# After much searching and all the wonderful help I got one!!!!



## BunnyDog (2 February 2018)

I found a lovely horse in England and today he's hit the road on his way to the USA. 

His flight to America is on Wednesday and I'll get to meet him a week from tomorrow. 

I am beyond excited and it's kind of funny since the few English friends I have talked to were surprised that I was so gaga over this horse. My American friends who know (Keeping it quiet here since so much could still go wrong) are just falling over themselves saying how amazing he is. I guess it's all in what you're used to. 

I am including a short video so you can see him. His seller/owner is riding him. Oh and I bought the saddle also as it's custom to him. 

https://youtu.be/lQWsBwNlGFQ

Since it's colder than normal here I am going to board him at a farm near mine with an indoor for the first six weeks or so. Actually, if you know American eventers at all, he'll be at Phillip Dutton's home base. Phillip is down south and the folks that rent his place for the winter are lovely.

So that's what I know. We're going to start with dressage work initially and some gymnastics and are eyeing emerging onto the US shows sometime in later March or April depending on our weather. 

Many thanks to all who have helped and I promise to give updates if you'd like. 

Emily


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## alainax (2 February 2018)

Congratulations! He looks very floaty! Good luck to you both!


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## HeresHoping (2 February 2018)

Yay, he passed! May you and Cudo have many wonderful years together, Emily. He really does look a cracker.


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## Wheels (2 February 2018)

Congratulations, he's a beaut


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## shirl62 (2 February 2018)

You must be bursting with excitement...He is lovely. Hope everything goes smoothly with his journey.

Shirl


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## ycbm (2 February 2018)

Just how easy does he make that look?!?!  Nice one Emily, have fun.


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## Nicnac (2 February 2018)

He's lovely. Happy riding and hope he travels well.


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## D66 (2 February 2018)

Looking forward to the updates already.  He looks FAB.


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## ihatework (2 February 2018)

Congrats! He looks lovely


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## BunnyDog (2 February 2018)

Oh sorry forgot to give his details. 

He's an 11 yr old 16.3 + Hanoverian gelding. His name is "El Cuador" and he's been based and showing around Sunderland and points north. 

He's by Escudo I and out of "Sly Kid II" who is a Calypso II mare. 

He competed through Foxhunters and as you can see on the video, thinks that 1.35 is not an issue. LOL

His owner imported him from Holland as a 7 yr old dressage horse. I did however send an email to the Dutch federation asking for any records. He had only shown in jumpers as a 5 yr old (in Holland) and not competed in dressage in their databases. I also checked with Germany and found nothing. 

So little bit of quiet mystery behind him so we vetted him a bit more aggressively and he came through it fine. 

He's on the van to Dover and should be arriving in the next hour and change. He'll be there until Monday, then ferry to France and lorry to Amsterdam. He'll be there until Weds and then fly to the states. 


I am dying to have him here!!!!! 

Emily


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## VRIN (2 February 2018)

Hope you have a wonderful time with him. Looks very nice.


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## EventingMum (2 February 2018)

Lovely, I hope he travels well - what a trek for him!


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## Bernster (2 February 2018)

Ooh fantastic. He looks like a superstar. So excited for you. Have fun and look forward to hearing how you get on. Lots of updates please &#128512;&#128512;&#128512;


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## ycbm (2 February 2018)

BunnyDog said:



			He's on the van to Dover and should be arriving in the next hour and change. He'll be there until Monday, then ferry to France and lorry to Amsterdam. He'll be there until Weds and then fly to the states. 


I am dying to have him here!!!!! 

Emily
		
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Is there a reason why he isn't flying from Stanstead  in the UK Emily? The horse of mine that was exported went that way. 

If you plan on doing hunters with him, he's really got the rhythm and style for it, hasnt he?


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## ester (2 February 2018)

Oh he's smooth!


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## BunnyDog (2 February 2018)

ycbm said:



			Is there a reason why he isn't flying from Stanstead  in the UK Emily? The horse of mine that was exported went that way. 

If you plan on doing hunters with him, he's really got the rhythm and style for it, hasnt he?
		
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He's actually doing jumpers with me.* Hunters are the one thing that frankly I suck at and do not have the right trainer, saddle or bank account to succeed in. (*- ideally anyway.... but it's a horse... is anything ever guaranteed from planning to end game?  )

To fly to the US all the airlines are now going out of either Belgium or Holland. I got 6 different company quotes and all were on these routes. When I was looking at Irish horses I got as far as an Irish horse could in theory fly direct to Chicago (18 hours by road from me) or they might be able to fly to Belgium and then land and then re-board and go to NYC. That was going to cost a lot more. 

Poor Cudo almost was being picked up Weds for 2 nights in Manchester, then to Dover, then to Holland. Thankfully they swapped to his pickup today. 

As of this afternoon he is safely tucked in to his stall in Dover and supposedly doing well. 


Emily


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## BunnyDog (2 February 2018)

Whoops. Duplicated.


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## ILuvCowparsely (2 February 2018)

ycbm said:



			Is there a reason why he isn't flying from Stanstead  in the UK Emily? The horse of mine that was exported went that way. 

If you plan on doing hunters with him, he's really got the rhythm and style for it, hasnt he?
		
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Might be the cost - as  a livery horse  came from Bermuda to Chicago for quarantine then it flew Amsterdam from the USA  then travelled by horse box to UK, through France and across to UK.  It was cheaper that way so I imagine it is the same the other way round.  As it went the long way round the world as it had something to do with  time zone and airspace


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## McFluff (2 February 2018)

He makes it look so easy. Hope you have many happy years together.


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## PapaverFollis (3 February 2018)

He looks lovely!  Bless him, going on his big adventure to his new home!  I hope he arrives with you safe and sound and is everything you are wanting him to be.


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## silv (3 February 2018)

Great find!  Hope the journey goes smoothly, look forward to lots of updates.  How exciting for you.


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## Goldenstar (3 February 2018)

So glad he was the one .
I wish only good things with him.


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## Blixen Vixen (3 February 2018)

Oh so did you buy this guy without trying him yourself?

He looks lovely so best of luck with him!


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## BunnyDog (3 February 2018)

Blixen Vixen said:



			Oh so did you buy this guy without trying him yourself?

He looks lovely so best of luck with him!
		
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Yes. I did have a friend who I trust and know very well who lived an hour away so she went and rode him for me and gave me a full rundown. 

I have been doing this for a while (I'm 46) and though a warmblood is a new twist, I have regularly bought horses off the track (without a test ride) and brought them up the levels teaching them myself. I might be wrong but I think I can handle starting from scratch with a horse who already knows the job. I'm sure I'll have to learn where the buttons are but this is true of any new horse. And Cudo's brain is so amazing I'm really not that worried.

Emily


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## DabDab (3 February 2018)

Oh he is lovely, I really really like him. He looks like he has been beautifully produced too. Good choice, I'm not surprised you're excited 

Please come back and post updates with him


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## Lyle (4 February 2018)

Brilliant horse, he looks so honest! Hope he travels beautifully, and enjoys his new home!


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## katastrophykat (4 February 2018)

I thought he looked familiar- he was about 5 miles from me! The family run an equestrian centre so he&#8217;ll be used to busy environments, and I know he&#8217;s been shown on the flat as well. Good luck with him! X


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## BunnyDog (4 February 2018)

katastrophykat said:



			I thought he looked familiar- he was about 5 miles from me! The family run an equestrian centre so he&#8217;ll be used to busy environments, and I know he&#8217;s been shown on the flat as well. Good luck with him! X
		
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Lauren and her family are truly lovely people.  So glad to have found them and Cudo.  Amazing what following 1 picture on Facebook can do!

Emily


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## Orangehorse (4 February 2018)

Looks lovely, have lots of fun.


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## Four Seasons (5 February 2018)

He's lovely! Jumps with such ease, looks like a nice ride. Congrats


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## PapaverFollis (5 February 2018)

How's Cudo getting on on his travels?  Do we need a "where's Cudo?" thread.


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## BunnyDog (5 February 2018)

OK so right now... (Checks email, does math) Ok so literally if the Ferry was on time with everything (Ferry service twitter account says it is on time) they should be arriving in Calais France right now (4:50pm). 

Figure unload and then head to the horse hotel in Amsterdam which I understand is about a 3 hr and 36 min ship in the lorry. Figure 4 hours to be safe. So in English time he should be there by 9 pm tonight. Give or take. 

He'll rest at the hotel until Wednesday and then will head to the airport around midday for a 5pm flight. He'll arrive in New York around 8pm (our time) and then head to Newburgh quarantine until Saturday. 

Here are some pics I was sent today of him at Dover before he left this am.

https://flic.kr/p/ErpwKV

https://flic.kr/p/Erpwpp

Emily


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## PapaverFollis (5 February 2018)

He's so cute.


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## BunnyDog (5 February 2018)

PapaverFollis said:



 He's so cute.
		
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That's entirely why I bought him.  Great brain and great part in his forelock. 

Em


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## BunnyDog (6 February 2018)

Cudo made it to the Amstel Horse Hotel in Amsterdam. 

Doing well and relaxing. 

I have to say I love that these transportation folks are happy and willing to reply to my emails and send pics of dear Cudo in all these weird places. 

Cheers to Equijet, Equine Travel Agency and the Amstel horse staff for making this journey a whole lot easier for me as well as Cudo

Em

Pics from today

https://flic.kr/p/KaU8hn

https://flic.kr/p/KaU8dp

https://flic.kr/p/KaU88V


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## PapaverFollis (6 February 2018)

nice cosy bed for Cudo.  Hope he has a nice rest before his big jump across the sea.


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## I.M.N. (7 February 2018)

I don't know how you're coping with this. I struggle when it's only a few days of waiting to pick a new horse up! I would have burst with excitement by now, especially with how lovely Cudo looks.


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## BunnyDog (7 February 2018)

I.M.N. said:



			I don't know how you're coping with this. I struggle when it's only a few days of waiting to pick a new horse up! I would have burst with excitement by now, especially with how lovely Cudo looks.
		
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LOL  

Frankly, I am not handling it at all well. I figure that it's a sign that both Lauren (his seller) and myself have the same mantra for life... "What will be will be."

For those who are interested he will be departing on the plane at 4:30pm English time, give or take. He'll land in New York around 7:30pm and then they have to unload and ship to the quarantine facility which takes another 2 hours roughly. 

So by the time I go to bed tonight he should be safely tucked into his stall in New York. 

And by then hopefully I am going to be able to sleep a bit better. 

Em




Here's the flight tracker so you can see him progress across the ocean:


https://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/KLM643


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## Cloball (7 February 2018)

Bon voyage Cudo


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## [59668] (7 February 2018)

I love this thread!  Safe travels Cudo!!!


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## BunnyDog (7 February 2018)

I wish I had more news... Flight departure has been delayed. We are waiting for modern technology to kick in at some point and let us know where the plane, the horses (including Cudo) and the passengers are. 

Not up on Flight aware. Is (according my father's pilot available websites and apps) no longer at the gate. Last he heard they were in line to take off and on the run way. Nothing is on the radar as being in the air. 

So now we wait. 

Em


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## PapaverFollis (7 February 2018)

I was checking the flight tracker to see if he was flying and wondering whether there was a delay or if the tech was just not working.  Hopefully he's all happy in his stall and will be on his way soon.


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## BunnyDog (7 February 2018)

**UPDATE**

What we know at this moment (6:38p England time) is that they did leave the gate, taxied out and for some reasons came back to the gate. Last update is that they still plan on flying. When is unknown. What caused the issue is unknown. What we do know is that he's still on the ground and is safe among the folks who are experienced at handling horses in the process of being flown and such. 

I think we all have been on delayed flights before and sitting on a plane sucks but being safe to fly is the biggest thing. So whether it's Cudo or the family in row 12, it's best to hunker down and do our best to allow those in command to do all they need to feel safe to fly.

(Helps having a parent who was a pilot)

Emily


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## BunnyDog (7 February 2018)

HE'S IN THE AIR NOW!!!!!!!

WOOO HOOOO

Emily


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## EventingMum (7 February 2018)

Safe flight Cudo!


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## Pinkvboots (7 February 2018)

bless him I bet you can't wait until he lands


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## BunnyDog (7 February 2018)

Sadly here's his timeline. 

He'll arrive now at 10:47pm

Figure it takes a while to unload the horses.

then he has to be taken out of the plane container and loaded onto a van (Lorry) to then drive 2 hours up to the quarantine facility. 

Sooooo  he's probably not getting to a nice cushy stall until around 7 am (Amsterdam) his time, figure 1 am or later here. Good thing is he loves to lie down and sleep. I am hoping he does a lot of that. 

Em


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## PapaverFollis (7 February 2018)

Yay! Safe flight, Cudo!


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## BunnyDog (8 February 2018)

He's on the ground!!!

Now... to unload from the plane and get on a van and drive 2 hours. 

Emily


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## PapaverFollis (8 February 2018)

I hope Cudo is all safely tucked up in his quarantine stable now, hopefully having a nice nap!


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## meleeka (8 February 2018)

Im hoping hes arrived safely. Photos in his new surroundings are a must!

Can I ask why you imported from the UK to USA? There must be an awful lot of good warmbloods between here and there that would have reduced the costs significantly? Just being nosey really


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## dominobrown (8 February 2018)

Please keep updating this thread. Looking forward to photos of him settled in at his new home! Poor thing will be exhausted. 
Lols like a lively horse. Have fun with him!


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## BunnyDog (8 February 2018)

meleeka said:



			I&#8217;m hoping he&#8217;s arrived safely. Photos in his new surroundings are a must!

Can I ask why you imported from the UK to USA? There must be an awful lot of good warmbloods between here and there that would have reduced the costs significantly? Just being nosey really 

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It's really easy to explain with this simple task.  Go to www.bigeq.com

Search 11 yr gelding doing 1.20 meters and look at the prices.  

I love Cudo to bits for who he is and how he jumps but a huge reason I imported was because of how crazy the pricing is here.  

I needed a partner to help me learn and I didn't want something over 15 who's likely had too many injections along the way.  Cudo is in great health doing his job and hasn't been injected.  Exactly what I wanted.  

Emily


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## meleeka (8 February 2018)

BunnyDog said:



			It's really easy to explain with this simple task.  Go to www.bigeq.com

Search 11 yr gelding doing 1.20 meters and look at the prices.  

I love Cudo to bits for who he is and how he jumps but a huge reason I imported was because of how crazy the pricing is here.  

I needed a partner to help me learn and I didn't want something over 15 who's likely had too many injections along the way.  Cudo is in great health doing his job and hasn't been injected.  Exactly what I wanted.  

Emily
		
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Wowzers that is crazy!!  I can see now why you imported. The cost of that doesnt seem a lot when you look at those prices.


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## BunnyDog (8 February 2018)

meleeka said:



			Wowzers that is crazy!!  I can see now why you imported. The cost of that doesn&#8217;t seem a lot when you look at those prices.
		
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And you have to figure... even with all the traveling I've described his price for shipping alone was $7900 or 5633 pounds. Not exactly a break the bank number. 

So I got a quality horse who has the experience, who is attractive, tall and a great mover/jumper. By all accounts once he recovers from travel and starts showing again he's instantly worth nearly double what I paid including shipping. If he goes out and does well it goes up. 

Now I am not buying him to sell. I am buying to invest in my own education for years but if the worst happens to me in my life, the invested funds are protected and my family would have a way to not have to face huge loses. 

Here is the pic they sent me last night late. I think he is only not wearing a rug for and boots for identification purposes. At least I hope those things were put back on once the images were taken. 

https://flic.kr/p/23681mS

Emily


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## meleeka (8 February 2018)

It sounds like a good idea for a new business, now youve done it once


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## BunnyDog (8 February 2018)

Nope. Everyone is doing it. That's why I just did it by myself, for myself. I found exactly what I had hoped; a private seller very similar to myself who was able to speak about her experiences with the horse and give me a good feel for him without comissions and dealers and other factors that tend to limit the full story and the truth. 

Plus the travel component has been very hard to sit here waiting through. And beyond that I am insanely picky. I don't know that I could hit gold twice. 

And ideally I'd like to downsize my herd a bit. I have 2 for sale, 1 for lease, 1 retired and 1 laid up. It'd be easier with 3. 


Em


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## dominobrown (8 February 2018)

I am moving to America....whats the market for nice 14.2hh connemara jumping ponies like?!


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## claracanter (9 February 2018)

He's gorgeous and has the most lovely expression on his friend even though he must be wondering where the hell he is and what's going on? When does he arrive with you? Can't wait to see a photo of you two together. It must be so exciting tracking him travelling to his new home.


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## j1ffy (9 February 2018)

He has such a sweet face - I'm sure you're going to have a tonne of fun with him! Fingers crossed quarantine goes smoothly.


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## BunnyDog (9 February 2018)

Connemara's here run the gamut. Typically the market for anything under 15 hands is low UNLESS you're talking about doing Pony jumpers or hunters. Then the prices are higher. But event ponies have a semi low resale value. Imported Connies though still cost real money as they are imported. 


Thanks everyone. I keep hearing he's doing well. We'll pick him up tomorrow around 10am and then it's a relatively short 3.5 hr drive home to the yard where he'll live for the first 6 weeks or so. This is all contingent that his blood results today at the lab are ok. They were at the German lab but you do worry. 

I might take him for a stroll in the indoor tomorrow late afternoon. I think he needs to stretch his legs and though it's supposed to rain we do have an indoor and an outside fitness/gallop track with prepared footing. So I'm of the mindset than unless he's totally sacked, we will hack a bit to get him back into a routine. 

He'll get his first turnout Sunday am. 

Itching to get there, but I appreciate we can't rush the process. 

Em


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## BunnyDog (9 February 2018)

Almost forgot the pic of him in USA quarantine yesterday Am. 

https://flic.kr/p/237N3sm



Em


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## PapaverFollis (9 February 2018)

Aww, he looked so tired on the lorry - but looking perkier in quarantine.  It's great that they are keeping you informed and sending pictures.  I'm excited for you getting him home!  I just find the idea of transporting horses such a distance amazing, I freak out slightly taking mine on a 20 minute trailer ride. :lol:


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## BunnyDog (9 February 2018)

PapaverFollis said:



			Aww, he looked so tired on the lorry - but looking perkier in quarantine.  It's great that they are keeping you informed and sending pictures.  I'm excited for you getting him home!  I just find the idea of transporting horses such a distance amazing, I freak out slightly taking mine on a 20 minute trailer ride. :lol:
		
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Well today we calculated all the toll money for the round trip with the trailer to get him and made sure to put it on the Toll reader block that scans. ($88 or so) 3.5 hours isn't so bad but it helps that John and my friend will be along for the ride. John will likely drive as it doesn't bother him as much. 

We're going to check all the tires on the truck and trailer tonight and make sure he has a clean fluffy stall, lots of fresh hay for the ride home and clean water and lots of blankets to choose from. (We have odd weather tomorrow). 

We have a camera in the truck to see in the trailer so that's going to be tested tonight also to ensure it's working and good as well. 

Since it is different here you can see my trailer here: http://s103.photobucket.com/user/Xctrygirl/library/Beluga - Adam 2008 2 plus 1 Trailer?sort=3&page=1

We have a different/bigger truck pulling it now. You'll see pics of that tomorrow once we get there. We are going to try and video when I meet him. The thought alone makes me tear up and flinch so expect real tears tomorrow. 

Em


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## Northern Hare (9 February 2018)

Hi BD - so pleased you have found such a superstar - I bet you can&#8217;t wait to meet him &#8220;in person&#8221;, but wishing you lots of luck with him once he&#8217;s settled in with you!


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