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The gold standard for equine transportation has been truck and trailer for some time now, but many trainers elect a different option when moving their stables across the country—or even the world.
Flying isn’t always a viable choice, but when it is, trainers say their horses not only arrive more quickly, but also fresher and in better condition.
Tim Dutta, of the The Dutta Corporation, based out of North Salem, N.Y., is experienced with flying some of the world’s most accomplished equine competitors. Along with Peden Bloodstock, Dutta will be responsible for shipping the more than 800 horses that will compete at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky. Dutta has also shipped top show jumpers such as Sapphire and Quick Study, horses that fly more than five times a year.
Dutta believes that flying is a much better option for most horses, simply due to the amount of time and stress saved.
“A flight from Gladstone, N.J., to San Diego, Calif., is about 4½ hours. Compare that to four or five days of truck travel,” said Dutta. “Think about how you feel driving to California versus flying.
“The biggest problem with long-haul shipping is managing stress. The quicker the horse is back in their own environment, the lesser the chances of shipping fever or gas colic,” he continued.
Kate Considine, owner of hunter/jumper show barn Willow Brook Stables, Lakeview Terrace, Calif., agrees that the time saved by flying is worth it.
“It’s a bit more money—$1,000 to $1,500 more—but it’s 12 hours door-to-door to fly them,” said Considine. “One of my horses was ridden and had a lesson on Friday, got on the plane Saturday morning, and was here with me on Saturday afternoon.”
Event rider Jennifer Wooten-Dafoe also frequently flies her top event horse, The Good Witch, from her home in Buellton, Calif., to various events through the country.
“I have flown myself, [The Good Witch] and my groom the past five times I have competed on the East Coast,” Wooten-Dafoe said. “It really came down to optimizing [The Good Witch’s] performance, convenience and funding. Every trip I would budget time and expenses, and the option to fly always made more sense.”
The Logistics
Dutta describes the flying process as fairly straightforward.
