Amsterdam Today - Tel Aviv on the Horizon

I am happy to report that everything went very well on yesterday's flight to Amsterdam from Houston and the horses all arrived safely this morning.

 Many thanks to Toni and Bjorn Kurzrock, Bernard Kuhn and Monique Goetz, Ismal El Sharkawy and Coralie Marcotte, Petra van den Berg, Joerg Kuisl and Christina Zeitelhack and Pene and Malcolm Mason for sharing your horses with us.  It was a pleasure working with each of you and with your horses.

Thanks also to our grooms, David Notman and Phillip Shields, for taking such good care of the horses during the flight and to our manager, Megan Moos, for seeing to it that all went well at the airport in Houston.

We are gathering horses now for our next flights to Amsterdam and Dammam, Saudi Arabia and we have a few spaces available in both groups, so let us know if you can use the spaces.

We are also very excited about our first-ever shipment to Israel.  I will post another blog about that in a few days, but this is the first time we have been able to ship directly from Houston to Tel Aviv, so it is a great new opportunity.

Conditioning During Quarantine

One of the things that concerns owners of  horses that are being exported from the USA is that they will lose condition during quarantine.  This is a valid concern.  No one wants their performance, show or endurance horse just standing in a barn for 30 days.  We don't want that either.

So here at EZ 2 Spot Ranch, we are very proud of our exercise and conditioning program.  Not only are all quarantined horses turned out daily in designated paddocks for natural exercise.  We can also provide lunging and riding services for you so that your horse arrives in good condition, ready to perform for you.  On more than one occasion we have had horses enter competitions or shows within days after arrival - and come out as winners!

We also groom your horses regularly and we have their hooves trimmed as part of the regular quarantine routine.  Body clipping is also available upon request. Our goal is that horses leave our facility looking and feeling as good or better than when we received them.

We also send photos to our clients when their horses arrive - and will be happy to provide video as well.  Just let us know what we can do for you.  Just as every horse is an individual, so is every client.  Customized service is cheerfully provided to you and your horse here at EZ 2 Spot Ranch.

Quarantine Rules for the EU - Importers Beware

I am always amazed at the way some people are willing to cut corners and do sneaky, underhanded and downright illegal things in the interest of getting customers and their money.  I have just learned about the lastest dirty trick that some quarantine facilities here in the USA are trying to pull.

When someone from the EU purchases an equine from the USA and wants to import the animal, that equine must meet the health requirements that have been agreed upon between the EU and the USA governments. One of those requirements is that the equine must be in quarantine for 30 days prior to export.  However, there was a recent change in the nature of the quarantine - and sneaky people are now  taking advantage of this opportunity to put one over on the government and on unsuspecting importers.

The 30 day quarantine is still required.  However, it is now "veterinary approved" instead of  "USDA approved".  Prior to this change, the USDA sent an inspector to the quarantine facility in order to approve the beginning of the quarantine period.  There were official documents that had to be signed and sent to the USDA, ensuring that the quarantine was handled properly.  And there were fees involved.

 That requirement has now changed.  It is now the accredited veterinarian whose name and signature goes on the health certificates who is responsible for ensuring that the horses were in quarantine for 30 days.

What I've been told is that some unscrupulous facilities are telling EU clients that the quarantine requirement has been completely removed and that they can get their equines shipped to them without delay.  They may actually be pulling the wool over the eyes of their veterinarians and convincing them to sign fraudulent documents in order to get away with this.  And of course, they can cut their prices because they are not feeding or caring for the horses for as long a period as those of us who play by the rules are doing.

In my humble opinion, this is playing with fire - and that kind of game usually does not have a happy ending.   When the EU or the US governments become aware of this practice, I am sure that there will be consequences for everyone engaged in the business of shipping horses.  The veterinarians who sign the fraudulent documents could be at risk of losing their credentials.  I would guess that all quarantine facilities will have to go back to the USDA inspection requirement ... and I would further suppose that any horses that arrive in the EU without having had the proper quarantine period will be at risk of being deported at the owner's expense.

So a word to the wise.  When you ask about quarantine and you are told that it is not required, be aware that you are being told a lie.  I personally would worry about doing business with someone who would lie and cheat in order to get my business.  It would make me wonder what other lies they might tell me.

I guess the old saying still applies.  Buyer beware!

On to Kuwait

Wow.  What a neat start to the new year.  We have some beautiful horses on their way to Kuwait right now.  Many, many thanks to Burhan Bakeer, Jassim Al Mesbah and Awad Mubarak for allowing us to care for your lovely mares.  Thank you also to Jamal Al Kahok for your assistance ... and to Ellen May and Hans van Dyke for your excellent service as grooms.  We know that they are in very good hands!

Next week we are off to Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and then Amsterdam and Dammam again in February.

We are currently gathering horses for our next shipments to Amsterdam and Dammam - and are working on putting together our first shipment to Brazil.  Spaces are available, so let us know what we can do for you!

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.

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

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.