Recent arrival from Germany, Carlchen is settling into Australia well - seen here jumping at Wallaby Hill
A new horse arriving from overseas is always an exciting prospect and we recently heard about how Stuart and Karen Tinney bought three new eventing horses from Germany in 2013
However, choosing the right horse is only part of the process. Once a horse has been purchased overseas there are other factors to consider and we asked Karen Tinney to explain some of the areas they paid close attention to in bringing their new horses home to Sydney from Germany
“Transporting horses can be treacherous and we worry a lot about them if we can’t travel with them” says Karen “However we’ve learned a lot about transporting horses and quarantine requirements over the years and we put in place as much as possible to minimise risk”
The first thing to do is obviously make sure that the horse is well insured, not only for the purchase price but also the transit and other costs so that you are not out of pocket if the worst does happen.
“It is an extra expense but usually you have been through a lot and had quite a few expenses to find the right horse and then ship it home so we think it’s an absolute necessity”
In order to insure the horse the vet check needs to have been done and the correct paperwork available. Karen suggests that, if you cannot be personally present for the vet check, you organise for someone to be there on your behalf – remembering of course that the procedure is likely to take place in German!
Karen points out that, with their experience, Tinney Eventing rarely use bloodstock agents as they know exactly what they are looking for and have contacts overseas who can help in these areas
“For most people it’s quite a complex process, even once you have found the right horse, and so many people prefer to use an agent. In that case the agent, rather than the seller of the horse, also usually carries the responsibility for the horse if problems arise later”
The vet check complete, the money exchanged and the horse insured, now comes the most anxious time – the actual transport. Tinney Eventing use Crispin Bennett International Horse Transport who partners with Guido Klatte in Germany
“The flight is the most worrying part due to the possibility of travel sickness for the horse” acknowledges Karen “You are allowed to communicate with the groom who will be travelling with your horse and we think this is a vital part of the process. You need to let them know the things you particularly want done during the flight; for example, we stipulate that they must have had their heads down for a period every 5-6 hours. You try and put in place everything you can to avoid problems during and after transit”
After a successful journey from Germany and two weeks in quarantine in Sydney, it was time to pick the new horses up in October. But the transition period doesn’t end there as the horses are moving to a very different environment in Australia
Carlchen is now finding his feet in Australian paddocks
“These horses have never been in paddocks. They have been bred in a barn, kept in deep litter stabling, hard fed all the time and very used to be indoors. That has been their lives and, although it may sound strange to some Australians, they are perfectly happy horses”
“When they come here, there are so many differences between Australian and European conditions and you need to be very mindful of them getting used to many new environmental factors. For a start you can have problems with their feet; their hooves don’t cope very well with hard Australian paddocks and they don’t know how to gallop! When you first let them out, they will run and run and run and obviously their legs are not used to that!”
Karen and Stuart try to minimise the risk of leg damage such as tendon injury or bone splints by limiting the amount of time that the new horses are allowed in the paddock. Over a six week period they very gradually build up the hours that the horses spend outside saying “It’s a lot of work bringing them in and taking them out for short periods but it’s worth it in the long run”
The new horses have proved to be not at all fussy eaters, which is maybe a throw back to their stable days.
“We gave them CopriceNutrice and they gobbled it up from day one” says Karen “We’ve had thoroughbreds in for training here who are only used to eating oats that have been a lot trickier to feed. These guys vacuum up the feed like they have never eaten before in their lives but maybe that’s a result of being boxed in the past and anticipating meal times”
Karen is really happy with her new charges at Tinney Eventing and Stuart is enjoying riding them as they start to acclimatise in Australia.
“It’s important to realise that they take a while to settle. You need to allow them time, keep their new life structured and understand that it’s a huge change for them” says Karen, adding “We’re delighted how it’s turning out and we love all three of them”
Lansina enjoys her grazing time out in the paddock at Tinney Eventing
