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The Breeders' Cup has made arrangements with FedEx to charter two equine flights that will transport horses to California to compete in the 2021 World Championships Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar. Both FedEx charters will be making direct trips to San Diego International Airport. The first charter flight will leave Newark International Airport Sunday, Oct. 31. The second charter will leave from Indianapolis International Airport Monday, Nov. 1. Each flight will carry up to a maximum of 33 horses.

Breeders' Cup will pay the round-trip cost for all horses competing in the World Championships whose connections use FedEx to ship their runners, whether on the charter planes or on a separately scheduled FedEx flight in lieu of the owner's standard shipping allowance of $10,000. Horsemen shipping Championship runners into California through other shipping companies will still receive the standard stipend.

Tex Sutton Equine Transportation will manage the bookings of these flights, along with the loading and unloading procedures. Horsemen's stable grooms will not be allowed on the flights with these horses, but there will be three Tex Sutton professional grooms attending to the horses on board. Each trainer starting horses in the Breeders' Cup will need to make separate arrangements for their stable workers to fly to California via commercial aircraft. Tex Sutton has also reserved regularly scheduled FedEx aircraft that fly from both locations to Los Angeles International Airport.

Mersant International, the Breeders' Cup official international shipping company, was instrumental in securing the domestic FedEx charters for the World Championships. Breeders' Cup will again be utilizing Mersant International to coordinate and manage the transportation of European-based horses competing this year.

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Horses are one of the most frequently transported domestic species in the world; they are frequently moved by vans, ships and planes. Horses that travel between locations are at risk for disease, injury and welfare issues. Many studies have been done on how to alleviate the stresses caused by traveling by road, but little is known on how horses handle traveling by air.

A new study funded by Morris Animal Foundation and spearheaded by Dr. Barbara Padalino, an associate professor of animal science at Italy's Università di Bologna, will investigate what factors increase or decrease the risk of health and behavior issues.

The findings of the study, which involves both stakeholders and researchers, will be used to develop protocols for flight associations like the International Air Transportation Association (IATA). Currently, protocols focus on air safety and cargo requirements, not on equine welfare issues; they are based on experience, with little scientific backing.

It is estimated that nearly 30,000 horses are flown each year. A recent study used 81 flights to Hong Kong and found that for every 100 horses flown, about 11 percent got pneumonia from the flight and 60 percent of flights had at least one horse affected; horses flown in the spring were particularly at risk. That study concluded that flight duration and time of year were risk factors for horses getting sick.

Padalino and her research team hope to use 2,000 horses in their study; these horses will be flying between the United States, Europe, Japan, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia and New. The study will involve asking questions regarding horse's welfare before, during and up to five days after the flight. This will include questions about heart rate, alertness and body condition scores, among others.

Padalino hypothesizes that horses with less transport experience and training will be more at risk of transport-related problems, as will those horses who have different temperaments. She is hopeful that the study will assist in the creation of protocol to increase the welfare of horses shipping by air, as well as provide an economic benefit to horse owners by reducing health complications.

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Breeders’ Cup Arranges Fedex Charters

Flying High: New Study To Develop Guidelines For Horses Traveling By Air