Just How Do You Get Horses To The Olympics?

The U.S. Equestrian Federation equines are
training to fly around the courses at the 2012
Olympic Games in London, England, commencing
this July. But they are going to also fly on
specially equipped aeroplanes to get there. The
business of hauling horses overseas has altered
significantly since the 1950s, when the equine
Olympic competitors were flown to Stockholm,
Sweden, for the 1956 Games in aeroplanes with
small, portable stalls inside. Once the plane
landed, the horses were led down the rise onto
the tarmac. Their tack was cleared away from the
plane, and the horses were saddled and ridden to
the Olympic stabling.

Today, horses fly in as much comfort as their
human partners, in planes designed to replicate
a stable. They are unloaded onto rubber mats on
the tarmac and then travel in special vans to
the barns. The elite equines travel in spacious
stalls designed for flying, called "astro
boxes," each with a professional groom trained
for air travel. The stalls are padded, and each
horse stands on mats to reduce stress on their
legs.

The menu consists of all the hay a horse can
eat, with lots of water to keep hydration up.
Transporting the horses is a matter of logistics
and intense preparation, which will be in place
well before the final team selections are made
this summer. The trip to London will be
considerably easier than the trip to Hong Kong
for the 2008 Olympics, when 303 equine
competitors flew in several stages to the
Olympic venue before boarding air-conditioned
floats to their destination two hours away.

Extra time was planned for the horses traveling
to become accustomed to the high temperatures in
China. The same was true for the flights to the
2000 and 2004 Olympics in Sydney and Athens. The
Games in Sydney required a 27-hour trip for the
U.S. Horses, broken up into two stages.
Australia has a two-week quarantine period and
one American horse was forced to withdraw from
the Games when enough time was not planned to
meet it.

While airborne, the equine passengers are
watched closely for signs of colic and
nervousness. The traveling grooms are specially
trained to treat these or any other problems
while airborne. Veterinarians are also onboard
to handle any medical issues. Keeping the horses
calm while traveling is a top priority. So
frequently, trainers, owners and riders travel
separately. Anxiety can be easily communicated
to horses, and shipping experts believe that
travel is easier for everyone if the equine
needs are met by professionals trained to
recognize problems early and react calmly.

Overseas venues have strict quarantine
requirements, so the horses arrive well in
advance of the competition, both to allow time
to acclimate to the climate and meet the
quarantine before work begins to prepare for the
Games. Quarantine facilities overseas are
outfitted for training so work can begin when
the horses are ready.

Horses and riders will be chosen for the U.S.
teams in June through an ongoing selection
process involving multiple training sessions and
competitions. Olympic equestrian competition will
begin July 28 in London.

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The equestrian events at this years 2012 London
Olympics looks set to be an action packed event.
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