (0.6 x 2 m) |
| Young horses (6–24 months) more than 48 hours | 2.4 m² (1.2 x 2 m) |
| Ponies | 1 m² (1.6 x 1.8 m) |
| Foals (0–6 months) | 1.4 m² (1 x 1.4 m) |
Size of the horse | Stall width (m) | Stall's total length (m) | Ceiling height (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
Pony A+B |
|
| 1.8 |
Pony C |
|
| 2 |
Pony D | 0.75 | 2.3 | 2 |
Large horse | 0.8 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
Very large horse | 0.9 | 2.75 | 2.2 |
Signs
When you use motor vehicles and trailers to transport animals, you need to have signs on them both at the front and at the rear of the vehicle. These signs shall be written in Swedish or in English. They shall make it clear that there are live animals in the vehicle, and be easy to read from a distance.
Signs approved in other countries
Vehicles registered in Sweden must comply with Swedish rules. Vehicles registered in other EEA countries have to comply with the rules in those countries. EEA comprises EU Member States as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.
Signs that are approved in non-EEA countries are acceptable if they clearly show that the transport contains live animals.
Transports abroad
You need to comply with many other rules in order to be allowed to transport animals abroad. The rules vary from country to country, and it is important that you find out what applies in the country you are going to.
For more information, please consult the authorities responsible for transportation of animals in EU Member States.
It is important that animals do not carry diseases with them when they are brought from one country to another. Also, there are rules that are intended to restrict trade in endangered species. You can find some information about this on our English pages on imports, but most of it is available only in Swedish.
Transport documents in case of economic activities
When you transport horses in connection with commercial activities, you need to bring documents that show
- the origin and owner of the animals
- their place of departure
- the date and time of departure
- the destination and expected duration
You will find a form for this information in the right-hand column. You can print several copies of the form and staple them to form a logbook that you keep in your vehicle. You can also write the information on a blank piece of paper, but please remember to write clearly and legibly. If you use a journey log you will not need the form, since the journey log contains the same information.
For more information about journey logs, please consult our pages on transport in connection with economic activities.
Exception for competitions in Nordic countries
Competition horses being transported between Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway do not need a health certificate or a veterinary inspection before transport, if you comply with the following:
- the horses have horse passports
- the purpose of the transport is to take part in one of the following types of competition: racing, showjumping, dressage, eventing, driving, endurance, Icelandic horse riding, or Western riding
- the horse will be outside Sweden's borders no longer than five days before the first day of competition, and no more than five days after the last day of competition
- you bring the proper documents to and from the competition.
- documents that support the fact that the horse is to take part in a competition, for instance a starting list or entry document
- horse passport
- participation certificate signed by the competition veterinarian or the head referee
- horse passport.
If the horse cannot take part in the competition, or if it is turned away as a result of the inspection of the veterinarian in charge, the horse must be inspected by an official veterinarian no later than 24 hours before being loaded onto the transport.
The official veterinarian must ascertain that the horse is fit to travel the intended distance. The horse must be loaded in a way that the official veterinarian has approved. Please remember that the official veterinarian also must issue a health certificate for the horse before it crosses the border.
Last updated:
