Q&A with IRT Senior Groom Hiro

How did you become involved with Horse Transport and IRT?

I started off working for IRT in 2006 at the Sydney Eastern Creek Quaratine Station as a groom which I did for almost two years. In addition to this I was grooming on flights under the supervision of Senior Grooms where I developed my skills before becoming a full time flying groom.

What is the best thing about your job?

All the opportunities to meet wonderful horses and people as well as visiting cities all over the world.

Describe a general week on the job?

Monday - I go into the office to get the details of this week's flight by communicating with the flight manager of the Melbourne office.

Tuesday - Fly out of Melbourne on the passenger flight to Los Angeles.

Wednesday - Meet our IRT Los Angeles manager to plan the details of the load.

Thursday - Head to LAX airport and meet the horses. The horse are then loaded and we depart LAX on a cargo plane. We stop over at Honolulu for refueling of the plaen and onwards to Sydney.

Friday - Arrive at Sydney International airport and unload the horses. I then catch a passenger plane back home to Melbourne.

What is something people might not know about flying horses around the world?

When we fly horses on cargo planes we keep close communication with the captain and other crew members. This allows us to be able to discuss details about the flight with our VIP's (horses) onboard. We can request the desired temperature on the cargo deck for the horses and have frequent access to this area during the flight for their safety.

We also share a space in the small cabin just behind the cockpit with the crew members where we cook our own meals and are standing by for our horses.

Who is the most famous horse your have flown with?

I have flown a lot of famous horses including our London Olympic horses and a few past Melbourne Cup winners. However the most famous horse would have to be Black Caviar.

Which horse would you like to fly with?

I don't have any specific horse at the moment but I would really love to get involved with the 2016 Rio Olympic horses and hoping that I can help the Australian Equestrian Team in their success.