Can Horses Fly?

Flying is one of the most popular forms of transport in the world today with over 100,000 flights occurring per day worldwide.

This doesn’t just include humans, however, as many animals travel all the time such as cats and dogs, and exotic animals.

But what about horses?

Are they able to fly?

Well, I was curious about this and decided to do some research and am excited to share it with you today.

So, without wasting any more time, let’s answer the question “can horses fly?”

The answer to this question is yes, horses can fly. While they aren’t physically capable of flight, they are able to travel around the world on planes. These planes are specifically designed to accommodate them as they are too big to travel on regular planes. Only a couple of companies are able to transport horses, however, as it is a very niche industry.

Horse travel is safe and occurs more often than you would think.

There are many different reasons as to why horses would need to travel by plane but how exactly do horses fly, what are the reasons for horses traveling, and how does traveling affect horses?

In this article, we will explore all of these questions and more as we dive deeper into the topic of can horses fly.

Let’s get into it!

 

Can horses fly?

The answer to this question is yes, horses are able to fly.

While they are not physically capable of flight (that would make them unicorns!) they are able to travel around the world through the use of planes.

They can travel in either economy, business, or first class depending on how much the horse handler is willing to pay.

Each country has different rules when it comes to allowing horses to travel in and out of the country, however, so transporting horses can become complicated depending on where you are transporting them to.

 

How do horses fly?

While horses are able to travel by plane the actual process isn’t that simple.

Horses are much larger than humans which means they aren’t able to travel on the same type of planes.

They instead have to travel in specially adapted cargo planes that have been equipped to accommodate them.

Horses need to travel in specialized containers called pallets in order to get on planes.

These containers can hold a maximum of 3 horses and can change depending on the size of plane being used and the number of horses being transported.

While on the planes, horses are given a sufficient amount of hay and water to last the duration of the flight and in case there are any delays or changes to the flight plan.

While onboard the plane, the horses are restrained using ropes or straps to stop them from rearing up and injuring their heads on the roof of the plane or moving around too much and damaging the plane.

Due to the niche nature of horse transport, there aren’t many companies that will transport them.

For example, to transport horses domestically in the United States only Fed Ex and UPS will transport them.

 

Why do horses fly?

As mentioned before, horses can travel the world for many different reasons.

In this section, we will look at some of the reasons why horses may need to travel.

 

For competitions and events

For show horses and horses that compete in competitions and events such as polo and show jumping traveling is a regular part of their lives and routines as they need to travel both domestically and internationally to attend these competitions and events.

Depending on the pedigree of the horse or the number of events and competitions in the schedule a competition horse can travel quite a few times per year (though not always in first class!)

 

For races

Similar to competition and show horses, racehorses are required to travel a great deal in order to attend races and compete against other horses.

Racehorses can potentially travel more than show horses depending on the number of races in the schedule and other conditions such as the health and fitness of the horse and whether or not it has sustained any injuries.

Lots of money goes into ensuring that both the horse and rider are in top shape to compete and that they both make it to the races safely and on time.

This includes air travel when necessary.

 

For horse shows and exhibitions

Horses may also need to fly for horse shows and exhibitions.

There are many different horse shows and exhibitions throughout the year all over the world and, depending on the budget and ambition of the team, a horse may be required to fly multiple times per year in order to attend these shows.

 

Are horses sedated for air travel?

The answer to this question is no, horses are not sedated during air travel.

This is because horses are transported standing up and, therefore, need to be alert enough to balance on all fours.

Most horses are accustomed to some form of travel anyways before they have to fly, such as being transported across the country by van, which allows them to remain calm when flying.

Sedation isn’t necessary in most circumstances and for instances where a horse may become restless there is an onboard groomer who is trained to handle these types of situations.

Groomers are normally experienced flying with horses and have a lot of experience working with horses and can, therefore, react effectively in any situation that may arise.

 

Does flying affect horses?

While long flights will leave us drowsy and jet lagged, the same effect is not seen in horses.

Horses handle flying very well and don’t get jet lagged.

They can, however, experience something called shipping fever which is an infection that occurs as a result of long distance travel and has the potential to become serious very quickly.

Shipping fever is a form of pneumonia and affects first the horse’s windpipe before spreading to the lungs and is exacerbated by the confined space of the stall as well as its warmth and limited airflow.

Due to increased monitoring and medicine and the fact that there is either an onboard vet or groomer present, it is unlikely for it to develop into something really serious and even more rare for your horse to die from this.

Horses are fed electrolytes throughout the flight which encourages them to drink water.

This helps them to stay healthy throughout the flight.

 

In conclusion, yes, horses can fly.

While they don’t have wings and can’t physically fly, they are able to travel by plane and can fly multiple times per year.

Horses can fly regularly to attend shows, events, competitions, and races.

They are transported by cargo ship in a container that can carry up to 3 horses.

Flying horses can be a complicated process especially if the country you are traveling to has difficult horse transport laws and regulations.

Flying is, however, a safe process overall and the horses are treated well and are comfortable while onboard the plane.