Tally-ho Transport – Terms & Conditions of Carriage
These Terms and Conditions form the legal agreement between Tally-ho Transport ("the Company") and the customer ("the Customer").
1. Formation of Contract
1.1 All bookings are accepted subject to these Terms and Conditions in full.
1.2 A confirmed booking—whether made verbally, via text, email, or online booking system—constitutes a legally binding contract and an agreement by the Customer to abide by these terms.
1.3 It is the Customer’s responsibility to read these terms thoroughly before booking. Any queries must be raised with Tally-ho Transport prior to confirmation. All contracted and quoted charges are non-negotiable.
2. Statutory Compliance, Authorisation & Welfare
2.1 Tally-ho Transport operates in strict compliance with the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 (and equivalent legislation in Scotland and Wales). DEFRA transporter authorisation reference UK/LEICE/T100115248
2.2 The Customer agrees to provide all necessary details required to complete the statutory Animal Transport Certificate (ATC) prior to departure.
2.3 In accordance with UK law, Tally-ho Transport reserves the absolute right to refuse carriage to any mare in the advanced stages of pregnancy (past the 90% gestation mark), any mare within one week of foaling, or any newborn foal whose navel is not completely healed.
3. Equine Passports & Microchipping
3.1 By UK law (DEFRA equine identification regulations), every equine must be microchipped and travel with a valid, original passport. The passport must be physically handed to the driver at the point of collection.
3.2 The Company can accept official duplicate passports issued by an approved breed society or passport issuing organisation, but photocopies are strictly prohibited by law.
3.3 Failure to provide a valid, original passport at collection will result in immediate refusal of transport. The booking will be aborted, and the cancellation terms in Clause 7.4(b) will apply.
4. Insurance and Limitation of Liability
4.1 Tally-ho Transport maintains comprehensive Care, Custody and Control Insurance to protect animals whilst in our care.
4.2 This insurance, and the legal liability of Tally-ho Transport, does not cover any sickness, disease, injury, loss, or death of any equine, nor any relatable costs, unless directly caused by a proven negligent act, negligent error, or negligent omission by Tally-ho Transport or its employees.
4.3 Subject to clause 4.2, all horses travel at the owner’s risk. It is expected that the Customer maintains their own comprehensive equine insurance policy covering transit (all-risks mortality and medical). For short-term transit insurance, we recommend contacting Lycetts at (0) 1638 676 700.
4.4Biosecurity & Disease: While Tally-ho Transport complies with all statutory DEFRA cleaning and disinfection protocols to prevent the spread of contagious diseases (e.g., Strangles), the Company accepts no liability for the contraction of any infectious disease during shared or individual transit, except where proven to have failed to meet these statutory sanitation duties.
5. Medical and Veterinary Emergencies
5.1 In the event that a horse becomes severely stressed or distressed during transit, Tally-ho Transport reserves the right to call a qualified veterinarian to administer sedation or treatment to ensure the welfare of the animal, and the safety of the driver and other road users.
5.2 If urgent veterinary attention is required and the Customer is not contactable, Tally-ho Transport is authorised to act as the Customer's agent to instruct a veterinarian on their behalf.
5.3 The Customer remains entirely responsible for all veterinary call-out fees, medication, sedation, and emergency stabling costs, except where the injury or distress was directly caused by the proven negligence of Tally-ho Transport.
6. Vehicle Damage & Customer Liability
6.1 The Customer is responsible for ensuring their horse is reasonably safe and trained to transport.
6.2 Any physical damage caused to the vehicle, partitions, ramp, rubber matting, or equipment by the horse (including kicking, pawing, rearing, or biting) must be paid for in full by the Customer to cover the actual cost of repairs, labour, and parts.
7. Deposits, Payments & Cancellations
7.1Deposits: A non-refundable deposit (amount confirmed at the time of booking) is required to secure your date. This will be deducted from your final invoice total.
7.2Payment: The remaining balance must be settled in full via bank transfer at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled collection time.
7.3Cancellations Notice: Cancellation of a private or shared load more than 24 hours before the scheduled collection results in the forfeiture of the deposit only.
7.4Late Cancellation Fees: If a booking is cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled collection time, the fees are calculated strictly based on unrecoverable losses as follows:
(a) Pre-Dispatch: If the Customer cancels within 24 hours of collection but before the transport vehicle has departed from the Company’s operating yard, a fee equal to 50% of the total booking balance will apply to cover the lost slot and administration costs.
(b) Post-Dispatch: If the Customer cancels after the transport vehicle has departed from the Company's operating yard (including while the vehicle is en route, or if the transport is aborted at the collection site due to a missing passport or an animal deemed unfit to travel), the Customer remains liable for 100% of the total transport costs to cover committed driver hours, wages, vehicle allocation, and fuel expenses.
Note: At the Company's sole discretion, late cancellation fees may be partially waived or credited if the journey is successfully rebooked for a later date.
8. Loading Time & Refusal to Load
8.1 A maximum of 30 minutes of loading time is included in the standard transport quote.
8.2 If loading takes longer than 30 minutes, a waiting fee of £25 per 30 minutes (or part thereof) will be added to the invoice.
8.3 Due to tight scheduling and driver hours regulations, it may not be physically possible for the driver to wait past the initial 30 minutes.
8.4 If a horse ultimately cannot be loaded within the window and the journey must be abandoned, this will be treated as a Post-Dispatch cancellation under Clause 7.4(b), and the Customer will be charged 100% of the transport costs.
9. Access, Drop-off Locations & Ground Conditions
9.1 It is the Customer's absolute responsibility to ensure that both the collection and delivery locations have safe, suitable, and unrestricted access for a commercial horsebox. This includes checking for narrow lanes, low-hanging trees/branches, low bridges, tight gates, and soft ground (e.g., waterlogged fields or tracks).
9.2 The driver reserves the right to refuse to drive the vehicle down any access point or onto any ground if, in their professional judgment, doing so risks causing physical damage to the vehicle or causing the vehicle to become stuck.
9.3Safe Unloading Points: The Customer must identify and provide a safe, secure area (off the public highway wherever possible) for loading and unloading the horse. If a location is deemed unsafe or entirely inaccessible by the driver, the horse must be brought to or collected from the nearest safe, legally accessible point.
9.4 If a journey cannot be completed or completed safely due to access issues that were not declared by the Customer in advance, it will be treated as an aborted journey, and the Customer will remain liable for 100% of the transport costs.
10. Breakdown and Equine Rescue Policy
10.1 Tally-ho Transport maintains a specialist Commercial Vehicle Breakdown & Equine Rescue Policy.
10.2 In the event of a vehicle breakdown or immobilization on a public highway, the Company will initiate emergency roadside rescue procedures. This policy covers the safe trans-shipment and recovery of the horses via a replacement commercial horsebox if roadside repairs are not possible.
11. Luggage and Equipment
11.1 All additional luggage, equipment, tack, feed, or rugs must be declared and approved by the office prior to the journey. We reserve the right to refuse additional, unbooked luggage.
11.2 All luggage and equipment are carried entirely at the owner's risk. This equipment is not covered by Tally-ho Transport’s insurance policy, and the Company accepts no liability for its loss or damage.
12. Data Protection (GDPR)
12.1 Any personal data provided by the Customer will be processed solely for the purpose of fulfilling the transport contract, collecting payment, and completing statutory DEFRA/APHA documentation. Data will be held securely and will not be shared with third parties except as required by UK law.