Monday, January 31, 2011
Space Available
We are gathering horses now for our next quarantine groups to go to Amsterdam and to Kuwait. At the moment, there is one available space remaining in each group. These spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you have a horse ready to go to either destination, please let us know and we will reserve the space for you.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Horses Arriving in Kuwait Today
What a beautiful group of Arabian horses are arriving in Kuwait today! Some are going to be in the upcoming show and we can't wait to hear the results. Thank you Mohammad, Abdul, Burhan and Ayman for allowing us the privilege of spending some time with your horses. Best of luck in the upcoming show and please be sure to send us show pictures. We'll post them here for all the world to see.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thank You!
Thank you to Irina, Sarah and Monica for sharing your horses and donkeys with us. They arrived safe and sound in Amsterdam on Saturday. It was our pleasure caring for them and working with each of you. Sarah, please send baby pictures. I can't wait to see Abby's foal (or foals?)!
Thank you also to Mohammad, Osman and Saad for sharing your beautiful Arabian youngsters with us. It was such a pleasure working with the babies and delivering them to you in Saudi Arabia. We look forward to your next shipment to Dammam.
And thank you to our grooms, David Notman and Henry Quintanilla, for ensuring the safe transport of the animals in these two shipments. Terry has been down with the flu this week and was not able to fly. We are so grateful that we have such reliable and professional people who take care of the horses on flights that we cannot take ourselves.
Thank you also to Mohammad, Osman and Saad for sharing your beautiful Arabian youngsters with us. It was such a pleasure working with the babies and delivering them to you in Saudi Arabia. We look forward to your next shipment to Dammam.
And thank you to our grooms, David Notman and Henry Quintanilla, for ensuring the safe transport of the animals in these two shipments. Terry has been down with the flu this week and was not able to fly. We are so grateful that we have such reliable and professional people who take care of the horses on flights that we cannot take ourselves.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Exciting New Year Is Underway!
We are off and running with an exciting new year! 2011 brings with it the promise of many new opportunities for us to take horses and donkeys to new destinations all over the world. We are especially excited about exporting equines to Viet Nam, China and New Zealand for the first time this year. There is also a possibility of some new routes opening up to Central and South America this year. We will keep you posted as things develop in that area.
Unfortunately, the new year may also bring increases in rates. We've heard rumors that fuel surcharges are going to increase on all the airlines - and fuel costs in the US are going up at the moment. We don't have the amount or the date of the increase yet, but please be aware that this may be on the horizon.
I am in Luxembourg now, having delivered horses here on Thursday night. Many thanks to Cedric, Anne, Jean and Laeticia, Natasha, Susanne and Sylvie. Our groom, Phil Peich, delivered horses for Coralie in Amsterdam on Friday morning and Terry is on his way home from Dammam, Saudi Arabia after delivering horses there for Saleh Al Hamad and Ahmed Najaf. Thank you all for sharing your horses with us. As always, it has been our pleasure to work with you and your equine friends.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or if we can help you in any way.
Unfortunately, the new year may also bring increases in rates. We've heard rumors that fuel surcharges are going to increase on all the airlines - and fuel costs in the US are going up at the moment. We don't have the amount or the date of the increase yet, but please be aware that this may be on the horizon.
I am in Luxembourg now, having delivered horses here on Thursday night. Many thanks to Cedric, Anne, Jean and Laeticia, Natasha, Susanne and Sylvie. Our groom, Phil Peich, delivered horses for Coralie in Amsterdam on Friday morning and Terry is on his way home from Dammam, Saudi Arabia after delivering horses there for Saleh Al Hamad and Ahmed Najaf. Thank you all for sharing your horses with us. As always, it has been our pleasure to work with you and your equine friends.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or if we can help you in any way.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Caveat Emptor
Since the beginning of civilization, buyers have been warned to be careful when making purchases. "Caveat emptor" - Buyer Beware - is advice that still holds true in today's marketplace. While most people in the USA who sell horses to overseas buyers are honest and honorable people ... it is always wise for the buyer to be careful and make sure that they are being treated with fairness and honesty and respect.
We had an experience some time ago in which a breeder in the USA was going out of business. She sold the last of her remaining horses ... not of the highest quality ... to an unsuspecting buyer in another country. The horses arrived at our facility in poor weight, with health and behavioral issues. One mare in particular arrived with a serious health issue that went from bad to worse and became life threatening. The new owner needed to be made aware of these issues.
When we suggested to the seller that we should communicate directly with the new owner, the seller refused to give us her contact information. Her excuse was that the new owner did not speak English, so she insisted on doing all the communicating herself in the new owner's native language. What we suspect was really going on was the seller was misrepresenting the horses that she had sold and she didn't want the new owner to learn the truth about what she had bought until they arrived at their new home.
When we insisted that the sick mare be treated by our veterinarian for her life threatening illness, the seller chose to provide the least expensive treatment option. We followed up with a great deal of labor-intensive after care - provided at no extra cost. We were delighted that we were successful in keeping the mare alive and nursing her back to good enough health to ship on schedule.
However, when the horses arrived, the new owner was unhappy with them and held us responsible for their condition. This could have all been prevented if the new owner had contacted us in the beginning of the quarantine. We always take photos of horses when they first arrive and are more than happy to send them to the new owners ... but we need to know how to get in touch with them in order to do so.
So, if you are shipping a horse from the USA, regardless of language barriers, get in touch with the quarantine facility and ask for current photos and information about the horse's condition, behavior and health. There are plenty of translation programs on the internet that can help us overcome language differences - and prevent the new buyer from being misled by a dishonest seller.
We had an experience some time ago in which a breeder in the USA was going out of business. She sold the last of her remaining horses ... not of the highest quality ... to an unsuspecting buyer in another country. The horses arrived at our facility in poor weight, with health and behavioral issues. One mare in particular arrived with a serious health issue that went from bad to worse and became life threatening. The new owner needed to be made aware of these issues.
When we suggested to the seller that we should communicate directly with the new owner, the seller refused to give us her contact information. Her excuse was that the new owner did not speak English, so she insisted on doing all the communicating herself in the new owner's native language. What we suspect was really going on was the seller was misrepresenting the horses that she had sold and she didn't want the new owner to learn the truth about what she had bought until they arrived at their new home.
When we insisted that the sick mare be treated by our veterinarian for her life threatening illness, the seller chose to provide the least expensive treatment option. We followed up with a great deal of labor-intensive after care - provided at no extra cost. We were delighted that we were successful in keeping the mare alive and nursing her back to good enough health to ship on schedule.
However, when the horses arrived, the new owner was unhappy with them and held us responsible for their condition. This could have all been prevented if the new owner had contacted us in the beginning of the quarantine. We always take photos of horses when they first arrive and are more than happy to send them to the new owners ... but we need to know how to get in touch with them in order to do so.
So, if you are shipping a horse from the USA, regardless of language barriers, get in touch with the quarantine facility and ask for current photos and information about the horse's condition, behavior and health. There are plenty of translation programs on the internet that can help us overcome language differences - and prevent the new buyer from being misled by a dishonest seller.
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
When I was a child the cowboy movies and TV shows I watched always had the narrator saying things like, "Meanwhile, back at the ranch". I always thought it would be so much fun to really have a reason to say that - and now I do! So ... meanwhile, back at the ranch, I finally got home from Qatar on the night of the 26th of December. I love traveling the world, meeting new friends and experiencing different cultures, but I also love having some time at home with Terry. Just as Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, "There's no place like home!" After my unexpected, unplanned adventures this past Christmas, those words most definitely ring true for me right now.
Terry and I are now looking forward to welcoming 2011 quietly together at the ranch. And then it's off and running with an exciting new year of traveling the world with horses. Happy New Year to you all!!!
Terry and I are now looking forward to welcoming 2011 quietly together at the ranch. And then it's off and running with an exciting new year of traveling the world with horses. Happy New Year to you all!!!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas from Luxembourg!
It is Christmas Eve ... and the snow continues to fall in Luxembourg ...and flights continue to be cancelled and rescheduled. Terry was able to complete his journey and deliver horses in Riyadh earlier in the week. He is back at the ranch in Texas now, keeping the home fires burning.
Henry and I are still in Luxembourg. We may get to fly out tomorrow morning to Doha and Dammam ... or we may still be stuck. It all depends on the weather conditions. Things don't look very promising right now. As I look out my window, snow is failling quite heavily and the streets and sidewalks are covered in ice.
However, the horses and humans are alright. We are safe and warm, with food, bedding and shelter,so things could be worse!
Merry Christmas, everyone, from Texas and Luxembourg. We wish you peace, joy and happiness and we look forward to an amazing New Year filled with new opportunities and adventures are we fly horses all over the world.
Henry and I are still in Luxembourg. We may get to fly out tomorrow morning to Doha and Dammam ... or we may still be stuck. It all depends on the weather conditions. Things don't look very promising right now. As I look out my window, snow is failling quite heavily and the streets and sidewalks are covered in ice.
However, the horses and humans are alright. We are safe and warm, with food, bedding and shelter,so things could be worse!
Merry Christmas, everyone, from Texas and Luxembourg. We wish you peace, joy and happiness and we look forward to an amazing New Year filled with new opportunities and adventures are we fly horses all over the world.
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