Transporting any livestock brings with it plenty of challenges, and the challenge of safely transporting horses, raises the difficulty level even further.
To be in the horse transport game, you have to be an enthusiast, and that’s exactly what Dippy is. Real name, Darryl Brusnahan, Dippy and his wife Zelda have developed a strong reputation in the world of horse transport in and out of Queensland.
On the outskirts of Toowoomba is an area populated with plenty of horse breeders and trainers. Nestled just off the Gore Highway between Toowoomba and Goondiwindi is a small yard with a few trucks parked up, the home of Dippy’s Horse Transport.
For those who deal with the equine community at this level there are a number of extra requirements which are a vital aspect of the business, which make it very different to other sectors of the industry. For the owners of these animals, they are family and need to be treated as such.
“I do about 75 per cent on my driving at night-time,” says Dippy. “It’s because it’s cooler for the horses and works for us. We don’t get many problems with sick horses, which, I believe, is caused by the heat of the day. Especially when you go somewhere like Darwin in 40 degree heat.
“The other day, I loaded out of Longreach and made it out to Camooweal, and unloaded there at 11am, when it was already 39 degrees. I loaded them up again at 6pm, it was still 37 degrees. It didn’t get down to 29 degrees until 3am in the morning, after some rain. Imagine doing that in the daytime, they would have been in 45 degree heat all day.”
When the driver is spelling the horses in a paddock, even if it is hot, they remain more comfortable, because they can walk around instead of being locked into a relatively tight stall in the truck.
Not only are customers particular about animal welfare, the horses can represent a considerable investment.
“In spring and summer, we cart mares and thoroughbred foals for stud farms around Toowoomba and in the Hunter Valley. We used to cart one old brood mare, and, her with her foal, could be worth up to $3 million. You have that sitting on your truck.
“When a driver rings you up, the first thing going through your head, as your heart starts racing, is ‘I hope everything’s alright’. When they tell you they’ve run out of fuel, it’s a relief. That’s why we build our own crates, we want to make them just right for the horses.”
The business’s customers include the horse owners or the managers of stud farms around the country. In fact, the thoroughbred industry is reckoned to provide employment for more than 75,000 people, with around 80 per cent of these jobs being in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. The economic value to the economy is estimated to exceed $5 billion per year. This equates to a large number of horses on the road, not only racehorses, but moving horses around the country for breeding purposes.
Another major part of Dippy’s business is involved in moving performance horses, those involved in campdrafting, quarter horses, and other equine specialists. The operation runs regular routes, like a weekly run to Mount Isa, and others used regularly by specialist horse owners.
The regional coverage for the business has changed in the past few years with a lot more clients from Victoria coming on board. One of the new customers liked the truck they used, saying the airflow for the horses created by the body design meant she would use them all of the time.
The period of the pandemic has created issues for anyone crossing the borders. It has meant that horse-owners have become averse to transporting their own horses and have more need to use Dippy’s service. The trade in horses has continued through the Covid era so horses still need to be moved.
This has been a period of a steep learning curve for Zelda who has had to keep herself across all of the continually changing rules when crossing borders with livestock. By keeping the communication lines open with all of the relevant authorities the operation has continued at the same capacity, but with much more paperwork, of course.
Zelda realised she was becoming an expert in the field when the Thoroughbred authorities in New South Wales phoned her up and asked her about the paperwork they needed to get some horses moved into Queensland.
