Moving to Hawaii ... would you take your horses?

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Bedford Joy

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We may be moving to Maui from the UK in the next 12 months and I have the option of taking all 3 of my TB mares with me but one is 20 this year and has had a hard life and I worry she wouldn't cope with the traveling and one is very stressy and don't know if she would settle on the plane ... if they were your horses what would you do ?
 
Unless I could secure her a home for life with her sharer then yes fatty cob would be coming with me :) Oh also provided I could give her an appropriate lifestyle over there. If we are talking no grass and no turn out then no.
 
Personally I'd want to take them. My mum goes to Maui twice a year, so know its an amazing place. For your oldie I'd consult my Vet or a vet experienced in long distance transport of horses and her their advice. Best of luck though, its looks an amazing place!
 
For me it would be more about what the conditions would be like when they got there... Would there be grass and turnout, decent stables etc, would it be very very hot.. Someone was talking about taking a horse to Dubai recently and I upset them saying I would rather put my horse down, but I meant it. Hawaii may be slightly more possible, it is more humid.. I would err on the no side really, I wouldn't really want to take mine anywhere that wasn't Europe really, and even then not too Southern.

The trouble is, with a 20yr old horse, what are your other options..?
 
I would worry most about the travel. Can you split it up into chunks USA a good rest then Hawaii? I brought a 25 year old to France he is now 34 and going strong.

Hawaii is heaven on earth for horses. We have ridden on the big island and Maui. The climate is around 70F all year round with enough rain to keep good pasture. On shore breezes insure you have fewer bugs than in West coast Scotland or France.

The biggest privately owned ranch in the USA is on the Big Island, they breed quarter horses and Aberdeen Angus. We sent photos to friends in Scotland with the message Hawaii is like Scotland with sunshine.
 
PS English sailors set a mare and colt free on the Big Island -from these two a herd of 50,000 feral horses developed. Horses love Hawaii, so did we.
 
Rollin said:
I would worry most about the travel. Can you split it up into chunks USA a good rest then Hawaii? I brought a 25 year old to France he is now 34 and going strong.

Hawaii is heaven on earth for horses. We have ridden on the big island and Maui. The climate is around 70F all year round with enough rain to keep good pasture. On shore breezes insure you have fewer bugs than in West coast Scotland or France.

The biggest privately owned ranch in the USA is on the Big Island, they breed quarter horses and Aberdeen Angus. We sent photos to friends in Scotland with the message Hawaii is like Scotland with sunshine.
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Sounds like the perfect place for a horse to retire Rollin.

I would have a chat with some transporters to see how it works. I would think you would have to have a break in that journey anyway - its a long long flight. They say horses travel very well in planes.
 
If everything was set up at the other end and the conditions were right, then yes I would as I could not bare to leave her behind. Re your horses think would have to find a forever home to loan her too, but the others as said would take.
 
Maui is paradise for horses and humans, this is the route we would use with a transporter with a superb reputation who we have used before


Procedure for exporting horses to the USA
The process for shipping horses from the UK to the USA involves no pre-export quarantine in the UK. However, before export, blood serum must be be pre-tested for Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA), Dourine, Glanders & Equine Piroplasmosis & CEM swabs - this must be within 30 days of travel and take approximately 7-10 for results to come back.

On arrival in the USA all horses complete a standard 2-3 day import quarantine where the blood tests are re-run. **All horses aged over 731 days (excluding geldings and racehorses, horses in continuous training, provided they have not been on breeding premises since reaching 731 days of age,) then go on to a separate CEM quarantine (approx. 15 days for mares and 30 days for stallions)
 
Maui is paradise for horses and humans - we have our own private ranch with lots of land but for exapmple - http://www.mauihorse.com/

this is the route we would use with a transporter with a superb reputation who we have used before

Route: UK to Hawaii travelling AMS to HNL via LAX

Transport by road from the UK to Amsterdam; Flight from Amsterdam to LAX, Los Angeles where your horse will be cleared and transported to standard post arrival quarantine (PAQ) facilities. Upon clearance your horse will fly from LAX onto Honolulu and final transport onto Maui will be by sea.
 
Make sure you insure your horses just in case you have to fly them back if they fail the USA blood tests. It has happened! This was advice from someone who had brought their family horses from the USA to the UK, lived here for a few years and then flew back again with them.
 
Yes I would consider it.
No language barrier for vets and things, this is a real issue with horses abroad.
I would want to understand how they keep horses over there and would only to take a horse I felt it would suit.
Good luck OP Have a great adventure .
 
Bedford Joy said:
Maui is paradise for horses and humans - we have our own private ranch with lots of land but for exapmple - http://www.mauihorse.com/

this is the route we would use with a transporter with a superb reputation who we have used before

Route: UK to Hawaii travelling AMS to HNL via LAX

Transport by road from the UK to Amsterdam; Flight from Amsterdam to LAX, Los Angeles where your horse will be cleared and transported to standard post arrival quarantine (PAQ) facilities. Upon clearance your horse will fly from LAX onto Honolulu and final transport onto Maui will be by sea.
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We had a stop-over in San Francisco. Then to Big Island and local flight to Maui. I wondered about landing in Maui as it is a tiny airport. The sea journey would be the bit that would worry me most. How many hours?
 
Rollin said:
We had a stop-over in San Francisco. Then to Big Island and local flight to Maui. I wondered about landing in Maui as it is a tiny airport. The sea journey would be the bit that would worry me most. How many hours?
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Yes the sea bit does sound the hardest bit - especially after all the other travelling.
 
I've been there, it is lush-ville. Your horses will love it. And 20 is not too old to travel. I'm coming as your groom, by the way.
 
Our 24 yr old who looks a bit ropey hunts all day long! Vet has done bloods and tests and shes as fit as a flea! I really wouldn't be discouraged by her age, yet take them if your vet thinks she would be ok!! XX
 
Id want to take mine.
Provided they would have nice turnout etc.

Carefully plan the timing so the horses can adjust nicely.

Horses travel a lot these days. Flying, boats etc.
Experienced transporters and vet assistant will give them the best traveling experience.
 
I would and I am - not to Maui mind you, I wish!
My boys doing Cyprus to UK with two ferry rides - He'll spend a total of two days on a ferry (shock, horror :o) but the comPany were using are very well thought of an have done this particular route hundreds of times :)
Good luck in whatever you decide!
 
Hawaii sounds amazing. I'd let the vet decide if the older horse was fit for travel. Sometimes horses can surprise you with how robust they are!

I'm planning to take my horses with me when my partner and I return home to USA in a few years time. It's hugely daunting thinking about organising this, plus the expense is scary. I've told hubby plain and simple though, if the horses don't go I don't go. It would break my heart to leave them behind especially after having them both from babies.

I really can't wait to go home though. It's been very tough being so far from family and missing milestones etc.
 
Before I lost my youngster my plan was to take him when OH and I move to Canada. I will either sell or loan out OH's horse, my boy will probably be gone by then, and my little mare can either go to stud (fantastic breeding, and already a proven broodmare with winning offspring) or be loaned out as a companion.

I wouldn't put an old horse through such a huge change to be honest, but I was prepared to do it for my 6yr old.
 
If it's forever I would take them. One of ours came from Chile and it hasn't troubled him. There is no way I could leave mine behind. Go for it and send pictures.
 
Wow it looks amazing... Can I come with you? ;)

No practical advice as I've never had to deal with long transports. However sees there's very good advice on this thread already and the move is more than doable. I'd definitely do it with my horses!
Good luck!
 
Yes if you can take them, then do so..... sometimes it means a different lifestyle for them, but they adapt, as for the heat, mine have coped with 62'c (143'f) last year, (though that was in the sun, at the height of summer) though most days in summer its in the 40's...

if the vet says the old one is fit to travel, then go for it
 
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