The tricky topic of when you need an operator’s licence for a horsebox has raised its head once again. H&H speaks to a rider who unwittingly found himself on the wrong side of the law, as well as the British Grooms Association and DVSA...
Equestrians could be unknowingly breaking the law by transporting horses without an operator’s licence, a recent case has highlighted.
Professional polo player Jack Richardson’s company, JMN Richardson Ltd, was fined at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on 24 February after a DVSA roadside check in September 2019 found the company did not have an operator’s licence.
The business was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay £230 costs and a £250 victim surcharge.
Flying horses around the world requires impressive levels of organisation. Horse & Hound watches the operation swing into action at
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
