TheHorseStudio.com is proud to sponsor this unique clinic on International Horse Transport, which will be held December 2, 2009, in Millbrook, NY. Its aim is to help the international competitor, horse breeder, importer/exporter of horses. Hosted by veteran international freight forwarder, Paul Alvin-Smith, the attendees will learn how to save money, save time and avoid critical mistakes when organizing international travel for their horses.
"As a lifelong horseman I was especially thrilled when the international firm I worked for decided to expand their business from general freight into horses. Through the years before we'd handled everything from charters full of chicks to Saudi Arabia, to dolphins to Europe and many dogs and cats and general livestock. But horses are close to my heart, so I jumped at the opportunity to head up the team at the Equine Division. We handled direct charters around the world as well as working with scheduled airlines like Federal Express, Lufthansa, KLM and many others on both export and import to points throughout the USA. Travel with horses for competition across Europe used to require major documentation, including very complicated carnets just to handle customs issues. The EU has improved things in that region of the world, but many areas still provide logistical challenges. Keeping a handle on unnecessary delays for your horse, unnecessary additional expenses and most of all minimizing risks, are an important part of the skill set you need to have to work effectively in international freight. After more than 26 years of experience in the intricacies of this field, and I welcome the opportunity to share that insider information with the horse owner," stated Paul Alvin-Smith.
The seminar will include video footage of basics like how to pack, what to pack and how to prepare your horse for travel, plus a wide range of topics in depth; how to obtain the best quote, which questions to ask, the pitfalls and joys of traveling with your horse yourself where allowed, the best hub points for different countries, tackling worldwide 'difficult' destinations, financial aspects of prepayment, exchange rates, customs clearance, overland transport, pep talks for your team, and documentation, insurance and medical requirements for both horse and rider/grooms. A question and answer session will conclude each topic.
A gourmet lunch with an international theme will be provided courtesy of TheHorseStudio.com. In the afternoon there will be a video of actual travel events, including highlights of personal trips Paul Alvin-Smith has made over the years buying horses from Europe and exporting a few horses of his own.
A light-hearted 'quiz' session will be held for all attendees at the end of the afternoon. Gift prizes have been donated by TheHorseStudio.com. Prizes include shipping boots, high-tech riding apparel that is light to pack and multi functional, plus a selection of books and DVDs on horse health care and rider health care.
"We have many new products, including many DVD titles just added to our site and the prizes we have donated to this event ran the gamut from the new high-tech Endura jacket to the latest import titles from horse masters around the world," stated Kathy Collins, Sales Manager for TheHorseStudio.com.
"Paul has a wonderful quiet approach and a world of experience in international trade. I've seen some of the video footage and there is lots of fun there as well as the serious hands on info. TheHorseStudio.com is very proud to sponsor this special event. It'll be a treat and we hope that this will pay forward for the attendees by saving them and their horses lots of heartache."