Buying a Horse Trailer in Switzerland: Licence, Weight and Tow Vehicle

1. Licence Category: B or BE?

Category B covers a passenger car with a total weight of up to 3,500 kg towing a trailer of up to 750 kg total weight, regardless of the combined weight of the whole combination. If the trailer is heavier than 750 kg, category B is still sufficient as long as the combined weight of the whole combination, the tow vehicle plus the trailer together, does not exceed 3,500 kg.

For a category B tow vehicle (total weight up to 3,500 kg), the logic works like this:

The Swiss ordinance on admission to road traffic (VZV) does not have an intermediate step like the EU-wide "Code 96" or "B96", where additional training would be enough instead of the full category BE. Anyone who wants to tow a horse trailer beyond the limits above with a category B licence always needs the full category BE, which requires its own practical driving test.

2. Key Weight Terms at a Glance

Buying a horse trailer means running into several technical weight terms, all defined in the Swiss ordinance on technical requirements for road vehicles (VTS). A short overview creates clarity before the next section gets practical.

• Unladen weight (Leergewicht): the weight of the vehicle with no load, as delivered from the factory.
• Actual weight (Betriebsgewicht): the vehicle's actual, current weight, including the weight of occupants and cargo and, for tow vehicles, the nose or kingpin weight of a coupled trailer.
• Rated weight (Garantiegewicht): the maximum weight technically permitted by the manufacturer.
• Gross weight (Gesamtgewicht): the weight that governs registration, the highest weight the vehicle may legally carry.
• Payload (Nutzlast): the difference between gross weight and unladen weight, in other words what may actually be loaded.
• Combined weight (Gesamtzugsgewicht): the weight of the whole combination of tow vehicle and trailer together.

Two further terms concern the combination of tow vehicle and trailer specifically:

• Towing capacity (Anhängelast): the actual, current weight of the trailer being towed; the permitted towing capacity, or combined weight, is stated in the tow vehicle's vehicle registration document (Fahrzeugausweis).
• Nose weight (Stützlast): the load transmitted through the trailer's drawbar onto the coupling.

3. What to Check on Your Tow Vehicle and Trailer

Before buying a horse trailer, check your tow vehicle's vehicle registration document: it states the towing capacity, or combined weight, permitted for your specific vehicle. This figure differs from model to model and cannot be estimated generically, it has to be looked up for your own vehicle.

The permitted nose weight, the load the trailer transmits through its drawbar onto your vehicle's coupling, is set by the vehicle manufacturer. The nose weight set by the manufacturer of the coupling (the towing device) must not be exceeded, and the coupling must carry this maximum nose weight marked permanently and legibly.

4. Registration: Vehicle Registration Document, Registration Plate and Periodic Inspection

A horse trailer needs, like practically every other trailer, its own vehicle registration document (Fahrzeugausweis) and its own registration plate (Kontrollschild). The Swiss ordinance on admission to road traffic lists exhaustively which trailers are exempt from this requirement, for example certain agricultural or forestry trailers, or sledge trailers. An ordinary horse trailer falls under none of these exemptions.

Relevant for budgeting: a newly registered horse trailer with a gross weight over 750 kg is not immediately due for its periodic inspection. The first inspection falls only five years, at the latest six years, after first registration, then every three years, then every two years after that.

What exactly gets checked at a periodic inspection, and how to prepare for it, will be covered in its own, separate guide.

5. Speed With a Horse Trailer: 80 km/h or 100 km/h?

Different speed limits apply with a horse trailer attached than without one, and since 2021 there has been an important exception.

• Without a trailer: 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 100 km/h on expressways, 120 km/h on motorways.
• With any trailer, generally: 80 km/h as a rule, regardless of the otherwise permitted limit, so also on motorways and expressways.
• The "100 km/h" exception: a light motor vehicle (a passenger car, category M1 up to 3.5 tonnes total weight) may drive at 100 km/h on motorways and expressways while towing a trailer whose own gross weight does not exceed 3.5 tonnes. This rule has only been in force since 1 January 2021. Under the wording of the VRV, no additional sticker or signage is required for this.

6. Animal-Appropriate Transport: Requirements for the Trailer

Horses must be tied during transport. The exception is young animals up to 30 months old that are not yet in regular use. Tying the animal by a lead rope, a knotted halter, or the bridle is forbidden.

Loading and unloading ramps must be slip-resistant. A ramp is mandatory once the gap to the ground reaches 25 cm; above a 10-degree incline, additional cross-battens are required, and side protection suited to the animals' weight and size is needed. An exception applies to hand-led animals accustomed to transport, where the loading-platform height does not exceed 50 cm.

Whether the transport is commercial or private, a horse trailer must meet the following general requirements as a means of transport:

• All parts in contact with the animals are made of non-toxic, low-injury material.
• Doors, windows and hatches can be securely fastened during the journey.
• The floor is slip-resistant.
• Tying points are strong enough, and long enough, for the animals to stand normally.
• Sufficient lighting is available to check on the animals.
• There is enough space and enough fresh-air supply for all animals.

These general requirements apply, by their wording, not only to commercial transporters but also to private owners transporting their own horse. Only a few specifically labelled obligations, such as training for accompanying staff or a loading-area size marking on the vehicle, are restricted to commercial transport.

7. Brands in the Range

The stallkonzept range includes horse trailers from five manufacturers, a curated selection with no ranking:

• Anssems
• Atec
• Sirius
• Cheval Liberté
• Thiel

8. Price and Quotation

Horse trailer prices at stallkonzept are, as a rule, on request. A manufacturer brochure is available as a PDF for many models. You can request a non-binding quotation through our basket, the reply typically arrives within 48 hours.

9. In Summary

Anyone buying a horse trailer does well to clarify the licence question first: category B is only sufficient within the 750 kg and 3,500 kg limits, beyond that the full category BE is required. On top of that come the weight terms from the vehicle registration document, the trailer's own registration with its own document and plate, the special speed rules that apply with a trailer, and animal-appropriate fittings for transporting your horse. Only once these points are settled is it worth looking at the brands in the range and requesting the right quotation.

If you also need a stationary horse stall alongside the trailer, our buying guide walks you through the key decisions for a stall purchase.