# Can I pull a horse trailer?



## RosieAndLily (18 January 2009)

Hi
Please help!
I have a normal driving license and would like to know if I can pull a trailer with it? or do I need a HGV license?
Please help asap
Rosie


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## emilyw (18 January 2009)

if you passed your test before 1997 then you can tow horses but if not you have to take a b+e test (not a HGV test)


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## RosieAndLily (18 January 2009)

Thanks emilyw But what is a b &amp; e test?


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## checkmate1 (18 January 2009)

If you passed your driving test after 1997 you have to take the b+E test  (can't remember what it stands for) to enable you to tow anything over 3.5t, basically this means any horse trailer and car combination as when you have horse and tack and car combined it usually is over 3.5t. You can tow if you have a qualified person sat beside you (i.e someone who has taken the test for an experienced tow-er who passed pre-1997)


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## alsxx (18 January 2009)

You would either need to take a test or tow a combination where the vehicle MAM (Maximum authorised mass) and trailer MAM do no exceed 3.5t and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the kerb weight of your towing vehicle.

Or you could tow with L plates and someone with you and tow any vehicle-trailer combination.


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## xmoodyxmarex (18 January 2009)

If you passed before 1997 you are fine.

If you passed later you will have to take the B+E Trailer test. Alternatively, you can drive with L Plates with someone who has their trailer liscence as a passenger.


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## alsxx (18 January 2009)

Hopefully this will help, taken from the directgov website on driving categories:

Category B - Motor vehicles with a MAM not exceeding 3500kg having not more than eight passenger seats with a trailer up to 750kg. Combinations of towing vehicles in category B and a trailer, where the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3500kg and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle

Category B+E - Combinations of vehicles consisting of a vehicle in category B and a trailer, where the combination does not come within category B.

If it helps to give you an idea, I drive a RAV-4 which can tow up to a max of 1500kgs braked weight. Its kerb weight is 1310kgs, and its MAM is 1710kgs. I am going to buy (when horse is no longer broken!!!) a cheval liberte single horse trailer, which is plated (MAM) at 1200kgs (its unladen weight is just under 600kgs and my mare is 450kgs). So this means in total the MAM of vehicle and trailer comes to 2910kgs, well under the 3.5t, and the kerb weight of vehicle is more than the MAM of the trailer. Once I get my trailer I am going to have a couple of lessons. But this means I can tow without having the cost of taking the test and also if I were to take the test, it wouldn't actually benefit me as my car can only tow 1.5tonnes!!!


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