TRANSPORT TERMS & CONDITIONS
FOUR SEASONS EQUESTRIAN TRANSPORT - TERMS & CONDITIONS
All bookings are taken on the understanding that the following conditions will apply in full in all circumstances.
A confirmed booking, verbal, written, completed Google Booking Form or Website Enquiry, is an agreement that the customer will abide by Four Seasons Equestrian Transport terms & conditions at all times.
It is the customer’s responsibility to read these terms and conditions thoroughly, contacting us with any queries they may have before transport is booked. All charges mentioned are non-negotiable.
Passports
All horses and ponies must always have their passport with them when being transported. This is a legal requirement under the Horse Passports (England) Regulation 2004. Should Four Seasons Equestrian Transport arrive to commence a trip, and no passport is available, the pre-paid cost for transport will be non-refundable and no transport will be carried out.
Insurance & Liability
Hire and Reward, Care, Custody and Control insurance as well as Public Liability is provided by Four Seasons Equestrian Transport. Entering into a booking deems acceptance of this level of cover. We strongly advise that you insure your animal for transportation.
Whilst the driver will take all reasonable precautions, you the client remain fully liable for your horse in the event of injury, damage or death sustained to or by your horse during the care of Four Seasons Equestrian Transport.
Please note that we do not allow horses to be tied to the side of the lorry. This is for insurance purposes.
Accessibility & appropriate loading area
Where possible, we would be very grateful if the horsebox can access yards without the paintwork on the lorry being scratched or damaged. We may refuse to go down lanes or through gateways that will cause severe damage.
The horsebox cannot go down roads that have weight, height or width restrictions that do not comply with the size of our lorry.
Our 3.5ton has a height of 3.25 metres, length of 6.3 metres, width of 2.7 meters and weighs 3.5 tons.
If a yard is accessed by a restricted road, please arrange to meet the horsebox at a different location where it will be safe to load and unload horses.
Please ensure there is a flat & level surface ready for us to load and unload your horse and adequate room for us to turn our lorry around on arrival. Uneven surfaces can cause imbalances to the ramp which therefore can have a negative impact to the ramps structure and the loading experience of the horse.
Damages
Should Four Seasons Equestrian Transports box be damaged by your horse, you (the customer) will be liable to cover the full cost of repairs incurred (by a repairer of our choice to maintain the specifications and safety of the box). You are entitled to view the box prior to loading of the horse to ensure you are happy with its condition.
Veterinary Attention
Should your horse require urgent veterinary attention, we reserve the right to contact the vet on your behalf and transport the horse to the nearest available vet clinic. The owner will be entirely responsible for all veterinary or emergency charges incurred, as well as waiting time and any extra mileage driven by the horsebox.
If your horse becomes unsettled/aggressive during the journey, where we deem there to be an increased risk to your horse, ourselves, or our property, we reserve the right to call out an emergency vet to sedate your horse if we deem this course of action necessary. You will be liable for any veterinary expenses, as well as waiting time and any extra mileage driven by the horsebox. You will be informed prior to any action being taken.
Fitness to travel, loading & Non loaders
All horses must be fit, healthy and sound to travel. We reserve the right to refuse transport if we think the horse is not fit and healthy for transport. Our decision is final, and the owner will still be responsible for 100% of the transport costs.
We reserve the right to refuse to load, or continue to transport, if we believe that the horse cannot be transported safely without risk to the horse itself, the vehicle, or our staff, and no refund will be offered.
30 minutes will be given for the horse to be loaded, after this time has elapsed £25 will be charged, per half an hour. This will be an additional cost. In the event your horse cannot be loaded, the full quoted amount provided for transport, in addition to waiting time; will be non-refundable and the transport will be cancelled.
We (Four Seasons Equestrian Transport) agree that loading will be performed in a calm and respectful manner. We will NOT use forceful techniques, or any techniques liable to cause distress to the animal. Should the owner feel that this is the only course of action available to them, to load the horse, then Four Seasons Equestrian Transport reserve the right to cancel the trip, with full quote amount non-refundable.
It is your responsibility to be honest about your horse, regarding its temperament and how it loads and travels i.e., good/bad. If the representative of Four Seasons Equestrian Transport believes that the behaviour of the horse, prior to departure, is likely to endanger the horse, the representative, or property of Four Seasons Equestrian Transport; the company is entitled to abort the journey with the pre-agreed cost for transport will be paid in full by the customer.
Feeding Requirements during transport
We (Four Seasons Equestrian Transport) will always advocate the feeding of ad-lib hay/ haylage/ soaked hay during transport. We can provide our own good quality hay/ haylage/ soaked hay for each journey, which we can feed at your own risk - please let us know in advance. Alternatively, if preferred, the owner can provide the horses own roughage, ensuring the correct amount is provided for the journey.
Tack and Equipment
Any equipment, no matter how minimal, must be booked in with us beforehand.
If, on the day of transport, we are presented with extra equipment to carry that is above what has already been previously agreed, additional charges will apply at £2.80/mile.
We cannot carry any equipment that will cause damage or stress to the horses or the vehicle. All items, including any travelling equipment, rugs, etc is carried entirely at the owner’s risk, this is not insured by Four Seasons Equestrian Transport, and we accept no liability for loss or damage.
Payment, cancellations, and refunds
All prices quoted are based on the information provided to us by the customer/owner/keeper at the time of booking. If that information is subsequently changed or is incorrect, and this results in any additional journey time, an extra charge may be added.
A 50% deposit of the total amount quoted for transport will be required to secure your booking. This deposit will be non-refundable (unless in the event of Four Seasons Equestrian Transport being unable to honour the booking); and this deposit will be deducted from the overall cost for transport on the day.
Cancellations made after receiving the deposit can be transferred to another date. If you do not wish to transfer the date, there will be no refund of the deposit.
If cancelled within 72 hours of the transport time, there is no refund offered – however, depending on the circumstances, this may be waived if the transport is rebooked for a later date.
Dates can only be moved once. After this a new booking must be made.
Full payment must be made 72 hours prior to the journey commencing. Bookings are only 100% confirmed with payment in full. Failure to do so, Four Seasons Equestrian Transport hold the right not to carry out the transport.
