Emer Bermingham trade - Equine International Shipping Ltd. · International Shipping W ITH many...
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THE IRISH FIELD, Saturday, May 14, 2011 FEATURE A59 Flying trade Emer Bermingham went behind the scenes at Dublin Airport with Equine International Shipping W ITH many horses either being sold or competing in various coun- tries across the world, transport of horses by air has become a common practice. Air travel is consid- ered one of the quickest modes of transport so it is logical that horses should also be transported in this way. However, air journeys in- volve detailed planning and a considerable amount of ex- pertise in this particular area. In Ireland there are just a handful of companies specia- lising in transporting horses, one such is Equine Interna- tional Shipping. Owned by Andrea O’Brien and Raymond Carroll and based in Co Meath, EIS has been in operation since 2005. Both partners bring a wealth of experience to their busi- ness and take a hands-on approach. With their in-depth knowledge of international quarantine requirements and air freight, they are able to give the best service on im- port/export transport pre- paration of animals, as well as understanding the travel needs of competition horses. Both Andrea and Raymond are ATA registered equine attendants and hold an NPTC certificate so they regularly fly with the horses. Their moto is: ‘‘If there is a flight there, we can get them there.’’ Both Andrea and Raymond have a vast amount of experi- ence in handling horses, hav- ing worked in the industry prior to starting their busi- ness. Raymond spent many years working in the financial services before making the decision to leave a high-pow- ered position to follow his dream job. In 1998 he travelled to Florida to take up a posi- tion with Candice King and while working there, he had the opportunity to further develop his knowledge of horses, focusing particularly on their fitness, nutrition and general well-being for compe- tition. Similarly Andrea has ex- tensive equine knowledge having worked as head tra- velling groom for Rene Am- stutz. It was during her time with Amstutz that she got the opportunity to travel to many of the top international shows throughout Europe. She was also head groom for the suc- cessful Kinmarlin Stables in Georgetown, Ontario, and la- ter worked for Kim Kirton. Andrea’s experience with equine travel came when she took up the position as ship- ping administrator with Ped- en Equine Transport. EIS offer a complete ser- vice; they are there from the start of the journey right through to landing. ‘‘Our atti- tude to the business has been and will continue to take a hands-on approach. Myself and Andrea are the only em- ployees of the company, therefore, we are involved in every aspect of our business. We are extremely passionate, enthusiastic and proud of our business,’’ says Raymond. ‘‘Customer service is very important to us and we keep our clients updated on the journey and how the animal is travelling. One of us is always at the airport to ensure that everything goes to plan and because of our knowledge of the complete process, we can answer most questions from the airport staff or the de- partment veterinary sur- geons. We aim to simplify the shipping process and alleviate stress for owners by provid- ing a comprehensive service,’’ adds Raymond. SHIPPING The journey for shipping an animal begins long before they reach the airport. The process of shipping a horse is far from simple, as I learnt from my day with EIS. As it is quite expensive to transport horses and with price fluctuations in air tra- vel, the team at EIS work hard to get the best possible quote for their client. Generally, all the horses will co-load, the only situation where they don’t is if the horse is a bad traveller or if the client would simply just like to give them more room. Once the agreement is made and the flights are booked, then the trail of pa- perwork and regulations be- gins and to the inexperienced eye, it all looks very daunting. Depending on the animal’s destination, bloods need to be tested to ensure that all the necessary pre-export testing and health paperwork is car- ried out. The EIS team liaise with the client’s veterinary surgeon and provide them with a testing schedule and follow up with them to ensure that all testing is carried out as per the health certificate requirements. For horses exiting or en- tering the EU, they will ar- range all import/export customs documentation. On landing, it is necessary to book quarantine facilities and make sure that an agent is on the other side to take respon- sibility for the animal. EIS recommend that all horses are insured prior to shipping and while they are not a broker, they can recommend an in- surance broker to suit clients’ needs. Apart from looking after the animal’s paperwork, visas must be organised for the flying grooms. With EIS their policy is always to send one ATA approved groom. ‘‘We have an excellent team of grooms which we use, they have plenty of experience and the most important thing is they have the ability to react quickly to any situation and genuinely care about the ani- mals,’’ said Andrea. The horses were travelling out of Dublin Airport at 6pm but had arrived at the airport at 2pm to ensure that all passports were checked and that the Department of Agri- culture veterinary surgeon was satisfied with all the pa- per work. They were travel- ling with Fed Ex to New York with a two hour stop-over in Stansted. In the main term- inal, all grooms were put through the usual security checks before being escorted out to the holding area. Five horses were being shipped out, a mixture of show jumpers and eventers. Despite the noise of the planes landing, they all seemed to cope well. On the day, flying grooms Lucy Allen and Des- mond Dully were there to familiarise themselves with the horses and asking the lorry drivers how the horses travelled. ‘‘If we know a horse is a bad loader or doesn’t travel well, we can deal with this; pre- warned is pre-armed. Most horses, once they are beside another horse in the contain- er, will travel well. I am responsible for the horse, checking that it is comforta- ble and showing no signs of distress. As the aircraft itself is air conditioned, the tem- perature can be adjusted to keep the horses comfortable. The pilots are generally very understanding which always helps. We feed the horse’s haylage and ensure that they have plenty of water. In gen- eral once we are in the air, the horses are quite happy,’’ said Lucy. At first glance, I must ad- mit that the purpose-built container looked on the small side but it was later explained that when travelling, the horses needed to be secure. A triple stall (a pallet taking three horses) is the most eco- nomical way for the horses to travel. All of the pallets are Andrea O’Brien loading a horse at Dublin Airport Emer Bermingham the same size, but the parti- tions are adjustable so you can fly one horse in a pallet by itself or fly two horses and adjust the partitions so that each horse has a stall and a half. Obviously the latter op- tions are more expensive. EIS always check with the owner on the initial telephone call and ask how the horse travels; the answer will determine the amount of space that the horse will require. Once the horses are loaded, either Andrea or Raymond will be there to check that everything is checked and performed in accordance with IATA (International Air Transport Association) stan- dards and regulations. Texts are then sent to the clients to let them know that their ani- mal was loaded and ready to go, in some cases even pic- tures are required as in the case of Suzy, whose owners had set up a Twitter account to follow her journey. WEIGHT The next part of the journey is to the plane on the tarmac. Each container is weighed so the weigh master knows ex- actly where to place the load. On the journey over, the horses remained perfectly calm and didn’t seem in any way perturbed by their new experience. Once all the containers were ready, they were loaded on the plane and the next stage of the journey began. Apart from looking after the horses, it is also the groom’s job to relay all information back to Andrea and Raymond so they can pass this infor- mation on to the clients and the agent waiting on the other side. As well as shipping horses, EIS also act as agents for other companies, ensuring that horses arrive safely into Ire- land. The Dublin Horse Show is also a very busy time for them as they are contracted to ensure that the visiting teams arrive safely. Again it is a trail of paperwork, liaising with the various interna- tional federations and riders. The amount of logistics in- volved in the shipping of these animals is huge and if any part of the paperwork is not right, the horses will not tra- vel. There is a huge responsi- bility on the whole team, from the minute they take on the job to the time the horse reaches its destination. There is endless amount of paper work and organisation in- volved in the process but the team at EIS are well able to take it all in their stride. Global shipping of horses is the expertise of EIS business partners Andrea O’Brien and Raymond Carroll In general once we are in the air, the horses are quite happy TROYTOWN EQUINE HOSPITAL SEMINAR TRAINING FOR SOUNDNESS IN COMPETITION HORSES 24 TH May 2011in the Osprey Hotel, Naas, Co Kildare at 7pm SPEAKERS: Niall Quirke - Trainer, Sean Wall - Equine Chiropractor (Avca Certified), Geoff Curran - Event Rider, Warren Schofield -Veterinary Surgeon SPONSORS: AUDEVARD This very exciting meeting will focus on training methods to minimise injuries and optimise performance from your horse. Followed by a talk on diagnosis, treatment and management of horses with injuries. A chiropractic approach to back therapy will be discussed also Please note there is no charge for this talk but all attendees are required to register by email to [email protected]
Transcript of Emer Bermingham trade - Equine International Shipping Ltd. · International Shipping W ITH many...
THE IRISH FIELD, Saturday, May 14, 2011
FEATURE A59
Flying
trade
EmerBerminghamwent behind thescenes at DublinAirport withEquineInternationalShipping
WITH many horseseither being soldor competing invarious coun-tries across the
world, transport of horses byair has become a commonpractice. Air travel is consid-ered one of the quickestmodes of transport so it islogical that horses should alsobe transported in this way.However, air journeys in-volve detailed planning and aconsiderable amount of ex-pertise in this particular area.In Ireland there are just ahandful of companies specia-lising in transporting horses,one such is Equine Interna-tional Shipping.
Owned by Andrea O’Brienand Raymond Carroll andbased in Co Meath, EIS hasbeen in operation since 2005.Both partners bring a wealthof experience to their busi-ness and take a hands-onapproach. With their in-depthknowledge of internationalquarantine requirements andair freight, they are able togive the best service on im-port/export transport pre-paration of animals, as well asunderstanding the travelneeds of competition horses.Both Andrea and Raymondare ATA registered equineattendants and hold an NPTCcertificate so they regularlyfly with the horses. Theirmoto is: ‘‘If there is a flightthere, we can get them there.’’
Both Andrea and Raymondhave a vast amount of experi-ence in handling horses, hav-ing worked in the industryprior to starting their busi-ness. Raymond spent manyyears working in the financialservices before making thedecision to leave a high-pow-ered position to follow hisdream job. In 1998 he travelledto Florida to take up a posi-tion with Candice King andwhile working there, he hadthe opportunity to further
develop his knowledge ofhorses, focusing particularlyon their fitness, nutrition andgeneral well-being for compe-tition.
Similarly Andrea has ex-tensive equine knowledgehaving worked as head tra-velling groom for Rene Am-stutz. It was during her timewith Amstutz that she got theopportunity to travel to manyof the top international showsthroughout Europe. She wasalso head groom for the suc-cessful Kinmarlin Stables inGeorgetown, Ontario, and la-ter worked for Kim Kirton.Andrea’s experience withequine travel came when shetook up the position as ship-ping administrator with Ped-en Equine Transport.
EIS offer a complete ser-vice; they are there from thestart of the journey rightthrough to landing. ‘‘Our atti-tude to the business has beenand will continue to take ahands-on approach. Myselfand Andrea are the only em-ployees of the company,therefore, we are involved inevery aspect of our business.We are extremely passionate,enthusiastic and proud of ourbusiness,’’ says Raymond.
‘‘Customer service is veryimportant to us and we keepour clients updated on thejourney and how the animal istravelling. One of us is alwaysat the airport to ensure thateverything goes to plan andbecause of our knowledge ofthe complete process, we cananswer most questions fromthe airport staff or the de-partment veterinary sur-geons. We aim to simplify theshipping process and alleviatestress for owners by provid-ing a comprehensive service,’’adds Raymond.
SHIPPINGThe journey for shipping ananimal begins long beforethey reach the airport. Theprocess of shipping a horse isfar from simple, as I learntfrom my day with EIS.
As it is quite expensive totransport horses and withprice fluctuations in air tra-vel, the team at EIS work hardto get the best possible quotefor their client. Generally, allthe horses will co-load, theonly situation where theydon’t is if the horse is a badtraveller or if the client wouldsimply just like to give themmore room.
Once the agreement ismade and the flights arebooked, then the trail of pa-perwork and regulations be-gins and to the inexperiencedeye, it all looks very daunting.Depending on the animal’sdestination, bloods need to betested to ensure that all thenecessary pre-export testingand health paperwork is car-ried out. The EIS team liaise
with the client’s veterinarysurgeon and provide themwith a testing schedule andfollow up with them to ensurethat all testing is carried outas per the health certificaterequirements.
For horses exiting or en-tering the EU, they will ar-range all import/exportcustoms documentation. Onlanding, it is necessary tobook quarantine facilities andmake sure that an agent is onthe other side to take respon-sibility for the animal. EISrecommend that all horses areinsured prior to shipping andwhile they are not a broker,they can recommend an in-surance broker to suit clients’needs.
Apart from looking afterthe animal’s paperwork, visasmust be organised for theflying grooms. With EIS theirpolicy is always to send oneATA approved groom. ‘‘Wehave an excellent team ofgrooms which we use, theyhave plenty of experience andthe most important thing isthey have the ability to reactquickly to any situation andgenuinely care about the ani-mals,’’ said Andrea.
The horses were travelling
out of Dublin Airport at 6pmbut had arrived at the airportat 2pm to ensure that allpassports were checked andthat the Department of Agri-culture veterinary surgeonwas satisfied with all the pa-per work. They were travel-ling with Fed Ex to New Yorkwith a two hour stop-over inStansted. In the main term-inal, all grooms were putthrough the usual securitychecks before being escortedout to the holding area.
Five horses were beingshipped out, a mixture ofshow jumpers and eventers.Despite the noise of the planeslanding, they all seemed tocope well. On the day, flyinggrooms Lucy Allen and Des-mond Dully were there tofamiliarise themselves withthe horses and asking thelorry drivers how the horsestravelled.
‘‘If we know a horse is a badloader or doesn’t travel well,we can deal with this; pre-warned is pre-armed. Mosthorses, once they are besideanother horse in the contain-er, will travel well. I amresponsible for the horse,checking that it is comforta-ble and showing no signs of
distress. As the aircraft itselfis air conditioned, the tem-perature can be adjusted tokeep the horses comfortable.The pilots are generally veryunderstanding which alwayshelps. We feed the horse’shaylage and ensure that theyhave plenty of water. In gen-eral once we are in the air, thehorses are quite happy,’’ saidLucy.
At first glance, I must ad-mit that the purpose-builtcontainer looked on the smallside but it was later explainedthat when travelling, thehorses needed to be secure. Atriple stall (a pallet takingthree horses) is the most eco-nomical way for the horses totravel. All of the pallets are
Andrea O’Brien loading a horse at Dublin Airport
Emer Bermingham
the same size, but the parti-tions are adjustable so youcan fly one horse in a pallet byitself or fly two horses andadjust the partitions so thateach horse has a stall and ahalf. Obviously the latter op-tions are more expensive. EISalways check with the owneron the initial telephone calland ask how the horse travels;the answer will determine theamount of space that thehorse will require.
Once the horses are loaded,either Andrea or Raymondwill be there to check thateverything is checked andperformed in accordance withIATA (International AirTransport Association) stan-dards and regulations. Textsare then sent to the clients tolet them know that their ani-mal was loaded and ready togo, in some cases even pic-tures are required as in thecase of Suzy, whose ownershad set up a Twitter accountto follow her journey.
WEIGHTThe next part of the journey isto the plane on the tarmac.Each container is weighed sothe weigh master knows ex-actly where to place the load.On the journey over, thehorses remained perfectlycalm and didn’t seem in anyway perturbed by their newexperience.
Once all the containerswere ready, they were loadedon the plane and the nextstage of the journey began.Apart from looking after thehorses, it is also the groom’sjob to relay all informationback to Andrea and Raymondso they can pass this infor-mation on to the clients andthe agent waiting on the otherside.
As well as shipping horses,EIS also act as agents for othercompanies, ensuring thathorses arrive safely into Ire-land. The Dublin Horse Showis also a very busy time forthem as they are contracted toensure that the visiting teamsarrive safely. Again it is atrail of paperwork, liaisingwith the various interna-tional federations and riders.
The amount of logistics in-volved in the shipping of theseanimals is huge and if anypart of the paperwork is notright, the horses will not tra-vel. There is a huge responsi-bility on the whole team, fromthe minute they take on thejob to the time the horsereaches its destination. Thereis endless amount of paperwork and organisation in-volved in the process but theteam at EIS are well able totake it all in their stride.
Global shipping of horses is the expertise of EIS business partners Andrea O’Brien and Raymond Carroll
In generalonce we are
in the air, the horsesare quite happy
TROYTOWN EQUINE HOSPITAL SEMINARTRAINING FOR SOUNDNESS IN COMPETITION HORSES
24TH May 2011in the Osprey Hotel, Naas, Co Kildare at 7pmSPEAKERS: Niall Quirke - Trainer, Sean Wall - Equine Chiropractor (Avca Certified),
Geoff Curran - Event Rider, Warren Schofield -Veterinary Surgeon
SPONSORS: AUDEVARDThis very exciting meeting will focus on training methods to minimise injuries and optimise performance from your horse. Followed by a talk on diagnosis, treatment and management
of horses with injuries. A chiropractic approach to back therapy will be discussed alsoPlease note there is no charge for this talk but all attendees are required
to register by email to [email protected]
