When the world’s best athletes arrive in Rio for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, there is one group that requires extra special care. They are not millionaires or household names, but the organising committee has an expert team dedicated to their welfare. They are horses – more than 300 of them - who will be flown to Brazil on specially fitted airplanes for the equestrian events.

“These horses are high-performance athletes and they need to be treated in this manner. They receive the same level of service as the world’s best human athletes,” said Alex Titan, the Rio 2016 Sport Competition Manager for Eventing.

The similarities can be surprising. Horses too must check that their travel documents are valid before a trip. “A horse, like a human, has a passport,” said Titan. “These are full of important data, such as a detailed physical description, with diagrams, a list of competitions competed in and a list a vaccinations taken.”

Horse passports contain detailed physical descriptions and information about vaccines taken (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)

The horses will be flown to Brazil in airplanes with a capacity of up to 40. The planes are specially adapted to make the horses as safe and comfortable as possible. There are no movies or champagne, but the VIP passengers do receive a 24-hour supply of hay.

“Sometimes the horses need even more care than human athletes,” said Luciana Martins, one of two specialist equine vets hired by the Rio 2016 Organising Committee to help ensure the horses’ well-being during their journeys to Brazil, their time in Rio, and their return flights. “Any small injury to a horse can take them out of the competition. We work to keep them safe from contamination, make sure they get the right food and ensure they are not injured during transportation.”

The horses wear protective travelling boots and bandages on their legs during transportation. In exceptional circumstances, a horse may require medication to calm their nerves but this is not as common as one might imagine. All of these horses are not only highly experienced flyers but they are also accompanied by an expert team of professional flying grooms, team vets and selected NOC grooms.

They fly more often than most humans. Especially given that most of these top horses are based in Europe and compete in countless worldwide events.
 

The specially adapted planes can transport up to 40 horses at a time with plenty of room left for hay supplies (Photo: @Peden Bloodstock 2014)

From Rio International Airport these jet-setting horses will be taken by lorry to the National Equestrian Centre, the competition venue in the Deodoro Olympic Park, where they will stay throughout the Games. Other VIP services they require include post-competition massages and physiotherapy, and acupuncture between events.

Equestrian sport is divided into three disciplines: jumping, which will have 75 horses and 15 reserves; eventing that will have 65 horses and 11 reserves; and dressage, which will have 60 horses and 10 reserves. Add to this the 78 horses that will compete in the Paralympic equestrian competition, and the total reaches 314. Of these, 12 will belong to the Brazilian team, but even some of these will be flown in from abroad.

Each nation will bring its own team of vets and horse physiotherapists for each discipline, but the Organising Committee will provide support. “The biggest challenges we face are with accidents during competition,” said Martins. “It can be difficult to look after such large animals with the public so close by.”

Fortunately, the animal hospital at the National Equestrian Centre is being upgraded and moved to a new building, which is scheduled to be ready in 2015. Thanks to the specialists working at Rio 2016, the Usain Bolts and Michael Phelps of the animal world are in safe hands.

To see more photographs of just how these half-tonne horses are transported around the world check out the gallery below: