Translate

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Our Last Horse Flight for 2012

 We have just completed our last shipment for the year, with a very, very special group of horses.  Thanks to Friederike Gitzel of Germany for sharing her precious mini mare, Rachel.  Thanks to Linn Andersen for allowing us the joy of working with her Quarter horse filly, Mini.

And last but definitely not least, thanks to HRH Prince Saud Al Sud for allowing us the extraordinary privilege of shipping the amazing Arabian stallion, PCF Vision.  What a beautiful animal he is, with so much heart and personality.  It was a joy for us to have the opportunity to provide the quarantine and shipping for him and we know he will do very well in his upcoming shows in the EU.

Thanks also to our groom, Wes Weber.  Wes is a student of Dr. Clay Cavinder at Texas A & M University.  When we visited the class this fall, Wes expressed a desire to fly for us ... and we were happy to be able to make that happen for him this week.  Wes, enjoy your visit to Amsterdam.

We have several groups of horses in quarantine right now for January, 2013 flights ... and we are gathering horses from all over the USA for new quarantine groups that will be starting in early January.  Let us know if you have any horses ready to ship and we will be happy to get things underway for you.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Horses to Saudi Arabia

Is it just me or does time seem to fly by these days?  We have been so busy since we got back from Amsterdam that I have not had a minute to sit down and catch up with everyone about our last shipment.

Many, many thanks to Sheikh Khalid Al Khalifa, Mr. Haytham Al Barrack,  Mr. Salem Al Dossary and Mr. Mohammed Al Amer for allowing us the privilege of caring for and shipping your horses to Dammam, Saudi Arabia.  I am happy to report that the trip went well for horses and humans alike.

Thanks also to our dear friend and veteran horse groom, Mr. Johannis van Dijk, for taking over the responsibility for the horses from Amsterdam to Dammam.  "Hans" has over 30 years of professional experience as an animal attendant, so we are always delighted when he can fly for us.

Terry and I accompanied the horses from Houston to Amsterdam.  It was great seeing old friends in Holland, even though our trip was cut short by the snow storm.  We decided to leave before the storm closed down airports.  Snow is beautiful to watch, but not so much fun for traveling.  We are happy to report that we are back home in sunny South Texas, getting ready for next week's flight.

We are very busy receiving horses at the moment, getting ready for January shipments to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Europe.  We are also working on a shipment to Johannesburg and .... our very first ever shipment to Brazil.  This is such an exciting time at EZ 2 Spot Ranch.  We are very excited about being able to now offer flights from Texas to Brazil.  Be sure to contact us for more information at ez2spot@hotmail.com.

Back next week with more news!
Dianne

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

This Week's Flight

Megan Moos, our manager, had her first opportunity to fly horses to Amsterdam this week.  She  reported today that everything went very smoothly for horses and humans alike.

Thank you Sonja, Pene, Claudia, Dan and TeAh for sharing your horses with us.  It was a pleasure working with each of you and your horses.

Next week we are off to Dammam, Saudi Arabia and then back to Amsterdam in mid-December.

We currently have space available for one horse to complete a shipment to Kuwait, so let us know if you have one ready to go.  We are also gathering horses for upcoming shipments to Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Qatar and Dammam. 

Remember that we have a best price guarantee.  If you get a lower bid from another shipping company, we will match the bid, item for item.  Our promise to all our clients is to provide the best possible service for the lowest possible price.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, France ... and on to Qatar!

We have had another busy week at EZ 2 Spot Ranch.  The weather is perfect and it is a great time for flying! 

We had the pleasure of sending seven horses to Amsterdam ... and then on to their respective homes in the UK, Spain, Belgium and France on a KLM flight this week.  Thank you Lisa, Marije, Veronica, Hannah and Eliane for sharing your horses with us.  Thank you, also, to David and Katrin for flying for us and taking such good care of the horses along the way.

Another flight this week was to Doha, Qatar.  Thank you Haytham, Saud and Hamad for sharing your horses with us.  And thank you to our groom, Henry, for accompanying the horses to Doha and making sure that they were safe and well. 

Thanksgiving is coming up this week and we will share this very special American holiday with Quinten Wiersma, the young man from Holland who has been helping out at the ranch for the past three months.  The day afer Thanksgiving, it is time for Quinten to go home.  It has been such a joy having him with us.  The time has gone by so quickly!

And speaking of "Thanksgiving", we want to take this opportunity to say "Thank you" to all our clients and friends around the world.  You are all very greatly appreciated!

Next week we will fly horses to Amsterdam and  Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

And we are gathering horses now for our next shipments to the EU and Saudia.  Spaces are available in both groups, so contact us if you have a horse ready to fly.  Spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!
Dianne & Terry

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Nurturing the Next Generation

Terry and I had a great opportunity yesterday to share some of our experiences with a group of up and coming new equine professionals.  Dr. Clay Cavinder, professor at Texas A & M University is teaching a class on equine marketing, with an emphasis on international trade.  He invited us for the second semester in a row to talk with his students.  So we made the lovely drive to College Station, Texas and enjoyed spending some time with these bright young equine professionals.  It gave us such a good feeling to see the enthusiasm in their faces and answer their questions about our work. 

Some of the students in this class also took a field trip to Houston last week where they could observe an actual shipment in progress.  They saw us preparing the shipping containers and loading the horses.  They also had the opportunity to speak with Guillermo of the Texas Department of Agriculture who told them some of the history of the TDA Airport facility.  Dr. Soroko of the USDA was also available for some questions.

Thank you, Clay, for inviting us to speak with your students.  And students, thank you for your attention and interest.  Best of luck in your future endeavors.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Busy Shipping Season

Wow, the busy time of the shipping year is here.  Terry is in Kuwait at the moment, having delivered some beautiful Arabian mares today.  Many thanks to Ahmad Abdullah, Khalid Al Sabri, Khalid Al Nasser, Burhan Bakeer and Kim Williams for everything that you did to make this shipment possible. 

Terry and our friends, Phil Pelch and Don Dombrowski flew out to Amsterdam on Wednesday afternoon.  Thank you to Kelli Di Campli, Dr. Erhardt Reininger, Sussie Elfsberg and Nadine Welzel for sharing your horses with us.  It was such a pleasure working with each of you.

And we have horses going to Dammam, Saudi Arabia on Sunday.  As always, our thanks to Dhafer Al Qahtani for sharing your lovely horses with us.  Thanks also to Dr. Mohammed Al Hamad who makes things go so smoothly for all our shipments to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  We truly appreciate your kindness and willingness to go the "extra mile" for Saudi horse owners.

We started a new quarantine group last week for Saudi Arabia and are starting one this coming week for a flight to Amsterdam.

We have horses that will be on their way to Qatar and more to Amsterdam in a couple of weeks.

We are gathering horses for our next quarantine group that will start in early November.  There are still some spaces available, so let us know if you'd like a spot and we'll be happy to include your horse.

It is always such a joy for us to be able to bring horses and their owners together.  Thank you to all our clients for your continued loyalty to EZ 2 Spot Ranch and for appreciating our shared love of horses.

We want to wish a very Happy Eid to our friends in the Muslim world.  Wishing you all happiness, health, peace and joy.

Be back later with more news!
Dianne


Saturday, September 29, 2012

Almost There!

Sometimes flying horses on cargo planes can get pretty crazy.  This has been one of those times where a good sense of humor and flexibility that would rival Gumby and Pokey come in handy.

During the past month we had the privilege of preparing some adorable miniature donkeys to fly to South Africa, along with some beautiful Arabian horses to go to Saudi Arabia and a very nice mixed group of miniature donkeys, Quarter horses and a Missouri Fox Trotter to go to the EU this week.  Everything was going along quite nicely ... until departure day.

The flight was scheduled for departure from Houston on Wednesday night - well, actually, a few minutes past midnight on Thursday morning.  So, as is our fashion, we called the airline before leaving the ranch (All of you show people know the rule - call before you haul!) - and found out that the plane was delayed by a couple of hours.  Oh, just a couple of hours.  No problem.  That just gave us a little more time to get everyone loaded.

The airline told us to call back in about 45 minutes for an update.  So we did.  And then we learned that the plane was going to be delayed by at least 5 hours - or maybe more.  They really didn't know, because the plane hadn't even arrived at the hub airport in Europe yet - much less taken off for Houston. 

Hmmm.  This was turning into a long day.  So we left the horses in their stalls and sat around for a few more hours, waiting to find out when we were really going to need to leave for the airport.  We were getting a little anxious because the donkeys for South Africa had a connecting flight to catch.  Were we going to make the connection?  Could the airline delay the connection?  What was going to happen if they couldn't make it?  Would the quarantine in Jo'berg accept them if they arrived late?  Anxiety started to creep into our otherwise happy little brains.

More time passed - and finally we got word that we would be loading the containers at about 3:00 a.m.   The plane had left the airport in Europe so that was a good sign.  So, Terry and Megan and Henry and all the equines headed out the gate and down the road to Houston.

When they got there, they learned that the crew had run out of duty time - so guess what?  More delays.  Loading time would be at 8:00 a.m.  So ... horses and donkeys had a nice night's rest in the airport stalls and Terry, Henry and Megan had a less than comfortable night sleeping in the trucks!

This meant that the donkeys for South Africa would miss their connecting flight - and would have to stay in Europe til Sunday night, arriving in Jo'berg on Monday morning.  This would be fine except for one little problem.  Their import permit was set to expire at midnight Sunday!  Thanks to his charming personality and positive attitude, Gert Vortser was able to get a one-day extension approved through the South African authorities.  Whew!  That was a worry off our minds.

Finally, at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, the plane took off.  The horses to Saudi Arabia had also missed their connecting flight, but happily their import permits would still be valid for their arrival on Monday morning.

So, I am happy to report that our European-bound horses and donkey are at home with their owners now.  Thank you, Renate Daub, Dirk Hendrickx and Veronique Placet for sharing your animals with us!

The donkeys and Arabian horses are safe and sound in Luxembourg, waiting for their flights tomorrow night.  Thank you for your patience, Gert Vorster and Harry Moore in South Africa and Dhafer Al Qahtani, Majed Bokami, Abdurahman Alkafan, Yasser Al Hafenawi and Aiman Alshumrani in Saudi Arabia.  Thank you also for allowing us to share in your animal's journey.  It has been a pleasure working with each of you.  And as they say, all is well that ends well!

An extra special thank you also to our friend and professional horse groom Hans Van Dyke for meeting the donkeys in Luxembourg and accompanying them to Johannesburg.  We appreciate you more than you can ever know, Hans.  And we can't wait for you and Els to visit us in November!





Sunday, September 16, 2012

Horses to Riyadh and Dammam

We have just completed shipments of some more beautiful Arabian horses to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Some went to Riyadh and others to Dammam.  Thank you, Hatham, Mohammed, Ibrahim, Vidya and Ghassan for sharing your lovely horses with us. And, as always, a huge thank you to Dr. Mohammed Al Hamad for your assistance with ensuring that all went smoothly.  We appreciate you all very much and look forward to the opportunity to work with you again in the near future.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Our first shipment to Iraq!

We are very proud to announce that our first-ever shipment to the country of Iraq is happening today.  Many thanks are due to Anwar Mangal and Amir Orders for their hard work in paving the way for this shipment on the arrival side.  It was quite a learning experience as we worked through and overcame a number of interesting and sometimes frustrating challenges along the way.  However, with patience and perseverence, we got through the difficulties and now this first group of Iraq-bound horses are at the airport, waiting for flight time.  Many thanks to Abdur Rahman Mohammed for your faith and trust in our ability to make this happen.  We look forward to shipping many more horses for you in the future!

Sunday, September 2, 2012

horses to the EU and Kuwait

Wow.  September is here!  And we have already had our first September shipment.  Today horses left Amsterdam for Kuwait.  Thank you Rashed, Ali and Khalid for sharing your lovely Arabian mares with us.  It was a pleasure caring for them and we look forward to shipping horses for you again in the future.

Thank you also to Virginie of France, Gorill of Norway, Marije of the Netherlands and Christina from Germany for sharing your horses with us.  They arrived in Amsterdam on August 30th.

We are currently gathering horses for our next quarantine groups for Amsterdam, Kuwait and Dammam, Saudi Arabia - so let us know if you are ready to book a space for your horse!


We also find ourselves in the unusual situation of having horses for sale.  If you are looking for a nice Arabian stallion, a Half-Arabian mare or a weanling Paint Colt - send us an email.  We have these horses for sale, and they are all very nice quality animals.  The top photo is the stallion - MC Niitrous and the bottom photo is the mare, Sweet Lady Fames. Both photos were taken when the horses were on the show circuit.   Email me for photos of the colt or for more information about any or all of these horses. 


Friday, August 17, 2012

Catching Up on August News

Wow, this has been such a busy month that I have not had a chance til now to sit down and post to our blog.  So, here is a recap of what has been going on in our crazy world ...

August 1st - Terry and I had the great pleasure of traveling with our new friends, Mary and Mario Saenz to Amsterdam where we delivered two adorable shetland pony mares for Sharron Thomas of the UK, a Tennessee Walker gelding and a Spotted Saddle Horse gelding for Melina and Bettina Kuehne of Germany, a pretty little miniature mare for Eliane Jongbloed of Belgium and a precious miniature donkey jennet for Cate Weatherall of the UK.

We had a layover of a couple of days in Amsterdam and we took advantage of the amazing weather to visit with our dear friends, Els and Hans van Dyke.  We had a delightful afternoon enjoying a meal and the view at Vollendam as we caught up with the latest news from our friends. 

Then it was back on the airways for Terry and me, as we loaded six Arabian horses to take to Dammam, Saudi Arabia for our dear friend and client, Dhafer Al Qhatani and our new friend and client, Abdullah Al Mutairi.  The horses traveled well and we enjoyed being treated to a delicious Bedoin style meal at Dhafer's farm.  A highlight of our visit to the farm was going out to see the camels.  There was a full moon shining over the desert and it was a simply lovely experience!  To add to the treat, Abdullah Al Mutairi insisted on paying for our hotel where we spent the night in Dammam and Dhafer made us a wonderful gift of Saudi coffee - clearly the best tasting coffee in the world. 

We spent another day in Dubai and then it was back to Amsterdam for the flight home.  Planes were packed and, as flight crew, we always fly standby.  We didn't get aboard the first day that we tried - so we made the best of it and took Mary and Mario to some of our favorite spots in Amsterdam that night.  The next day the pilot took pity on us and, even though the plane was full again, we were allowed to ride in the crew rest and jump seats so we could get back home.

Thank you to all for sharing your lovely horses (and donkey) with us - and thank you to Mary and Mario for being such good sports!

August 6th -  We started a new quarantine group for horses going to  Riyadh and Dammam, Saudi Arabia and to Kuwait

August 8th - We were back in the USA for two days and then it was time to ship Hackney Ponies to Adam Majett of South Africa.  Our friend and groom, Henry Quintanilla, accompanied the ponies on that flight.  Many thanks to Henry and Adam.

August 15th -  Seems that we barely had time to blink and it was time to say goodbye to six more Arabian horses.  Three went to Dammam, Saudi Arabia for Khalid Ali Alhemaid of Taiba Arabians and three went to Sharjah for Suliman Al Saqran.  There were some challenges with the import permits, as it is Ramadan and many offices are closed these days - but with diligence and help from some very special people, we managed to get everything done.  The horses are traveling now and will arrive in their new homes this weekend.  Thank you to David and Jennifer Notman for flying with them to Amsterdam and to our new friend of Krooshof International for providing grooms from Amsterdam on to their final destinations.

August 20th - We will be starting a new quarantine group for horses going to Dammam, Saudi Arabia and to Luxembourg.

August 21st and 22nd - Its time to break out the birthday cake and candles.  Terry and I will be celebrating our birthdays with our daughter, Kris, at our second home in Rockport, TX.  I will be 62 on the 21st and Terry will be 64 on the 22nd.  So if we don't answer the phone right away or respond to an email immediately, please bear with us.  We'll be back hard at work on the 23rd.

August 28th - We are looking forward to Quinten Weirsma's arrival.  Quinten is a young man from Holland who is coming to work with us for three months.  We are very excited about his visit and look forward to sharing our Texas culture with him.

August 29th - It's flight day for horses going to Amsterdam and on to Kuwait.  Our dear friends of the Wurschy Groom Squad - Lori and Tom Cochran and Peter Wurschy will fly with the horses to Amsterdam and Krooshof grooms will take the Kuwait horses on to their final destination.

So ... that's the news from EZ 2 Spot Ranch.  We would love to hear from you, so drop us a comment or send us an email.  We also invite you to like us on Facebook!

Regards to you all,
Dianne


Friday, July 27, 2012

Move Away from that Needle!

Most horse owners want to do the best that they can to protect their animals from disease, so they believe in regular vaccinations.  This is common practice and it is usually a good idea. 

However, if you are in the USA and you are thinking about the possibility of selling your horse or donkey to a buyer overseas, please ask an export facility's advice before you vaccinate.  Certain vaccinations can cause inconclusive (aka "toxic") results for some of the blood tests that are required for export.  Some vaccinations can cause a delay of six months.  And some can keep your horse from ever being exported.

Your quarantine station is responsible for all required vaccinations - usually given a day or two prior to the beginning of quarantine.  Some are given during quarantine.   Let the professional export facility take care of this.  They know which vaccinations to give - and which ones to avoid.

Vaccinations to avoid are:

1)  Rabies.  Rabies and Vesicular Stomatitis have some similiarities - and as such, they can give similar results on blood tests.  Right now, because there was an incident of Vesicular Stomatitis in the USA earlier this year, every animal that is being exported to just about any country in the world must be tested for this disease while in pre-export quarantine.  So when a horse comes into quarantine after receiving a recent rabies vaccination, it is likely that the test results are going to come back inconclusive or worse - with a false positive reading.  This means that the horse cannot ship on schedule - and may not be ever able to ship.  It can also create huge problems for the quarantine station and all the other horse owners who have animals in quarantine, because false positive readings automatically shut down the quarantine facility's operation until the state and federal veterinarians have determined that the horse is disease free.  We have seen this happen on more than one occasion - and it is never a pleasant surprise to the  buyer when he or she is told that her horse or donkey cannot be shipped.

2)  West Nile. Some countries want horses to be vaccinated for this disease.  Some do not. If your horse is going to a country that does not require this, it creates special challenges for shipping.   It is best just to avoid it and let your quarantine station give it, if needed.

3)  Venezuelan Equine Encephalomylitis (VEE).  For many places in the world, horses that have been vaccinated for VEE cannot be shipped for at least six months after the date of the vaccination.  Some countries require this vaccination.  Again, ask your quarantine station before you vaccinate so that you can prevent needless delays.

4)  Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA):  Sometimes people think that vaccinating their stallions for EVA is a good idea.  If this is you, please be aware of the fact that there are very specific requirements regarding when and how this vaccine is given if the horse is going to be exported.  If the specific requirements for the importing country were not met when the horse was vaccinated, the horse will be unshippable.  Not delayed, but unshippable at any time, under any circumstances.  If you have a stallion and you are considering exporting him at some time in his life, ask a quarantine station for guidance.  They can help you avoid a mistake that will have a lifelong impact on where your stallion can and can't go.

Other vaccines can also impact test results - so the best course of action for all prospective overseas sales is to simply move away from that needle until you know what impact the vaccinations might have on your horse's ability to be shipped overseas!

Friday, July 20, 2012

On the way to Kuwait

Terry is on his way to Kuwait today, accompanying 3 beautiful Arabian horses to their new homes.  They are overnighting in Luxembourg tonight and will leave for Kuwait City late tomorrow, arriving early Sunday morning.  All are traveling well and the flights are on schedule.

Thank you Abdulaziz Al Shammari, Jasim Al Mesbah and Sheikh Hamad Khaled Al- Sabah for sharing your horses with us.  Terry is looking forward to seeing you at the airport!

Our next quarantine group for Amsterdam begins on Monday, July 23rd and we are gathering horses now for the following groups for Amsterdam, Dammam and Riyadh that will begin on August 6th for a mid-September flight.  We are also starting a quarantine group for Kuwait for an early September flight.  We have spaces available, so let us know how we can help you. 

Friday, July 6, 2012

Amsterdam and Riyadh This Week

Terry is on his way home now after almost a week delivering horses - first to Amsterdam and then on to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  Thanks to Toni Kurzrock and Annina Huovenin in Europe and Abdurahman Khalgan, Hisham Basha and Sulaiman Al Aryani for sharing your horses with us.  It was Terry's pleasure to care for them during their travels and my pleasure to work with each of you throughout the process. 

Coming up later this month are shipments to Kuwait City, Kuwait and Amman, Jordan . We will start the month of August with horses going to Amsterdam, Johannesburg, and Dammam. 

We plan to start a quarantine group for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Monday.  The next group will start quarantine on July 23rd.  We currently have spaces available in the July 23rd group, so let us know if you have horses to ship.  Spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't delay!







Sunday, June 17, 2012

Introducing Our New General Manager

We are very pleased to announce that Megan Moos has been promoted to the position of General Manager at EZ 2 Spot Ranch.  Megan has been with us for two years and has proven to be a tremendous asset to our program.  Prior to joining our staff, Megan worked as a horse trainer.  She has a lifetime of experience with horses, having participated in High School Rodeo events.  After High School she spent some time competing on the Pro Rodeo circuit as a professional roper.  She studied equine science at Texas A & M University and is very knowledgeable in the areas of equine health and nutrition.  We are very happy that she is now taking on a position of leadership within the EZ 2 Spot Ranch family.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Spaces Available in Next Quarantine

I shouldn't have bragged about all the mares getting pregnant.  The winning streak was broken today when a mare with a foal at foot who was scheduled to start quarantine next week was found to be open.  So ... I have an immediate opening for a mare with a foal at foot, 2 ponies or 3 minis to go into quarantine right away for a flight to Amsterdam on or about July 26th.  If you have anything ready that can fill this space, please contact me today!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Foaling Season

Wow - what a fun and busy time this is in the horse world!  We have several adorable foals at the ranch right  - some going to Saudi Arabia, some going to the United Arab Emirates and some going to Europe.  And our own miniature horses are having their babies.  Two new foals have arrived in the past week - both fillies and both really cute and healthy babies.  We'll post some photos soon.  They are for sale! :)

And of course, foaling time means breeding time.  We are happy to report that so far, all of our clients' mares who have been bred this season are now safely in foal.  I always enjoy being able to send that good news to someone who is waiting anxiously for news in another part of the world.

We are also staying busy with shipments.  Recently we shipped horses to Kuwait.  Thank you Al and Ahmad for sharing your horses with us - and a special thanks to Mohammed for your gracious hospitality for Tanner, our groom.  He enjoyed his visit and will cherish the memories always.

Megan is flying a precious mini herd of miniature donkeys to the UK this week.  Thank you, Isobel McGuiness, for sharing them with us.  We are going to miss their lovely morning greetings when they're gone.

Also going out this week are a miniature donkey to Frank Castelyn, a miniature horse to Carol Rossier, a Mustang gelding to Sue Tuten and a Friesian gelding to Esther Dauben.  Megan will accompany these to Luxembourg.

Ashlee Hughes will be taking three Arabian horses to Amsterdam later this week, where they will be met by Hans van Dijk, the groom who will accompany them to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  Thank you, Mohammed, for sharing your mares with us.  Ashlee is going on to France where she will spend some time working as a trainer with Sylvain McQuart and his POAs. We are happy to have had the opportunity to help Ashlee make this trip.

We are gathering horses now for our next quarantine groups for Saudia, the UAE and Europe ... and we are planning upcoming shipments to Jordan, Pakistan and India.  Let us know if we can be of help to you!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Riyadh and Dammam

We have had another busy week at EZ 2 Spot Ranch, with horses flying to both Riyadh and Dammam Saudi Arabia.  Both groups are scheduled for arrival today, after transiting Europe.

A big " Thank You" to our newest grooms from the USA - Ken and Jeannie Richards. for accompanying our Riyadh horses from Houston to Amsterdam - and a big Dutch "Dank u Wel" to our dear friend (and retired KLM groom) Hans van Dijk for taking the horses from Amsterdam to Riyadh.  I just heard from Hans that everything went well on the flight and they have arrived in Riyadh.  Thank you, Sami, for sharing your lovely horses with us.

Thanks, also to Henry Quintanilla for stepping up once more for the trip from Houston to Luxembourg, and then on to Dammam, Saudi Arabia.  He and his horses will be flying out in just a little while.  Thank you Fahad, Dhafer, Faisal and Mohammed for sharing your horses with us.

We are gathering horses now for our next quarantine group that will get started on May 14th.  Let us know if you have a horse or donkey ready to join that group.

 


Saturday, April 14, 2012

Amsterdam, Luxembourg and Dammam

What a busy week this has been!  On Wednesday, a group of very nice Quarter Horse mares from Tom Miller's Red Oak Ranch flew to Amsterdam where they were met by their new owners, Petr and Blanka Licka of the Czech Republic.  Nicole Franklin served as the groom for this flight.  Thank you, Petr and Blanka for sharing your mares with us - and thank you, Nicole, for taking good care of the mares on their flight.

On Thursday, we put our assistant manager, Megan Moos on her first ever CargoLux flight to Luxembourg with a very special QH mare by the name of Starling, who was going to Germany to be reunited with her family, Beth and Douglas Hutchens ... and a cute little Arabian colt who went to France with Carole Renault.  Megan has been a part of the EZ 2 Spot Ranch team for going on two years now and she is finally getting her "wings".  This will be the first of many flights for her, I'm sure.

One of our favorite "frequent flier" grooms, Henry Quintanilla went with Megan and her horses to Luxembourg, and he will soon be on his way to Dammam, Saudi Arabia tomorrow.  Henry is traveling with six lovely Arabian mares.  Thank yous to Abdullah Al Shehry, Abdulrahman Khalgan and Abdulaziz Al Barghasu for sharing their horses with us.

Also a very special thank you goes to Dr. Mohammed Al Hamad for his kind assistance with some last-minute challenges on this shipment. Dr. Mohammed, we appreciate you more than words can express!

And another big thank you goes to Dhafer Al Qahtani for his behind-the-scenes assistance on the arrival side.  Dhafer, it is always so comforting to know that we can always depend on you to help your fellow horsemen whenever they need a hand.  Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

Have a great weekend!
Dianne




Saturday, March 24, 2012

Greetings from Holland

Terry and I are in Amsterdam today, having delivered horses here yesterday and waiting for a flight to Riyadh with another group. Yesterday's flight went very well and the weather is beautiful.

We were delighted to have the opportunity to meet Toni and Bjoern Kurzrock at Schiphol Airport when they came to pick up their new mares. We have talked on the phone so many times, but this was the first time we got to meet one another face-to-face! Thank you, Toni and Bjoern for sharing your horses with us!

Black Wish is on his way to Spain where his new owner, Alvar Vinyars of Kashi Arabians, is waiting for him. Such a nice stallion! I was sad to say goodbye to him, but I know he will have a wonderful life in Spain. Thank you, Alvar, for sharing him with us.

We have had some unexpected delays with the flight to Riyadh, so it looks like we might have a few extra days in Holland!

Last night our friend Leonie Prins joined us for dinner. It was so nice seeing her again and catching up on all the news.

We are starting a new quarantine group next week. Let us know if you have a horse to ship and we will be happy to get to work for you!

Monday, March 12, 2012

A Wonderful Visit to Saudia

Terry and I returned to the ranch last night after a wonderful trip to Saudi Arabia, where we delivered a dozen horses for Ahmed and Saleh. Thank you, gentlemen, for the opportunity to ship your horses for you.

Unfortunately, Ahmed was not feeling well on arrival day, so he did not come to the airport to see his new horses.

The weather in Dammam is perfect at this time of year. However, a big wind storm came along just at offloading time. You can imagine how much fun that was - twelve spirited Arabian horses that are eager to get out of their shipping containers on a crisp and windy morning. Happily, it went well and all horses and humans came through the adventure without any injuries.

After we said goodbye to Ahmed's and Saleh's horses, we took a taxi to Dhahran where we visited with our clients and friends, Saaed and Hamad. It was so nice seeing them both and spending some time catching up with each other's news. Saaed treated us to dinner at a very nice restaurant at the Saudi Aramco Compound in Dhahran and before we knew it, it was time to return to the airport for our flight back to the USA. Thank you, Saaed, for a very nice break in our day.

Tomorrow, three horses go to Amsterdam, accompanied by our friend, Phil Pelch.
Thank you, Naser and Mariska for sharing your horses with us.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Precious minis to the UK today

Tanner and 3 adorable miniature horses are winging their way to Prestwick, Scotland today. Although the departure was slightly delayed, everything went smoothly and they will be arriving in just a little while.

We are currently gathering horses for upcoming quarantine groups and have space available for Luxembourg, Kuwait and Dammam, Saudi Arabia. If you can use any of these spaces, let us know and we will book them for you.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

On the way to Dammam

Henry and six lovely Arabian horses left Houston this morning, flying to Luxembourg and then on to Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The flight was delayed by about 12 hours, but all's well that ends well and everything went smoothly at loading time. We expect them to arrive in Dammam early Saturday morning as was originally planned.

Thank you to Abdullah, Mohammed, Haytham, Saeed, Asem and Mishal for sharing your horses with us. Thanks also to Vidya, Dhafer and Abdulrahman for your kind assistance in getting everything together for this shipment.

Our next adventure is to Scotland on the 29th of February and then back to Dammam in March.

We have learned of a rate increase that will be effective March 1st ...so please be sure to check with us about the new rates when you book your next shipment.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Kuwait

Who knew the weather in Kuwait could be colder than it is in South Texas? Well, that was the surprise that Terry had today when he and three beautiful Arabian horses arrived in Kuwait City. Current temperature in Kuwait City is 45F/7C. It is warmer than that in Luxembourg at the moment. BRRR!!!!

Everything went very well on the journey and the horses are on the way to their new home stables. Thank you Khalid, Abdullah and Burhan for sharing your horses with us.

Terry will be back in sunny south Texas tomorrow and we will be flying horses to Dammam, Riyadh and Amsterdam next week. Our daughter,Kris, is going to fly with me to Amsterdam, while Terry and Henry will go to Saudia.

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful staff here at the ranch. We have no concerns when we deliver your horses to you anywhere in the world because we know that Megan, Fernando and Tanner will keep the home fires burning and do their usual great job of caring for the horses while we're away.

We are gathering horses now for a quarantine group that will start on January 30th. Let us know if we can be of help to you or if you have any questions.

For our European clients, remember that we have lowered our rates to Amsterdam. It is now $4800.00 per horse - including stallions! And this includes a visit from our farrier for a hoof trim AND a new halter and leadrope for travel day!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Amsterdam and Doha

Terry and I are back at the ranch now after a brief but very pleasant visit with our clients in Dammam. All the horses traveled well and it was so nice seeing several of their new owners at the airport.

Yesterday, our friend, David Notman, accompanied an Arabian mare and four miniature donkeys to Amsterdam. Thank you Carole, Peter and Sarah for sharing your animals with us. We look forward to hearing from you when they have arrived home safely. And thank you, David, for taking care of the animals on the flight and at the Animal Hotel. Enjoy your visit to Amsterdam!

The final trip for this week will be when our staff member, Tanner La Grone, delivers three beautiful Arabian mares to Doha, Qatar on Friday. Thank you, Abdullah and Mohammed for sharing these horses with us.

We are starting our next quarantine group for Saudi and the EU next week. We are pleased to announce that we have been able to lower our rates for full-size horses to Amsterdam. The new rate is $4800.00 (USD) for mares, geldings and stallions alike. In addition to providing quality care during the quarantine period, we also provide a free hoof trim, a free halter and a free leadrope for each horse. If you have a horse to ship to Amsterdam, we would love to have the opportunity to work with you.

Friday, January 6, 2012

On the way to Dammam

It is a beautiful, sunny morning in Luxembourg ... quite a treat after yesterday's rain and snow showers ...and all is well. Terry and I arrived here last night with nine beautiful Arabian horses. The horses are resting in their stalls at the moment ... and Terry and I are resting in the Ibis Hotel. We will fly out tonight for Dammam, arriving in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday,

Thank you, Dhafer, Osman, Mohammad, Abdul, Salem and Fahad for sharing your horses with us. We look forward to seeing you in Dammam tomorrow.