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How are 325 horses getting to the Tokyo Olympics?

AskWaves explains the logistics behind this major equestrian event

A horse competes in the Dressage event at the European Championships in July 2021 (Photo: Flickr/Fédération Equestre Internationale)

The Olympic Games will begin in one week in Tokyo – a year behind schedule because of the COVID pandemic. One of the 46 sports on display will be equestrian, which is divided into three disciplines: dressage, which highlights the elegant ballet-like moves of the horse and rider, jumping and a triathlon of sorts that includes the first two disciplines plus a cross-country test.

Getting the equestrian teams and all their equipment to the Olympic Games is an enormous undertaking and the air cargo industry plays a critical role.

A total of 325 horses will be flown to Tokyo for the Olympics and the Paralympics, according to the International Equestrian Federation. The logistics is being coordinated by Peden Bloodstock, which has been doing this work since 1960 and works closely with airlines. 

The cargo division of Dubai-based Emirates is operating eight charter flights on Boeing 777 freighters to fly 247 horses from Liege, Belgium, to Tokyo. The first flight with 36 dressage horses landed Thursday at Haneda airport in Tokyo. 


Emirates SkyCargo is flying 131 specially designed horse stalls in the large 777s to keep the horses comfortable during their journey. There are two horses per flying stable, which is their version of business class. In addition, 59 grooms will fly with the horses on the eight flights to ensure they are well cared for, fed and watered during the journey, which includes a brief stopover in Dubai. 

Emirates will transport 20 tons of inflight food and drink for the horses along with 100 tons of special equipment.

Horses travel with passports, just like humans. They will already have undergone a 60-day health surveillance period prior to a seven-day pre-export quarantine. They also have an export health certificate and are thoroughly checked over by veterinarians prior to boarding.

A convoy of 11 air-conditioned horse trucks, owned by the Japanese Racing Association, transported the first shipment of four-legged cargo  –  and 29,800 pounds of equipment – on the final leg from the airport to the equestrian venue, the International Equestrian Federation said.


Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

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Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He won Environmental Journalist of the Year from the Seahorse Freight Association in 2014 and was the group's 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. In December 2022, he was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist by the Seahorse Freight Association. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at [email protected]