Transporting horse from Cyprus to US. Realistic?! Please advice!

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Lisiza

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I live in Cyprus and recently took a decision to move to Connecticut, US for good. I have a 21y.o. TB gelding, who I love dearly and not ready to part with. To move him to US is incredibly challenging. Besides the cost, the long way may just kill him as I've been told. It currently looks like this:
3 days on the ferry from Cyprus to Greece.
3-4 days ground transportation, etc from Greece to Amsterdam or London.
7h flight Schipol or LHR to New York
48h carantine
2h driving to the stables in Connecticut.
The cost is high, the paper work-painful and if after doing all that my TB will not make it I will blame myself till the rest if my life.
He has manageable arthritis and generally healthy. But he never had travelled any long distance, is used to the local weather, food, water, etc.
Please please advice anyone! Shall I do it? Or the risk is too high? I will much appreciate all your thoughts
 
Winters are long and very cold and snowy in CT - I would think twice before taking an older arthritic TB to that climate. Might get away with it to send him to California or Texas or some other south western state.
 
You are right. I know about bitter CT winters. But I am going not live there not in California or Tex. the chance of me visiting him somewhere in Tex is the same as coming back to Cyprus i.e. 3-4times a year.

Thank you for your helpful thought, helps me to take a decision
 
Personally I wouldn't put him through the move. The transport cost would also be very high.
If you have friends in Cyprus that could take care of your old boy I'd leave him there.
 
That's a hard one isn't it!

I don't think that the journey (although long and unpleasant for him) would kill him, but the climate and temperature when he gets there will be a big shock to him and won't help his arthritis that you manage where he is. I would think a retirement in Cyprus would be lovely, in CCT it would be an endurance..

Do you have the option of leaving him on full livery somewhere with someone you trust to check him?
 
Thank you, Honey.

Your advice sounds very reasonable. I also think even IF journey goes well it would be hard for him to adjust. I was thinking if I decide to take him with me it should be late spring or early autumn so the season change would not be so drastic.
The stables he is in now are good enough. I trust the people here and he has his palls to hang around.
The horses here are turned out throughout the year. They only go to the stables when it rains heavily, which is a rare event in Cyprus. He hates being in the stable and gets very stressed if locked more than for a couple of days.
It's more my ego and my feelings for him than anything else. I have him for 9 years now and he is truly the love of my life. But surely this is my problem and he shouldn't suffer.
 
I could be wrong, but I am sure that there was someone on my old yard that flew a horse over from Cyprus to the UK via the forces and they were cilvilian. If hes generally fit and healthy, even with arthritis he should manage the journey okay, but if you are moving 'now' it will be the climate change that he might struggle with. If you could delay the move until the spring then it might be more doable as there wouldn't be quite the same level of change in temps and he'd have the chance to prepare for the winters.
 
No I would not move a horse from warm climate to often winter sub zero. And horse being 21 years old TB , I would find a home for him where he is, and if you can, visit few times a year. It would be a wrench for both of you I know.
 
No i am not moving now. I am aware of the sharp climate change and how difficult it is for horses to adjust.
The days of big military moves from Cyprus to UK are gone. But thanks do r your thought, I will enquire and maybe find a chance to get him to a plane from Acrotiri base. The stables my horse is in belonged to BFBS base but now in private handed.
Still there might be some connections to be found.
Thanks again!
 
I wouldn't put him through it, that is a huge journey for an older horse.

My friend did Cyprus to UK with a 6yo TB and that took him about a month to get over that, let alone putting on a plane and then in quarantine.

Plus the costs will be huge- so no I would not do it.
 
Something too - I don't know whether or not it would affect many horses or not - but there's also the factor of change in feeding. I might be talking out my backside here so don't shoot me down.

But I have lived in Massachusetts and kept horses there for years. The grass there in the summer can be pretty rich. I've only been to Cyprus once - last summer - and the grass there is dry like hay. How do "pet horses" cope with that type of change?
 
Dianchi,

I know the cost is high. I mentally prepared myself to pay around $20K
But leaving the cost out, would it be beneficial for him... Reading all your opinions and already having a negative advice from 2 vets both in Cyp and US, it looks like I have to leave him here. Despite all my pain
 
Id leave him behind on full livery and have people you trust check him regularly and visit him as often as you can! I would be wary about putting any horse through that big a change especially an older horse with issues.
 
I run a retirement home in Wales, UK, we have quite a few horses travel from military homes abroad , the owners had decided it was enough travelling for their horses form country to country, we had horses from Portugal last year, Germany and Spain, they have all settled in well and are loving green grass!
 
I flew one of mine from London to New York in the middle of winter. I was very concerned about the temperature differences and worried that she wouldn't acclimatise. I worried over absolutely nothing. She was perfectly fine and acclimatised with no problems at all. Feed was a bit of a worry for me too as there was nothing here like I fed her in the UK, I worked it out though, just by going back to studying naturals and then all was well. If you think he can cope with the long journey then I'd bring him. If you don't, then I'd leave him behind.
 
I would contact the big shipping agents here in the UK as they charter and fly horses out from everywhere and if you time it right with the sales in newmarket you may be lucky and have a plane already chartered to go to Cyprus delivering/picking up racehorses

BBA Shipping
IRT
LG Bloodstock

ALL the paperwork is done by them so no worries for you at all. including all the tests he will require which will lessen the time he is in quarantine in the US.

If done right, your horse will be fine and I have yet to see a horse have issues with weather differentials! Horses get shipped from 40+ degrees in dubai and qatar to come and land in -25 at schipol with no problems at all and vice versa

I would do it in a heart beat! But then my friend has an international horse transport company and I have seen bespoke transport at its best!

Good luck
 
Please, please don't do it. The travel to uk by boat and road will take nearer 12 days. The company makes it sound like a nice jaunt but the reality is hell for your horse. My mare arrived skin and bone when she had set off well covered. Even the muscle had gone. There were cuts and grazes on her face, around her eyes and between her ears and she was lame. I tried for two years to get her right and did see a lot of improvement but in the end she wasn't happy or comfortable so I lost my horse of a lifetime. A friend did fly hers about 4 years ago. They go larnaca to Jordan and then heathrow. It was five thousand and takes two days. Much cheaper than the potential vets fees of the road travel and far kinder for the horse. You do have to find two others to share the crate though. I now view shipping that far by road as no better than shipping horses long distance for meat but I guess I have been tainted by my loss and stress of it all.
 
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No, it was a big lorry shared with one other who was swapped to another lorry in France for the end of their journey. I gather they went Cyprus to Athens where there was a delay of a day or two out at sea due to port strikes. Athens to Italy on another boat. Up Italy by road, across to France, then Dover to UK.
 
foraday said:
I would contact the big shipping agents here in the UK as they charter and fly horses out from everywhere and if you time it right with the sales in newmarket you may be lucky and have a plane already chartered to go to Cyprus delivering/picking up racehorses

BBA Shipping
IRT
LG Bloodstock

ALL the paperwork is done by them so no worries for you at all. including all the tests he will require which will lessen the time he is in quarantine in the US.

If done right, your horse will be fine and I have yet to see a horse have issues with weather differentials! Horses get shipped from 40+ degrees in dubai and qatar to come and land in -25 at schipol with no problems at all and vice versa

I would do it in a heart beat! But then my friend has an international horse transport company and I have seen bespoke transport at its best!

Good luck
Click to expand...

Valuable info, thank you! Will check these agents
 
Horsimous,

I am sorry for your pain. I know how devastating it is. And i heard some dreadful stories of transporting horses from Cyprus to Europe and vice versa. That is why I wanted to do a thorough research before starting such an affair.
Will try to find info re.flights via Jordan.
Or maybe just leave him to retire here.....
 
At his age if there is somewhere there for him to retire thats safe and trustworthy then I would leave him there otherwise I would look into good retirement places on mainland europe (there are a few) that would give you good updates and allow you to visit him and let him go there as they are going to half the travel rather than have the extra journey and cost to take him all the way
 
Hi where about in Cyprus are you? IMO i would not do it. Cyprus is much closer to UK than USA. Is there anyone in Uk that you trust to look after him?? that journey would not be so bad.
 
I recently flew my horse from the UK to California. He is an 8yr old TB.
I used LOC transport, they were very good and sorted everything out for me. It was just a couple vet visits UK side I had to sort out to get his bloods tested and health certificate signed off.
It cost all in close to £8,000 maybe just under.
The journey took a week as he went to Amsterdam so they could pick up other horses on the way and he flew from there. They do not travel every day, they have rest days for instance my horse spent 2 nights in Amsterdam doing nothing but chilling in a stable eating hay! They don't travel the horses for longer than 2hrs without stopping for water and hay top ups.
The flight was the hardest thing. Not the actual flying but my horse stood in his flight stall for 20 hrs. An 11hr flight plus time at the airport and customs. He got a bit sweaty apparently but apart from that he was fine and perky.
He was meant to be 48hrs in quarantine at LAX but he had to stay an extra night because one of his bloods showed a slight raise in temperature. Apparently out of every shipment one horse will show a temp and this time it was mine and they thought it was due to the fact he got hot in the flight stall (he had his UK winter coat).
They organised getting him to me and he came off the flashiest trailer looking amazing. If anything he had put ON weight on the journey! He was bright eyed and relaxed.
I turned him out straight away and he wasn't tired at all but glad to be in a field and he had a good fancy trot around!
He has been here 3 months and he has not suffered at all, no effects of the journey whats so ever.
Would I do it again?! In a heartbeat.
However he has come to beautiful CA weather and is thriving in the warm.
Only you can decide... horses travel all the time for breeding and competition purposes remember.
My horse is quite a laid back chap, he doesn't mind strangers handling him and he's more concerned with stuffing his face then what stable he is in. He was so pleased to see me though, his face when he realised it was me when he came out the lorry. Ears pricked, strutting around :).
If he was 21 would I move him?! If he was in good health and a calm happy horse I would certainly give it strong consideration.
The only thing where you are going is the cold winter. He will adjust but you will have to really look after him, loads of rugs, hay ect
Good luck with what you decide.
 
Firewell thank you!

Thank you for such a positive and detailed opinion. It gives me a hope that my ambitious plan may work. I have already contacted few companies who are dealing with equine transportation worldwide ( using the contacts and names posted here prevusly by one of the members). Waiting for their quote.
I will check LOC as well.

Again I want to thank everyone who shared with me their views.
 
I have just transported my new pony from Germany to UK with John Parker from Kent. I know it isn't as far as Cyprus to the US but I couldn't fault them. The care and attention to his welfare was second to none. They did all the paperwork, stabled him at their yard overnight and delivered him the next day and every item travelling with him arrived safe and sound.

They have experienced drivers and grooms and should the need arise I would use them again. They have lorries going through Europe every week and also fly horses internationally.

I approached several companies and I am sure that LOC said they subcontracted to Parkers anyway as they don't have their own transport.
 
Hi, not sure if anyone will still read this but I'm in the same boat trying to get my 21 year old TB to the UK. I've spoken with friends, vets, shipping companies and anyone else I could think of, does anyone have any more info on the Larnaca-Jordan-Heathrow flights? Who does them, how to get in touch, personal experiences? Any help would be much appreciated!
 
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