very long distance transport

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Lüsi

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does anybody have experiences with very long distance transports? We will move from Germany (near Munich) to Orkney with 8 horses/ponies (+ 2 cows + 2 pygmy goats).

I have contacted some transport companies so far and it looks as if either Eric Gillie or Gavin Jamieson will transport my horses.

Any recommendations?
 
Gillies are fantastic , drivers are really good with handling the horses inc ones that can be difficult , have seen one of their drivers work with a very scared upset youngster who had never been handled and they were brilliant and he walked off the lorry as cool as a cucumber after travelling for 2 days inc staying overnight at one of their rest stops ,only ever heard good reports about them.
 
Give Gordon Hamilton a call on 07769 910992. He is based in Scotland but does the occasional trip to Germany.

Be careful in who you use as your horses may not be transported with the same Company who you originally book eg. Parkers work with Gillies and pick up a lot of the horses abroad for them, bring them back to Dover where they are then transferred onto Gillies lorries.

Air Freight is not possible into Orkney as the airport is not licensed to receive horses.
 
I've used Eric Gillies many times for UK trips always excellent service.
When we moved to France Gillie's picked my 3 up near Dundee and transported them to Newmarket where John Parker brought them the rest of the way.
Both gave me excellent service and will be using them both when we return home to Scotland.
 
thanks for all the recommendations!
Gillies so far gave the best impression.

But now I've got to go outside... checking the rugs etc. was -17° last night deep down in Bavaria and horses and goats need to wear rugs...
 
thanks for all the recommendations...

Gillies have transported my horses meanwhile from Germany to Orkney and they have done a brilliant job.
Although some of my horses were not really cooperative the drivers were very patient with them.
 
Glad your horses arrived in Orkney safely.

Am I the only person on HHO who wasn't wildly impressed by Gillies? When they moved my horse from Dover to Durham, she was not allowed hay on board the rig. The driver said giving hay to horses in transit was dangerous. News to me, and I've done (not personally) a lot of distance hauling on trips over 1000 miles with my horse, and used to haul her myself all over the East Coast of the US back when I had a truck and trailer (*sniff*). The horse was on that lorry for like eight hours, as we had to take a windy, circuitous route through the country from Newmarket, where we had laid over for a night. I was worried she'd colic when we got to our destination and she attacked the hay net waiting for her in her stable. She was fine, pretty pissed off and very hungry, but other than that, fine. Made me not want to haul with them again though.

The first leg of the European tour, from Amsterdam to Dover, was done by Parkers. I thought they were very good. And she had a tasty net of haylage for her trans-European drive.
 
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that is strange... mine had hay all the way (we've given enough small bales of our own hay with the transport to make sure they had the fodder they were used to for the journey).
Due to some circumstances (moving house between Germany and UK) there have been some delays in getting the stable equipment across and the horses even had to stay 2 weeks in Gillie's own yard.
They were well looked after.
My old mare who has chronic laminitis got special treatment and was transported to the vet school in Edinburgh, all according to my instructions.
So I am absolutely pleased with the service.
 
Can I ask you how old your 'old mare' is?
The reason I ask is I have to decide what to do about my boy when we move back to the UK. He will be 24 by then and it would be a move from north east france to northern england and it's worrying me already...!!
 
Another reccomendation for gillies. Albeit not as far as your journey my weanling made the journey from essex to scotland with gillies and she was so relaxed when she arrived. I wouldnt use any other transporters.
 
jokadoka said:
Can I ask you how old your 'old mare' is?
Click to expand...
She is 18 now.
But it's not the age what made her problems. She has had laminitis before but was stable all the last years. The long journey might have contributed to her having it acute again.
When she was taken to the equine hospital she went in the small van-type vehicle with a deep bedding.

I would not worry about the age of your boy as long as he has not any chronic problems such as laminitis. You could perhaps split your journey, take your time and stop enroute at suitable livery stables overnight.
24 ist not "old".
Our pony Selina died in 2008 at an age of over 40years.
 
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