The rules, in plain English

Horse transport is governed by a regulation most people have never read, and the parts that matter most are the parts that are counter-intuitive. These are written for the person whose horse is in the back, not for the compliance department.

• Start here

  The 8-hour rule, and why it is not about driving time

  The threshold that decides which licence your carrier needs, what the lorry must have, and whether the horses travel in separate partitions. The clock starts earlier than people think.

• Before you book

  Type 1 and Type 2 authorisation: what to check

  Every UK site says its carriers are DEFRA registered. Almost none say which tier. Here is the difference, why Type 2 is the verifiable one, and the six questions to ask before booking.

• Crossing a border

  Exporting a horse from Great Britain

  Four to six weeks, in a fixed order, because each step depends on the one before. The certificates, the test windows, the residency period, and the Border Control Post appointment that can turn you back at the port.

Or skip the reading and plan your journey, and the planner will tell you which of these apply to it.