Which documents do you need to transport a horse?

Before any journey, whether you use a professional horse transporter or share a trip with another owner, a horse must travel with the right documents. Here are the points to check, in France and abroad.

The identification document, always required

Every horse must be identified and travel with its identification document (the SIRE card in France, or the equine passport for a horse born or kept elsewhere in Europe). This document goes everywhere with the animal, even on a short trip. Without it, no transport should take place, professional or not.

Professional transport needs an authorised transporter

As soon as horse transport is done for payment, the European rules on the protection of animals during transport apply: the transporter must hold an authorisation to transport live animals, the vehicles must be approved for this type of transport, and the driver must hold a certificate of competence. This is exactly what Cavalotrans checks before listing a transporter: licence, vehicle approval and professional insurance.

For an international trip, allow more time

A trip to another European Union country or further afield may require a veterinary health certificate, on top of the identification document. The time needed to obtain it varies with the destination and with whether the transport is commercial or not. The safest rule: contact your vet or the authority in charge of animal protection (in France, the DDPP) several weeks before departure to find out exactly which documents you need, as these rules can change.

What about a trip between private owners?

The identification document is still essential, even if two owners share the trip without a professional transporter. On the other hand, the transporter authorisation rules do not apply in the same way when no payment is made for the transport itself. This is one of the reasons why sharing a trip remains a simple option for an occasional journey.

This article gives general guidance: it does not replace a check with your vet or the relevant authority for your specific trip.