Horses Take Flight with Their Passports for the Rio Olympics

Read about the journey for these elite equine athletes, including fun facts about what's on board their Emirates Aircraft!

The first group of Olympic horses departed from London Stansted Airport on July 29th on a special cargo plane bound for Rio 2016, marking the start of the Olympic dream for the world’s best equine athletes. With 34 horses from 10 nations on board, the equine cargo worth multiple millions, was loaded into customized pallets for the almost 12-hour flight aboard an Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777-F which was organised by Peden Bloodstock left the UK at 15.20 BST.

Horses Depart Stansted Airport. Photo credit (FEI/Jon Stroud Media)

Eventing horses from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Japan, Italy and China are on board Friday’s flight out of Stansted, the first of nine shipments delivering more than 200 horses to Rio International Airport, en route to the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Deodoro Olympic Park.

This highly complex operation involves three hubs in Europe and America: Stansted in Great Britain, Liege in Belgium and Miami in the USA. The competing horses and their riders will represent 43 nations from around the globe in the Olympic disciplines of Dressage, Jumping and Eventing.

Horses bound for the Rio 2016 Olympic games are loaded onto an Emirates SkyCargo Being 777-F at London Stansted Airport. On the flight were 34 horses from 10 of the nations competing in Equestrian at Rio 2016 (FEI/Jon Stroud Media)

Stansted Flight Facts

• Estimated flight time Stansted – Rio: 11 hours 40 mins
• Aircraft detail: Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777-F
• 38,580 lbs. (17,500 kgs) of horses flying from Stansted
• 1135 lbs. (515kg) is the average weight of an Eventing horse. 1388 lbs (630kg) is the average weight of a Dressage horse and 1344 lbs. (610kg) for Jumping horses.
• 13,228 lbs. (6,000 kg) of feed (doesn’t include feed they’ll eat on the flight)
• 80 lbs. or 10.5 gallons (40 litres) of water per horse
• 34 Eventing horses – representing Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Japan, Italy and China

In flight wear - horses travel in comfort and style. (FEI/Jon Stroud Media)

More Fun Facts

Baggage allowance: Just like human flights, each equine passenger has an allocated baggage allowance, by weight – however this includes the horse itself! Plus water, hay, 30kg shavings as bedding, water buckets, feed buckets, tack bags (for saddles and bridles), rugs and any spare equipment.

Each horse is also allowed: 1 large haynet, water and his or her own personal bucket, and a small overnight bag with a spare headcollar (halter) and rug, in case it gets chilly.

In-flight entertainment: What are the horses’ favorite in-flight movies? The Horse Whisperer, Black Beauty, Seabiscuit, National Velvet and its sequel International Velvet.

In-flight meals and drinks – bran mash (a bit like porridge) before they get on the flight, then hay and water throughout the flight. Some like apple juice in their water to make it a bit tastier

Passports: Every horse has a passport but, unlike human athletes, they must be microchipped to travel. They all also have an export health certificate.

Every horse heading out to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games travels with its own passport - 29 July 2016 - Pic Jon Stroud

In-flight wear: Horses, like people, like to travel in comfort. Some may wear a light rug but generally wear as little as possible to stay cool and comfortable. Most will wear protective leg gear – a bit like flight socks!

Check-in: Flights are a carefully orchestrated operation though Peden Bloodstock, so check-in is a very civilised affair, no fighting for the best seats! All have arrival slots at the airport so that vet checks can be carried out, and loading follows a specific planned order to place all passengers in the right part of the plane.

First Class/Business/Economy: All Olympic horses travel in style, in 112cm wide stalls, with two horses per pallet – the human equivalent of business class. This gives them plenty of room to feel comfortable, but there is the option to upgrade to first class.

Cabin crew: Specially trained staff fly with the horses, looking after their welfare, comfort and safety. They are known as Flying Grooms.

Stallions at the front: Stallions travel at the front of the plane so they aren’t distracted on-flight by the mares.

Is there a doctor on board? This is never an issue if you’re a flying horse, there are always vets on board to ensure happiness and comfort throughout.

Aircraft facts: The horses fly on an Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777-F aircraft – this is a freight plane, and one especially equipped for the safe and comfortable transport of horses. It has custom-designed horse stalls and controlled temperature zones to ensure maximum comfort and minimal stress for the horses and comes complete with trained and experienced expert personnel who know how to handle horses to safeguard their welfare.

Learn more about horses at the Olympics at www.fei.org. The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.