# They put down horses on planes if they act up?



## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

I don't believe it either. I couldn't imagine spooks gotta whiz being PTS because he wouldn't settle down. I would imagine they would be given a sedative first, if they already don't get a horsey Xanax.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Horses that move on commercial airliners are housed in VERY specialized standing stall setups that prevent them from ever becoming loose, and getting loose would be the only way they would present any risk to the aircraft.

IATA regulations require that there always be a groom with them that monitors their wellbeing, and is trained and able to either tranq, or yes, euthanize if necessary, but tranq would be the go-to with euthaniasia being an abosolute last resort, and it *wouldn't likely ever happen* because a horse got loose (virtually impossible), but only if it had somehow injured itself so badly that it was inhumane not to.

Here's a pic of a horse aircraft stall setup (note the size of the openings etc), and the link below is an interesting read with regards to the regs.










http://canadianhorsedefencecoalition.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/iata-regs-for-horses1.pdf


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Yeah, horses have occasionally been put down due to 'going berserk' on planes, but it's not due to safety of the plane, but of the horse - eg. they're unable to be tranqued, hurt too badly, freaking out other horses dangerously...


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Agree with loosie, I am sure it has happened but can't see it being because of "a danger to the plane". It's probably similar to your hamster getting loose or going berserk in the car lol (well not quite but you get the idea!)

I can imagine if the horse is literally in a blind panic and hurting itself, or has caused an irrepairable injury that it make be necessary but obviously everything is done to prevent that. Particularly as it is very very valuable animals flying and not usually Joe Blow's backyard nag. If you have a 6 figure (or more!) self destructive item, you will do everything you can to care for it and to prevent if from self destructing!

As said they have grooms with them at all times.

Interesting article! Thanks for the info!


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

It has happened. Some horses simply cannot tolerate flying. Know how your ears will pop at altitude? Some horses, and some people can't get that pressure relief (I'm one of them) and it becomes quite painful.


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

Years ago horses would have been put down on the plane - but with the way things have progressed (medically, with the transport system, ect) it would be VERY rare that this would happen now. From my understanding, and knowing people who are pro-grooms that travel often, the horses travel just as quietly on a plane as they do in a horsebox. We travel horses internationally for racing, and every single one of them has handled it perfectly fine and returned safely.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If memory serves me correctly it was a Walt Disney movie years ago where this was depicted. It wasn't that the horse was going beserk, it was rearing just a little but of course a lot of drama was built up around this.


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

Saddlebag said:


> If memory serves me correctly it was a Walt Disney movie years ago where this was depicted. It wasn't that the horse was going beserk, it was rearing just a little but of course a lot of drama was built up around this.


I think International Velvet is the movie that sticks in my head for showing this?:?


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## Bmbrth1 (Sep 3, 2014)

It was International Velvet, and the incident was based on a very real incident that happened to an Olympians horse, Michael Plumb, while traveling to Tokyo for the Olympics.

Michael Plumb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## MinervaELS (Mar 4, 2014)

According to that article it occurred in 1964, so those who said that this is not a modern issue except in unlikely cases of extreme injury are probably right on. Not only were planes much less advanced fifty years ago but also the methods of securing the horses were probably nowhere near as good as the modern containers.


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## Bmbrth1 (Sep 3, 2014)

MinervaELS said:


> According to that article it occurred in 1964, so those who said that this is not a modern issue except in unlikely cases of extreme injury are probably right on. Not only were planes much less advanced fifty years ago but also the methods of securing the horses were probably nowhere near as good as the modern containers.


Perhaps, if you can afford a box or enclosed stall, but most still travel like this Inside Plane That Transports Racehorses - Business Insider a panicked horse (and I mean truly panicked, not just afraid) could tear that plane to pieces and worse, get all the other horses equally panicked. That was the problem, not 1200# of panic, but 7200# or more depends on how many horses you have. 
I will say, though I don't know, is that I'll bet modern medicines have changed enough so the potential for such circumstances have drastically been reduced. Easier to calm and sedate them if they do get twitchy.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I don't know about that linked site but my horses travelled in 'crates' like the one PrivatePilot showed. They're really strong and no way could a horse kick through one and damage a plane. They also aren't big enough for the horse to move around a lot 
The biggest danger would be to themselves if they went down and got wedged but the groom has permission from the owners to sedate - hopefully before that happened.
Not sure how you would euthanize a horse on a plane.
This is a link to the company we used to bring our horses from the UK to the US and their is quite a lot of info on the site
IRT - International transport of horses


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

It seems unlikely.

A panicked horse will make other horses nervous sure, but with handlers in the area it's unlikely that one panicked horse would get the other horses worked up to that point. It's probably more that a horse at THAT point would be a danger to itself.

Neat article.


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## crazeepony (Dec 8, 2013)

I would think that if it happened very often, horses wouldn't be shipped- period. Airlines don't want to have to deal with such an issue and the liability of it. I am sure it is the exception not the norm.


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

I doubt the airlines would want to contend with the PR nightmare OR the insurance payout for animals whose values go into the 6-7 figure range and up to put them to sleep. It's likely that a horse is probably tranquilized prior to even boarding the plane, but once in the air it's probably a smoother ride than being in a trailer.


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

All the horses I've ever seen flown have been heavily sedated. My vet class did a tour of a holding facility to see the procedures and these horses stumbled up the ramp, got into the plane, stayed quiet as a kitten and were assessed by a groom every half hour as to whether or not they needed to be sedated more or less. I was told typically that most horses had the sedation wear off enough to be alert, but it calmed them down a lot so they didn't need re sedated. Not to say euthanasia doesn't happen but I don't think it's all that common, I think it's more of a special case scenario nowadays.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

It has all changed a great deal. At one point the stalls the horses stood in were narrow and not very high, coming only about half way up their sides. 

Also tranquillisers have great.y improved. At one point if you gave a horse a tranq. when it was already het up, it often made them worse. 

Much has improved.


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## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

I agree it would be rare, but understandable if a horse going berserk could threaten the lives of the other passengers. Really no different than if a passenger went berserk.

Great photo by PrivatePilot.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Bmbrth1 said:


> Perhaps, if you can afford a box or enclosed stall, but most still travel like this Inside Plane That Transports Racehorses - Business Insider a panicked horse (and I mean truly panicked, not just afraid) could tear that plane to pieces and worse, get all the other horses equally panicked. That was the problem, not 1200# of panic, but 7200# or more depends on how many horses you have.
> I will say, though I don't know, is that I'll bet modern medicines have changed enough so the potential for such circumstances have drastically been reduced. Easier to calm and sedate them if they do get twitchy.


I think this type of set up is more common when hauling several horses like to the olympics. My guess is the more enclosed box is for when 
someone is importing a horse or two that go on a plane that is not strictly for horses.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Horses are now loaded on the ground in specially designed stalls that are rolled up the ramp onto the plane. There is no way a horse could break out of one of these. They are well padded for the horse's protection.


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## MagsNMe (Dec 15, 2014)

An Olympic horse in 1964 was euthanized on a plane. It was Michael Plumb's event horse Markham, I believe they actually shot him, and it was because he was posing a danger to the plane.


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