IRT was created by Quentin Wallace in 1972 in Melbourne and has grown into the world’s largest horse transport company with 7 offices located in USA, UK, Germany, New Zealand& Australia. They transport over 6,000 horses a year and usually have a horse in the air, somewhere in the world, every hour of everyday. While the company has grown, many of IRT’s staff have remained with the company, now mentoring the younger team members including our excellent contingent of quarantine and flying grooms. These grooms are well trained and experienced horsemen, insuring a level of horse care second to none.

Whilst along the way IRT has embraced the new digital world by developing a tailor made computer software to hold data & manage flights, IRT is remains dedicated to providing it’s personal touch when it comes to servicing and keeping clients informed. 

A more recent development has been the introduction of a network of ministry approved quarantines around the world, which together with their global offices, long standing relationships with airlines and Government Departments ideally places IRT to provide seamless, swift and safe horse transport to all points of the globe.

Secretariat’s World in an exclusive interview with CEO Mr. Quentin Wallace and Director Mr. Lachlan Ford:

Q: Assuming that the risks have remained the same over time, what has changed interms of policies, equipment and treatment of these horses which have made it air travel safer?

A: The jet plane and the air stable (jet stall) have been the major positive developments in the last 50 years. The former has significantly reduced travel time & the latter provides for a safet environment not only for the horse but also the accompanying attendant. A greater awareness of travel sickness, pioneered by Dr Des Leadon in the 1980’s using IRT flights to Australia as his platform for his research, remains a leader in this field. Thanks to Dr Leadon, more is now known about the causes of travel stress and shipping fever, along with the early recognition and treatment, which is the prime cause of concern when transporting horses.

Q: When you have young playful foals on board what precautions are taken? Do you feed the horses on the flight? Are foals tied down or sedated? What if they are ill? Again what’s changed since the time IRT started and today?

A: The safe way to ship foals is loose in groups of 2 or 3 rather than singularly& tied. If you have to ship a single foal ensure it has been extensively handled, taught to lead & can be tied. Most foals, even if traveling alone, are not tied during flight and are fed on the ground to assist with their natural postural drainage. Rarely do foals need to be sedated and most are quite relaxed when flying, especially when near a buddy. The biggest challenge is that foals, especially recently weaned foals, can be prone to sniffles or colds which can grow into more significant chest problems during or after flight if not recognized and treated early on  

Q: Are the regulations the same world over?

A: How you manage horses in flight is pretty universal and has not changed much since horses stated to fly regularly in the 1960’s. The best insurance is to use good horseman with as much flight experience as possible.Additionally giving more space through loading 2 horses to an air stable instead of 3 horses is another way, although costly, of improving the safety.

Q: What did it take for IRT to establish itself successfully in the breeding industry? Were there any famous first cases?

A: From IRT’s first flight in 1972 the company was inextricably connected to the breeding industry, especially in Australia & New Zealand. Whilst little remembered PRETENDRE, the first shuttle stallion to stand in NZ, travelled on an early shipment from London to Auckland. Ever since IRT has been responsible for over one thousand stallions shuttling down under to revolutionize the Australia & NZ breeding industries. Furthermore, the increasing internationalization of the breeding industry worldwide,has in more recent years allowed IRT to assist clients from South Africa, South America, North America and Europe to introduce fresh blood through the shuttle stallion concept to their regions. 

Q: With air travel becoming a very important component of the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry, what inevitable changes are expected in the near future?

A: International Race meetings have become the shop window of the Thoroughbred Industry, whether through recently introduced meetings like the Breeders Cup, the UAE World Cup, the Hong Kong International Races or through internationalization of existing meeting such as Royal Ascot, the Melbourne Cup and most recently with the introduction of The Pegasus & The Everest races. With international runners bringing increased crowds and betting turnover, the number of international runners seems to be on the increase.   

Q: Do you have any anecdotes around shipping in the early days which you would like to share?

A: In the 1970’s when IRT was founded all horses travelling to Australia had to be resident in the United Kingdom for 6 months and then flyvia Canada& Hawaii to Australia. Late in the 1970’s this changed so horses from North America could quarantine in Canada. This coincided with the introduction of the 747 Jumbo jet freighter which, to build economical loads, required IRT to combine horse loads from UK & Canada whilst filling any empty space with cats, dogs, Zoo animals, Deer, cattle, pigs, rabbits, chimpanzees, birds etc. These flights quickly became nicknamed Noah’s Ark.