TRANSPORTING horses may involve driving a jeep and trailer or it may require driving an arctic lorry. Either way you will be required to hold the correct drivers licence. A category 'B' licence is the standard licence for car and work vehicle categories.

This licence will allow you to tow a trailer where the Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) of the trailer is not greater than 750kg.

As a general rule a category 'B' licence would not allow you to tow a horsebox or a livestock trailer.

A category 'BE' licence entitles you to tow a trailer:

• In all cases where the MAM of the vehicle and trailer combination is greater than 3500kg but less than 7000kg.

• In cases where the MAM of the trailer is greater than 750kg.

To obtain a category 'BE' licence:

• You must hold a current full driving licence in the category 'B' (car).

• You must first pass a driver theory test in the category 'BW' (if not already passed to obtain a category 'B' licence).

• Apply for a learner permit in category 'BE' in an National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) centre.

• After passing a driving test in the car/jeep and trailer you can then apply for the category 'BE' to be added to your full driving licence.

Separate driving licence categories are required to drive truck categories, details can be seen in Table 1.

DRIVING WITH A TRAILER

> Remember that the maximum legal speed limit for a vehicle towing a trailer is 80km/hr. However, if the road speed limit is lower, for example in a built up area where the speed limit is 40km/hr, you must obey the lower of the two.

> If your trailer begins to shake or swerve, ease off the accelerator and reduce speed gently. (This can happen if you are driving too fast or the load in the trailer is wrongly positioned).

> Avoid braking sharply on a bend as this could possibly cause a jack-knife situation. Reduce your speed before the bend and take the appropriate gear for the speed you are doing. Then gently accelerate out of the bend.

> Leave more distance than usual between you and the vehicle in front and allow plenty of extra time and space if entering traffic.

> Allow extra time and distance when overtaking other road users and make sure you are well past them before moving back to the left-hand side of the road again.

> A combination of vehicles or an articulated vehicle that exceeds 13 metres in overall length must display a ‘LONG VEHICLE’ sign or signs on the back of the rearmost trailer.

> Make sure you mark any loads projecting more than one metre to the rear of your trailer with a red flag or marker board during the day. If you are towing this type of load when it is dark, mark it with a red reflector and a red light.