IrishTractor.ie

Travelling in style

21 Jul , 2015

Animal welfare has become a more important feature in our lives as changes to legislation ensure that they are treated properly.

This applies to the transportation of animals as well. Gone are the days when animals would be squashed into a trailer and maybe not fed or watered until the reach their destination, which in some cases could take a day or two.
The transportation of horses is a specialised trade and one that takes great experience and ingenuity to carry out to the highest standard.
However, there are few that can rival the service provided by Ballinroe International Horse Transport who have been supplying a top quality service to their customers for 24 years now.
Situated in Templemore, Co Tipperary, the experience that Ballinroe International Horse Transport means they are unrivalled in their field of expertise.
For many years, Tony Keane plied his trade as a successful horse trainer and during this time he saw the need for an efficient transport system exclusively for the movement of horses and in particular a bigger fleet than the small transporters that were common place in Ireland during that time.
So in 1990, he decided to set up his own business and from there the company has gone from strength to strength over the intervening years.
With his extensive knowledge of horses, Tony knew what his customers wanted and he able to provide this as he begun to build the fleet. These days, Ballinroe has an extensive range of Mercedes-Benz horse transportation vehicles that are equipped to provide maximum safety and comfort for horses.
In 1999, Tony’s son Patrick came on board the family business and having previously worked with the National Stud, he too brought a wealth of experience to the business.
For this month’s edition of Irish Trucker, we profile the Tipperary based company and speak to Patrick about the services that they provide.
“When my father first set up the business, there was no big fleets doing this sort of work. You would have smaller operators, but they could only transport a few horses at a time,” said Patrick.
“We now have 13 trucks on the road, all of which are Mercedes which transport horses throughout Ireland, the UK and France mainly. “We would have a large customer base at this stage and whether we would be transporting to and from sales, race meetings or general movement, we ensure that all the horses will be looked after and properly treated.”
Safety is the key issue for Ballinroe International Horse Transport and through their many years’ experience, the Keane family know what it takes to deliver the proper service.
“Our family has been dealing with horses for generations now and we know what’s needed when transporting them. Our top of the range fleet caters solely for carrying horses and all of our trucks and trailers are of the highest spec.
“The drivers and grooms are all experienced in dealing with horses and they know how to treat them properly. We place great trust in our staff and they do a great job.”
As stated, Ballinroe’s fleet comprises of Mercedes trucks, while they also have a range of Renault Master vans, but makes that they find suit their needs best.
“We have always dealt with Mercedes Trucks as we find them to be the most reliable and comfortable, while the Renault Master vans work well for us too. We would upgrade the fleet on an annual basis and they trailers are built to the highest specifications.”
With the safety and comfort of the horses in mind, each truck is fitted with advanced air suspension systems for a smoother ride and to ensure the maximum comfort for horses in transit. Air suspension also makes loading and unloading much easier as the height of the truck can be lowered making the ramps very low to the ground and more inviting for your horse to load. Non slip rubber floors and ramps as well as Rear and side loading ramps are included. Adjustable stalls and Partitions are in place as is CCTV cameras on board all trucks. There are fans and temperature gauges on board all trucks so we can adjust the temperature in transit.
“We work with all the main stud farms in the country and we can transport from one horse to eleven, which allows to take on any job.”
Following the delivery of horses to its destination, each vehicle is then power-washed and disinfected after every journey in order to meet the hygiene standards required.
Ballinroe also offering stabling facilities at their premises in Templemore and whether it be before a journey or on their way back, they have the capacity to house a number of horses. The stable facilities consists of large, comfortable and clean stables, vast paddocks with top quality grazing facilities and modern internal and external horse walkers.
All facilities have been designed to the most up-to-date standards in the horse industry. Ballinroe implements strict health and safety polices to ensure that all facilities are cleaned regularly and completely disinfected after each horse.
With 24 years’ experience in the industry, Ballinroe’s reputation for providing a top quality, reliable and efficient service precedes them.
“We are kept busy all year round. From January to July, we would be busy moving mares, while the rest of year, we would be generally transporting yearlings.
“A lot of hard work and investment has gone into the business over the years and we will continue to do that in order to maintain the standards that our customers expect from us.”