Buying A Horse Slaying My Dragons Part 3 – Quarantine and Shipping. Story and Photos By Eleanor Klawer
Home in her paddock
I
am VERY happy to say that my mare, Dantesse, is here in Langley at Foxcroft Farm. It has been a long process which I have been pleased to share with Gaitpost readers, and this is the final instalment of Buying a Horse, Slaying My Dragons. My dragon has been well and truly slain, as I have been riding now for two weeks, including a clinic with Ellen Bontje, and, while ridiculously out of shape after this year off, I feel I can put the accident and injuries behind me now — way behind me, I think. Worries and fears, dragons, be gone! The final part of this story has to do with the shipping and quarantine process — a very stressful time for both the horse and the new owner! Flying horses across the Atlantic is a very common procedure now, and there are many companies that make it their mission to deliver your horse in the most safe and simple manner. I think most agents and coaches in Europe have their favourite company to deal with, and www.gaitpost.com
familiarity is a huge help when it comes to arranging things from a distance. I used Klatte Transport in Germany, who arranged a lot of horses’ flights to Spruce Meadows in September, but unfortunately, because I didn’t listen to my experts’ advice right away, I missed those flights which would have had Dantesse here two weeks earlier. Instead, I waited for another company to fill a pallet, which needed three horses to be sent to quarantine (“pre-export isolation”) at the same time to get on the soonest flight. That third horse was elusive, apparently, and weeks went by, and communication poor. When I heard from Ellen that Klatte had a spot if the mare went into quarantine the next day, I jumped at the opportunity. I wanted my horse home! The change in carriers meant the horse went to Los Angeles rather than Calgary, and this is a
Canada’s Greatest Little Horse Mag
Buying a Horse continued on page 28 November 2016
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