Shipping Your Horse Internationally: Start Planning Early

You’re thinking of going to Brazil next summer and are considering taking your horse along so that you can do some trail riding. Your Grand Prix dressage horse could use a tune-up from a top trainer in Germany. Or you have always dreamed of competing in one of the premier international horse trials in England and you have a horse that’s ready to fulfill that dream. If you’re serious about wanting to ship your horse to another country, you need to consider three basic things: cost, time, and paperwork.

Total cost varies by preparation requirements, type of horse, carrier, length of time in quarantine (anywhere from three to 30 days or longer), and any unexpected situations that may come up. Before the trip, you will have some expense involved in getting veterinary exams, a Coggins test, vaccinations, and other necessary certifications. Stallions and broodmares may need to be tested for contagious diseases such as equine viral arteritis. Charges by air carriers will vary as to flight schedules, stops, and trip length. You will need to pay for transporting your horse to an airport that is licensed to accept and inspect animals for exportation; care during quarantine when your horse enters another country and again when it returns home; and transportation from your entry point to wherever you are going to take your horse at your country of destination. Delays for any reason (weather, cancelled flights, horse’s illness or injury, forgotten or scrambled paperwork) may invoke other charges that you haven’t anticipated. In addition, you may want to purchase insurance for your horse before it travels (this may be required by your shipper). A trip across the Atlantic Ocean can easily cost upwards of $25,000 (US) per horse when all expenses are considered.

Time to prepare for the trip can be far longer than you might anticipate. It goes without saying that your horse must be properly conditioned, in excellent health, and of an acceptable nutritional status in time to travel. It may take several months to attain this status in some horses. Don’t wait until the last minute to schedule veterinary examinations, flight times, and ground transportation. However, some health certificates can’t be dated more than a month or so before the date of travel, so  you need to find out which tests and vaccinations can be gotten out of the way early and which ones must be done within a certain time span.

Rounding up all the paperwork can also take several months, though it may go more quickly. The country you are sending your horse to, not the one you are shipping from, is the one that will determine what documentation you will need. The easiest way to find out what another country requires is to contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian. This professional will also be able to complete some of the certifications you will need. In addition to the documents already mentioned, your horse must have an international health certificate, export and import papers, proof that USDA and customs fees have been paid, and records for any other specific health requirements listed by the country you are entering.

There are a number of companies that have years of experience in the international transport of horses, and contacting one of these firms should be done early in the course of your planning. The carrier you choose will be invaluable in arranging many details of your horse’s trip. You can learn a lot about paperwork, tests, and anything else involved in international travel because these firms have been in the business and know what is involved. Depending on the laws of the countries you are leaving and going to, your horse is likely to need an attendant that travels with him. The transporter can supply this person, but if you prefer to be your horse’s attendant, you must be certified by the transporting company before the trip. Search the  Internet for leads, or ask a trainer or veterinarian for references as to which company will be the best one to meet your horse’s needs.