Watch This: The Logistics of Flying Horses to Tokyo

We know that horses are flown all over the world on a regular basis, but it’s not every day we get an in-depth, behind-the-scenes view at the logistics involved in equine transport.

Peden Bloodstock is the logistics arm of the trek to the Tokyo Olympics, and with nearly 200 horses in need of global transport to Japan it’s good to have a wealth of experience on hand to ensure things stay on schedule. This short video from the FEI illustrates the planning and logistics that have gone into transporting the earliest Tokyo arrivals, the dressage horses and riders, to their final destinations. In a few days’ time, they’ll do it all again in reverse.

Some interesting statistics from this video:

  • 15 flights will travel in and out of Tokyo over the coming days to transport the Olympic horses
  • 100,000 kg / 220,462 lbs of equipment will be transported
  • 60,000 kg / 132,277 lbs of feed will be transported
  • About 10 people are on the flight, including a Peden Bloodstock professional groom and a vet
  • German dressage rider Isabell Werth always accompanies her horses on flights
  • Temperatures on board range from 57-62 degrees Fahrenheit / 14-17 degrees Celsius
  • Horses flying from Liege airport in Belgium will stop briefly in Dubai before continuing on to Tokyo Haneda airport, with a total flight time of just over 18 hours

Stay tuned for more from Tokyo as we hurtle toward the Olympics, which open on Friday, July 23.