Horse floats

Press, 1 June 1981, Page 12

Horse floats

Sir,—Through your column perhaps the Trotting Conference and Ministry of Transport could explain who is responsible for ensuring floats carrying horses to the races are safe. When departing from the Timaru Trotting Club's meeting on May 16,1 was extremely distressed to witness Tomoko Hest put her hoof through the ramp of her float. It took an half an hour to free the injured and distressed mare which was immediately forced back on to the float with the aid of a blindfold. In no way was this float safe to carry stock. The state of repair of the ramp and floor of the float was downright dangerous. Surely the M.O.T. issues a warrant of fitness on a stock float that takes into account the weight the float will carry. And, surely the Trotting Conference should take an interest in the conditions floats are in when they arrive at the races, or do they only concern themselves with horses shat arrive safely on the track. — Yours, etc., L. D. CHAPMAN. May 18, 1981.

[Mr R. I. Mill, secretary, New Zealand Trotting Conference, replies: “While the Trotting Conference is as concerned as Mr Chapman is over the accident at Tirriaru, the responsibility for the roadworthiness of motor vehicles is entirely a matter for the ■ Ministry of Transport. It is an area in which the conference has no jurisdiction.”]

[Mr A. J. Calder, for the Regional Director, Ministry of Transport replies: “Unfor tunately your correspondent does not supply sufficient infer mation to identify the vehicle. If the horse float is owned by a farmer, or a float on a trailer the Ministry of Transport would not be involved in the inspection of the vehicle. However, if it was a properly constructed horse float on a vehicle owned by a carrier or horse trainer the Ministry would inspect the vehicle once every six months, and at the time of inspection the condition of the float would be taken into Consideration.”]