TRANSPORTING horses around Europe and the world requires a high level of skill and care. George Mullins International Transport is based in Co Carlow and have been established since 1988. They are renowned as one of Ireland’s premier equine transportation companies, with a fleet of 13 vehicles George Mullins Transport operates from Ireland, transporting to and from the UK, Europe and beyond.

Speaking to The Irish Field, George Mullins said:

“We pride ourselves on being one of the largest, most reliable international horse transporters with top class facilities both at home and on the road.”

The most direct route is taken for all journeys and each horse is cared for by drivers who are experienced horsemen and women. All drivers with George Mullins Transport hold a certificate of competence in equine transport.

Speaking about the different options available, Mullins said: “We offer both shared and private loads taking advantage of our range of overseas top class facilities when hitting Europe several times a week with more regular journeys to the UK.

“Offering a professional service from collection to hand over in all cases, to include in more recent years a carefully planned journey to both the east and west coast of the United States,” he added.

All vehicles used by George Mullins Transport are certified by the Department of Agriculture. All of the trucks are fresh and immaculately maintained. They are regularly serviced by main dealers to guarantee no downtime.

The safety of all horses being transported is of the upmost importance and all George Mullins trucks are fitted with CCTV and are temperature controlled. This makes travelling across Europe, through different climates, a lot more comfortable and less strenuous for horses. After each trip, trucks are disinfected and hot-washed.

TRANSPORTING IRISH TEAMS

George Mullins Transport have been involved in transporting a number of the underage Irish eventing and show jumping teams for the last number of years. Their highly trained drivers are so much more than drivers, they become an invaluable member of the back-up team involved at European Championships and always have an indepth knowledge of what is required.

Teams travel with all of their equipment and supplies for championships which takes up a huge amount of room. In order to make sure the horses have a comfortable journey, a drag trailer is often towed behind the lorry to carry additional feed and equipment.

George Mullins Transport communicate with the Department of Agriculture and DEFRA when preparing export health certificates for horses making international trips – be it to new destinations or FEI shows.

The services offered by George Mullins Transport cover all aspects of the industry and they are very involved in both thoroughbred and sport horse sales.

Mullins explained: “We look after many sales and have offices in Goffs, Tattersalls Ireland, Tattersalls Newmarket and Deauville with representatives present during sale days, we also cover the sport horse regular and high performance schedule.”

If you are considering transporting a horse in Europe or further afield, the office staff at George Mullins Transport are happy to help you plan the journey. They offer professional advice to all levels on the equestrian circuit to help make the transportation of your horse an easy and straightforward experience.