Greetings from the Amsterdam/Schipol horse quarantine!
Well, we're almost to Germany! It's about 4am here, and I'm writing from the Amsterdam/Schipol airport- we're currently in the quarantine facility, awaiting the vet who doesn't arrive until 7am (aka I'm bunking with the horses tonight, if I can ever fall asleep!). All is well, and we just have one more short trip to Klaus', but the two longest parts (from Vermont to the airport and the actual flight) are over. And boy am I relieved!
Our trip started out yesterday around 2:30pm, when my mom, Fizzy, Sadie (my dog), Cupcake (my mom's dog) and myself all left from our farm in Vermont for Kennedy Airport. Fizzy shipped down like a champ and then stayed overnight last night in quarantine at the airport. We didn't get to our hotel until around 11:30pm, so we had a quick dinner and then went to bed.
Our flight for Germany left this morning just before 11am, actually slightly earlier than scheduled, which was nice! My good friend, Jessica Rattner, who works for Anne Gribbons came to see us off (on her day off, no less- getting up before 6am to come have breakfast!). She took LOTS of pictures and I will post them when I can.
From the quarantine barn at JFK we loaded all my equipment and Sadie into one of the beautiful Dutta Corp. trucks. There was also another horse, Crusader, who was shipping with us to Germany, so we loaded him and Fizzy up last and drove them over to the tarmac. The horses shipped over to the plane facing backwards (it was a four horse head to head), so that all we had to do was back the trailer up to the transport box, and then the ramps lined up in such a way that it was a straight shot straight from the trailer to the transport box.
Fizzy was a little excited about being shipped next to Crusader at first, but settled right down. I was a little worried about how the horses would be loading into the transport box, but they were both super. Fizzy had never done it before, but he was a very good boy and just said, "Ok, Lizzy, if you say so!" The rule with the horses is "last on, first off" the plane, so our wait wasn't very long. The horses loaded into the nose of the plane (called a "front loader") and they even let me ride in the box when they put it on! Fizzy was very brave, and only got a little nervous when the box was on the rollers being pushed into the plane (think rumble strip times five!).
Once we were all loaded, Fizzy and I got to watch them lower the nose of the plane and close us in, which was very cool! I waited as long as I could and sort of hoped the crew would just forget about me and let me stay in the box for take-off, but they came and got me. :-) The takeoff was what I was most worried about, especially since I couldn't be down there with him... So reluctantly, I climbed up the stairs and took a seat right behind the pilot, where I could see everything! There must be over 100 controllers/switches in the cockpit, it was amazing. The pilots were so nice, and also had their families on board (they had come over for Rosh Hashana).
After takeoff and the plane leveled out, I could go down to check on "the boys" and Sadie. Everyone seemed content and quiet, so I was happy.
Now let me tell you, if you ever fly on a cargo flight, you're never going to want to fly any other way ever again! There were seven of us total on the flight, the three pilots (or co-pilots, not sure of their actual "titles") two of their wives, and two kids. Not only were the seats first-class worthy, but there were also BEDS to sleep on! It was fabulous. So, I basically spent my seven hour flight either dozing, reading, eating, or checking on/watering the horses. I was in heaven. :-)
Both Crusader and Fizzy drank well on the flight, and were generally sociable and happy. I totally fell in love with Crusader, he is just the sweetest guy and was completely placid about the whole thing. Fizzy was his usual bossy self, and there was lots of loud bellowing if I went in Crusader's side of the box (there was a head partition, so he couldn't see me) to give him carrots or water. He's more possessive than a boyfriend sometimes, I swear!
Perhaps the most comical part of the trip was the fact that I inevitably got soaked every time I tried to give Fizzy water. Now, I will credit him with being the most thankful horse ever, don't get me wrong. Whenever I give him something that he likes to eat, or if he wants something, he will lick me. Unfortunately, in the tiny horse transport box, I couldn't avoid this display of affection, and so as soon as he would finish drinking, I not only got drenched with the mouth full of water they always seem to keep especially for you, but I also got kissed on my shoulder, neck and cheeks before I could get out of the box. The other passengers up top must have thought I was the least coordinated groom ever, since I always seemed to return to my seat much wetter than I had left it!
The flight was over in no time, and we landed safely at the Amsterdam/Schipol airport around 6pm (or, midnight in Holland, with the time change). Fizzy was just as quiet getting off the box as he had been getting on, except this time he got to go into a nice big, deeply bedded stall. He is stabled right next to Crusader, who has clearly become his new best friend. There are just bars between them, so there has been lots of sniffing, licking and general excitement over his new found friend. I am so proud of him for being such a good boy about all of this so far!
And so here I am, sitting in quarantine, borrowing a computer in the KLM Animal Cargo office writing to you all! I must say, the guy on duty is awfully handsome, so I am entertained. :-) I have been periodically checking on the horses who are very happy and quiet, so Sadie and I are just sitting, waiting.
The vet will be here around 7am to check the horses over and give us the OK to leave, and I'm hoping to be at Klaus' by early afternoon. I'm not sure when I'll be able to write again, but hopefully soon! My plan is to hopefully hack Fizzy under saddle tomorrow lightly, depending on how he feels. If he's quiet, I'll just hand walk him, but I have a feeling he's going to want to get some energy out!
Our trip started out yesterday around 2:30pm, when my mom, Fizzy, Sadie (my dog), Cupcake (my mom's dog) and myself all left from our farm in Vermont for Kennedy Airport. Fizzy shipped down like a champ and then stayed overnight last night in quarantine at the airport. We didn't get to our hotel until around 11:30pm, so we had a quick dinner and then went to bed.
Our flight for Germany left this morning just before 11am, actually slightly earlier than scheduled, which was nice! My good friend, Jessica Rattner, who works for Anne Gribbons came to see us off (on her day off, no less- getting up before 6am to come have breakfast!). She took LOTS of pictures and I will post them when I can.
From the quarantine barn at JFK we loaded all my equipment and Sadie into one of the beautiful Dutta Corp. trucks. There was also another horse, Crusader, who was shipping with us to Germany, so we loaded him and Fizzy up last and drove them over to the tarmac. The horses shipped over to the plane facing backwards (it was a four horse head to head), so that all we had to do was back the trailer up to the transport box, and then the ramps lined up in such a way that it was a straight shot straight from the trailer to the transport box.
Fizzy was a little excited about being shipped next to Crusader at first, but settled right down. I was a little worried about how the horses would be loading into the transport box, but they were both super. Fizzy had never done it before, but he was a very good boy and just said, "Ok, Lizzy, if you say so!" The rule with the horses is "last on, first off" the plane, so our wait wasn't very long. The horses loaded into the nose of the plane (called a "front loader") and they even let me ride in the box when they put it on! Fizzy was very brave, and only got a little nervous when the box was on the rollers being pushed into the plane (think rumble strip times five!).
Once we were all loaded, Fizzy and I got to watch them lower the nose of the plane and close us in, which was very cool! I waited as long as I could and sort of hoped the crew would just forget about me and let me stay in the box for take-off, but they came and got me. :-) The takeoff was what I was most worried about, especially since I couldn't be down there with him... So reluctantly, I climbed up the stairs and took a seat right behind the pilot, where I could see everything! There must be over 100 controllers/switches in the cockpit, it was amazing. The pilots were so nice, and also had their families on board (they had come over for Rosh Hashana).
After takeoff and the plane leveled out, I could go down to check on "the boys" and Sadie. Everyone seemed content and quiet, so I was happy.
Now let me tell you, if you ever fly on a cargo flight, you're never going to want to fly any other way ever again! There were seven of us total on the flight, the three pilots (or co-pilots, not sure of their actual "titles") two of their wives, and two kids. Not only were the seats first-class worthy, but there were also BEDS to sleep on! It was fabulous. So, I basically spent my seven hour flight either dozing, reading, eating, or checking on/watering the horses. I was in heaven. :-)
Both Crusader and Fizzy drank well on the flight, and were generally sociable and happy. I totally fell in love with Crusader, he is just the sweetest guy and was completely placid about the whole thing. Fizzy was his usual bossy self, and there was lots of loud bellowing if I went in Crusader's side of the box (there was a head partition, so he couldn't see me) to give him carrots or water. He's more possessive than a boyfriend sometimes, I swear!
Perhaps the most comical part of the trip was the fact that I inevitably got soaked every time I tried to give Fizzy water. Now, I will credit him with being the most thankful horse ever, don't get me wrong. Whenever I give him something that he likes to eat, or if he wants something, he will lick me. Unfortunately, in the tiny horse transport box, I couldn't avoid this display of affection, and so as soon as he would finish drinking, I not only got drenched with the mouth full of water they always seem to keep especially for you, but I also got kissed on my shoulder, neck and cheeks before I could get out of the box. The other passengers up top must have thought I was the least coordinated groom ever, since I always seemed to return to my seat much wetter than I had left it!
The flight was over in no time, and we landed safely at the Amsterdam/Schipol airport around 6pm (or, midnight in Holland, with the time change). Fizzy was just as quiet getting off the box as he had been getting on, except this time he got to go into a nice big, deeply bedded stall. He is stabled right next to Crusader, who has clearly become his new best friend. There are just bars between them, so there has been lots of sniffing, licking and general excitement over his new found friend. I am so proud of him for being such a good boy about all of this so far!
And so here I am, sitting in quarantine, borrowing a computer in the KLM Animal Cargo office writing to you all! I must say, the guy on duty is awfully handsome, so I am entertained. :-) I have been periodically checking on the horses who are very happy and quiet, so Sadie and I are just sitting, waiting.
The vet will be here around 7am to check the horses over and give us the OK to leave, and I'm hoping to be at Klaus' by early afternoon. I'm not sure when I'll be able to write again, but hopefully soon! My plan is to hopefully hack Fizzy under saddle tomorrow lightly, depending on how he feels. If he's quiet, I'll just hand walk him, but I have a feeling he's going to want to get some energy out!
posted by Liz @ 9:19 PM
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