Raise the Weight Limit - Let Us Transport Our Horses Safely

We, European horse owners, trainers, and equine professionals, call upon the European Commission and European Parliament to urgently review and adapt transport regulations affecting horse welfare.

The current 3.5-ton weight limit for horse transport vehicles creates a paradox:

• Modern, well-equipped horse trucks that ensure safety, comfort, and short journey times are too heavy to be driven legally with a standard license.
• As a result, horses are often transported in smaller, less safe vehicles or forced into longer, unnecessary transports.

This is not animal welfare.
It is bureaucracy over compassion.

We demand that the EU:

1. Raises the weight limit for horse transporters used for animal welfare and sport purposes.
2. Recognises short-distance professional horse transport as a specific welfare category.
3. Aligns transport regulations with EU animal welfare goals and modern safety standards.

Shorter transports mean better welfare.
Let us do what is best for the horses — safely, legally, and responsibly.