Canadian border

[tiny zebra]

What happened to the transportation forum? I have a person that is looking at buying a horse from me here in AZ. She lives in Canada. What is involved with taking American horses into Canada? Does anyone know of a transporter that can/will cross the border? It's Saturday so can't call the state vet and I am curious to know before Monday.

Stacy

 

[Amy]

:aktion033: You must have a current coggins plus INTERNATIONALS health papers (different than ones from state to state). You will also need ot have your Bill Of Sale as well. -- tax is charged at the border when they enter Canada.

We will be bringing home one next week from Michigan-- the seller has the paperwork all back & ready so we just have to go pick him up & come through Customs & declare him & pay the taxes on him and we are home again.

If the paperwork is done properly you have no trouble at all bringing a horse through. We have brought several home-- we always do our own-- we would never trust someone else to transport our horses.

It has often meant 2 trips for we do not buy sight unseen either.

: However, this time we had already seen the horse so we just phoned & bought him -- AND a BIG plus -- we know the people we are buying from -- have shown with Walt & Fran Filipowicz for years & have become friends so that makes a nice difference as well.

Good luck-- should not have any trouble if you have the paperwork ready-- I do not know if it is the same in every state but we have brought home from Illinois, Ohio, Indiana & Michigan with those 2 required documents

 

[Reble]

Good Luck Amy, yes I agree with the paperwork.

Ok in my experience most transporters do not like to come over the border, ( I was told ) would like to meet you on the U.S. side.

We went and picked up our little guy in our Van, just love to tell the story, hope you don't mind.

At the Canadian border, asked what we had to declare, only a miniature horse, where's your trailer?

Nope in the back here of our Van. Also have our poodle dog.

Sent us over to the building 3 guys came out with gloves on, not sure what they where expecting to do.

:

Handed them our paper work which was the USDA papers. and health certificate for our dog.

Asked us to go to the front of the van with all of our money & purse and open all doors to the van.

Thanks goodness my dog just layed there. Felt like a criminal.

Looking at the horse from the rear, smiling at each other and looking at the paperwork had no ideal what they where looking at, the only question was asked, how many times has he been across the border, excuse me I said, he is only 5 months and just bought him for our breeding program.

Ok here is your paper work you can go on. Don't you need to keep a copy of the USDA paper work, no go ahead. Around this way.

:

Did not look at our birth certificates, or ask us anything about us, short and easy. Sorry but we could have smuggled anything back into Canada.

Going over to the states they looked at dog health papers, took my dog food, (no meat, vegetables or fruit allowed. ) Looked at our birth certificates, asked a few questions. A way we went.

Oh yes, and did not pay any taxes.

Hope this helps. Easy to pick up at the border themselves and much cheaper.

:

 

[mmmorgans]

We have purchased many horses from the US and transported them ourselves into Canada. Negative coggins, international health certificate (that is only good for 30 days) and the bill of sale is all that is needed when you are transporting your own purchased horse(s). However, I would call Canada Customs and find out about a transporter bringing the horse across from the US to Canada - there may be other things that need to be done - for instance a vet check at the border. GST is charged on the value of the horse - usually determined by the bill of sale (they will convert the US $ to Canadian and charge GST on the Canadian value).

When we took a mini mare from Canada to the US for breeding - no problem. However, we sold a Morgan gelding to a lady in California and offered to transport the horse across into the US because transport companies are reluctant to deal with the border. Well - good reason!!!!! Even though we were the breeder, owner, and seller of this gelding - and transporting him in our own trailer - we had to get a Customs Broker, we had to register as a transporter and have special bar code labels made up that were used on the export papers. Also - we had to have a brand inspector examine the horse for brands (which he didn't have any) and give us a brand inspection certificate. We also had to have a vet inspection at the border - even though we had all of the necessary vet papers with us. It was somewhat of a hassle - but I did my homework ahead of time and had everything in order - appointment with the vet - the whole works. The vet however decided to make us wait for 2 1/2 hours while he cleared truck loads of pigs and cattle - so that was not very nice to experience - we had an appointment and everything - he was just rather rude!!!!!!!!

So - do your homework about transporting into Canada - in case the rules are like transporting into the US.

If the purchaser could meet a transporter on the US side and bring the horse across the border himself - I know it would save a lot of headache!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Last year a Canadian purchased a weanling mini from the US and asked another breeder to bring the horse to Canada (the breeder was down in the area at some shows). Apparently there was trouble at the border because the weanling was not sold to this breeder - but to someone else. A major holdup at the border happened!!!!!!

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Do you get an international health cert from your regular vet? Or does it have to be state vet? Or something the regular vet has to get their hands on in advance?

Also, don't forget things that the more western states require, in addition to the ones already mentioned. In Montana you need your Travel Permit (apparently you need a special form to enter or leave the state with a horse), plus brand inspection paperwork for most western states. All of those papers also expire in 30 days or less, unless you have perminent travel cards instead of brand inspections (not the same as the Montana permit). Confused yet?

 

[Mona]

Nathan, the papers needed is a "Permanent Export to Canada". It is on a USDA Form 17-145. This is basically a health paper and export in one. The horse must be inspected(for health) by the vet, and then the vet sends it off to a federal vet branch in that state, along with the current negatives coggins report, and the federal vet must sign the paperwork and is then sent back to the person's vet. The vet then either sends to the owner or the owner picks up at the office.

 

[Minimor]

P.S. Last year a Canadian purchased a weanling mini from the US and asked another breeder to bring the horse to Canada (the breeder was down in the area at some shows). Apparently there was trouble at the border because the weanling was not sold to this breeder - but to someone else. A major holdup at the border happened!!!!!!

Yes, if you buy a horse in the US & have it hauled home by a friend, if the hauler is not a commercial hauler with proper paperwork/permits for hauling horses for a 3rd party then you must go to the border to meet the trailer. That way you are there to sign your own paperwork/pay your own taxes, and there's no hassle at all.
As mentioned, it is a major hassle to haul horses from Canada to the US for permanent export. Again, you cannot just send a horse across with a friend any more--you've pretty much got to do the hauling yourself, or use a commercial transporter that is properly licensed for hauling into the US.

I know of one that makes regular trips into the US, and she is set up for Minis, but I don't know as she does any route that includes Arizona--she does haul Ontario to Kentucky quite often. IHT can arrange transport from the US but I suspect they won't haul Minis.

 

[Joyce]

Worley's go over the border on many of their trips into Canada, send them an email.

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