led US Equestrian to go a different route. Instead of scheduling direct flights from the US to Tokyo, which were few and far between and even more expensive than usual, the team divided the trip into two legs. First, this spring, the US-based horses traveled to Liège, Belgium, to quarantine, rest, and train. From there, they were able to share flights with other Europe-based teams in order to reach Tokyo.
This type of travel requires several steps and modes of transportation. Initially, horses are transported by horse trailer from their stables to the airport, where they undergo veterinary checks to ensure they're cleared to fly. At that point, they're taken for a long walk before the flight. Once they're at the loading area of the airport, they're checked again, then loaded onto their stalls on the plane.
After arrival, they go through another series of checks and eventually are transported to the Olympic stables, where they are trained and taken care of leading up to their events. Transporting Olympic horses is a massive undertaking, to say the least, but it's all about making sure that they're in the best shape possible, like any other athletes, ahead of