Exporting minis

[Charlotte]

Exports must be really picking up. More and more often we have someone contact us all worried because someone in another country wants to import a horse and the seller has never done it before. So here are some answers to some of the questions we get asked.

First, it's EASY! From the seller's point of view that is. All the seller provides is a Coggins and health paper for transport to the quarantine station here in the U.S., and the normal registration certificates, transfers, breeders certificate and a bill of sale. Sometimes we are asked to provide pictures of the horse for the destination country's documentation.

We have a list of quarantine stations in this area and we provide that to the buyer if they don't already have one they like. The quarantine station arranges the pick up of the horse at your farm and from that point on you are pretty much out of it. One suggestion...don't vaccinate for anything without clearing it with the quarantine facility as this might cause problems with the destination country.

The buyer pays all fees related to quarantine and transport unless you want to make other arrangements.

Below are some pictures from one export this year. These pictures are courtesy of Sheri Lykken, Shortview Stud, a quarantine/shipping station.

Two of our '07 foals are in this shipment. (Skipper get out of Cowboy daughters) You can see their 'suitcases' strapped on top.

If you look closely you can see that there is both front and side loading of cargo.

ready for take off

We presently have two preg mares in different quarantine stations.

Willow,

and Cinnamon

I hope this explanation makes it seem somewhat less daunting.

Charlotte

 

[crponies]

That does make it sound pretty easy from the seller's point of view, Charlotte. I am not sure I'll ever have any good enough people would want to buy them for export, but it is interesting all the same. Can you give us a ballpark figure of how much it cost to export a horse to say the UK? Are the little ones cheaper than a full-size horse?

 

[River1018]

We have sold 3 of our 07 weanlings to England (actually being picked up today to travel to isolaton) and really is not complicated as long as you have all of the needed paperwork ready to go.

 

[Miniv]

Who provides and/or how do you get the crates?

MA

 

[Charlotte]

Shipping crates are provided by the quarantine facility. As I said, once the horse leave your farm you are pretty much out of it.

I think shipment to the UK right now with the facilities I am familiar with is something around $2,500-$3,000+

 

[Becky]

I would expect more people from other countries shopping in the U.S.

I hope they do!

We've sold two overseas this year. One to the UK and one to the Netherlands. As Charlotte stated, so easy to do from this end!

 

[sfmini]

We delivered a mare to Sheri for export to Belgium when we came down for the AMHA World show. I haven't heard yet if she has left, but the process was the same. I did have to scan in her registration papers and email the image to the new owner so she could get the passport in order.

 

[Boinky]

I think this is all very facinating however i'd be SCARED to ship any of my horses to the quarantine facilities! I have a friend that lives next door to one in Texas and she said the animals are NOT well cared for at all. Not sure how she gets away with it but perhaps it's because usually the horses are shipped in and neither seller or buyer usually see's it? I'm sure not all of them are that way..but how do you know? granted once they are sold they are out of your hands..but still scary to think of one of my kids going to a place where they aren't well cared for and not treated very well!

 

[sfmini]

You can rest assured that Sheri takes very good care of the horses. I have never heard anything negative about her and the horses that I have been exported all arrived in their new homes in very good shape.

 

[Boinky]

wher is sherri located and what's her farm name? I'll have to keep that stored for future reference! I know i'd never feel comfortable knowingly sending my horses to this other person now that i have eyes on the inside and have heard what goes on there! scarey!!

 

[sfmini]

SHORTVIEW STUD FARM

Sheri & Valli Lykken

612.7669

612.PONY

[email protected]

http://www.shortviewstudfarm.com/shortviewstudfarm_001.htm

They are in Texas, not far from FT Worth.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

LOL, I'm one of the ones that wrote Charlotte and Becky in a panic! I have a stallion, of Becky's breeding, going to Germany soon. He goes to quarantine next month. I'm soooo relieved there isn't much to do on my part, I wouldn't know where to start otherwise!

 

[buckonranch]

I would like to add some information on exporting...

We have been exporting for many years, like many other farms here in the US.. I think I am feeling quite confident in many of the export quarantine stations here in the US.. there are enough to choose from now , so clients can have a choice in how they would like their horses shipped.. not all quarantine stations handle the horses in the same manner while they are in quarantine and while they are in flight. Some are shipped in hand made crates.. some are shipped in aluminum containers.. some go with a human groom to assist them during flight and some are alone during the 8-10 hour flight. So its not always just cut and dried.. how they are cared for. I do think it is very easy and a safe exerperience for the animals.. as long as everything goes as planned..

We just had a scarey experience a few weeks ago... I have always let the clients make their own arrangements on the other end to get the horses home from import....I am going to be now offering recommendations from import to their countries also... A client hired a shipper to pick up the one bred mare I sent over at the import station to bring home.. The horse had 2-3 days of travel to reach the final destination.... My client had actually made the trip to meet the horses last shipment, with this shipper.... so she felt quite confident in this person.. so she sent him alone to pick up the one mare.... this shipper first tried to pick up the horse intoxicated. at the import station...... this was not allowed.. he later went back and did take the horse from import,,, but went back to drinking and left our little bred mare in the trailer for days with other horses.. she was finally found three? days later still in the trailer.. not far from the place she was picked up.. One of the horses in the trailer had aborted their foal, but gratefully it wasnt the mare we shipped.. Unfortunately it had to happen to any horse.. Many new buyers are not familiar with horse shipping, like many in this country so they are at the mercy of inexperience.. I feel there is alot of assitance and information from the sellers and quarantine stations in this country to make this a pleasant experience but on the Europe side it could be a hostage situation.?? We will need to have our European freinds who have imported in the past compile a list of recommended shippers so a situation like this doesnt happen again... There was previous problems in the past with this same shipper.. so this could have been prevented with communication... I dont expect there will be in the future..and I am going to be checking on the transportation arrangement on the other side from now on..

Angie/buckonranch

 

[Meavey]

Angie I read your story and posted it on the Dutch forum, we where all glad your mare was found.

Is she home safe now with the new owner?

I have imported 3 horse myself, last year true Nedpoint quarantine and we where all very pleased with them.

My friend Anja imported Becky´s mare also true Nedpoint, and she arrived last tuesday.

Anja was very Happy with her Anahita Becky!

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/2203/img3093aud3.jpg

 

[Becky]

I have imported 3 horse myself, last year true Nedpoint quarantine and we where all very pleased with them.My friend Anja imported Becky´s mare also true Nedpoint, and she arrived last tuesday.

Anja was very Happy with her Anahita Becky!

Nedpoint Quarter Horses (USDA approved quarantine facility) is only about an hour south of me and I personally delivered Anahita there for quarantine for her new owner, Anja. It is a very neat, clean facility and from what I can see, I would recommend them for any overseas buyers. Thank you, Linda! I do think Anja is very happy with Anahita!

I've also had a mare shipping to the UK that went to EZ 2 Spot Ranch in TX for quarantine this past spring. I know she received excellent care there and was heavy in foal at the time. She foaled shortly after making her trip overseas and all was well due to the excellent care she received while in quarantine and on her flight.

 

[ez2spot]

Goodness. I don't know where to start! Exporting can be easy, or VERY stressful for everyone involved including the animals.

(Yes, we ARE an export facility that some of you have used) First let me talk about the horses, and how they are treated here. They are kept in large pens (20 X 24 feet) with NO MORE than 5 mini horses per pen. That's the equivalant of about a 10 X 10 stall for EACH mini. Lots of room to move around! They are always checked to see who gets along when they arrive, meaning everyone gets along well together. If they come from the same facility and know each other it's easier. If not, they are watched very closely. They are separated by age and size to assure equality at feeding time, with no "bullies" in the group. Remember, horses are "herd" animals that do best with the companionship of others. Stallions are kept separately, unless they are "weanies" that are used to being together and get comfort from each other.

We have a veterinary technician who lives on-site and works for us. We also have two other full time employees and two part time employees. We also live on-site, about fifty feet from the barns.

This ensures adequate supervision of the horses at all times. The horses are fed excellent quality grass hay and/or alfalfa hay 2-3 times per day according to the sellers' instructions. They are also fed grain once or twice a day, again, according to the sellers' instructions. We "custom feed" each horse.

We have a 60 foot roundpen IN the isolation area so that they may also be turned out for more exercise.

BE SURE that the facility you use is USDA-inspected and approved. There is a facility here in Texas that has tried to avoid this. It's a REQUIREMENT that the facility is inspected before the start of EACH isolation.

The isolation period for most countries, including the E.U., is thirty days. During this time the required veterinary testing is done, and the International Health Certificates filled out.

Be careful about those who tell you they can ship sooner than thirty days. Yes, there ARE "temporary papers" for horses going overseas for shows. That process requires that the horse be returned to the U.S. after the show. All of the people involved (seller, buyer, customs agent, etc) can be heavily penalized for falsely shipping horses with the intent to avoid the isolation, and hence the taxes. DON'T DO IT! (We won't, so don't ask us to!)

Shipping can be, as previously mentioned, in either wood crates or airline-provided aluminum containers. Using wood crates, the horse is pretty much by itself on the flight over, generally with no attendant present. This means about 12 hours for the horse to be without food or water, when you count the loading/unloading times. (We ALWAYS have an attendant present - even for crated animals, but that's not typical for most shippers!)

When shipping in the airline container there is usually (in our case ALWAYS) an attendant present for the entire trip to the destination airport. When we are on the flight we are usually in the container with the horses on takeoff and landing, and during turbulent weather. We also check them and offer them water about every two hours. Hay is present at all times. On arrival we TRY to meet the buyers ourselves, though sometimes this is not possible. We personally fly with the animals, as often as possible. If not us, it is someone from our staff who knows the animals.

From the shippers' and buyers perspective:

Once the seller and buyer have reached a purchase agreement, the easiest and most efficient thing to do is let us handle things! That is part of our job, and we try to do it well. We know how things are SUPPOSED to work, and who to contact if they don't. That does happen sometimes, though (thankfully) not often.

All we need from the seller is contact information for the buyer, a COPY of the registration papers (PLEASE, don't send the originals!), and a COPY of the bill of sale. We take it from there, contacting the buyer for information that we need from them.

That's about it, we try to make it "easy to ship". There's more information on our website, www.ez2spotranch.com.

Anyone who has more questions may contact us (yes, in confidence if needed) at: [email protected] or through our website You may also call us at (830) 665-4121 or on our "world phone" at (210) 244-3404 Overseas questions, please use the country code for the U.S.

Terry Nielsen

EZ 2 Spot Ranch Equine Isolation Facility

Bigfoot, TX

 

[Songcatcher]

This has been a great thread with lots of helpful information. Thanks for posting.

 

[lilfolks]

It sure has been a great thread for someone like me who has never shipped overseas and probably will never be confronted with that. All was very interesting.

 

[Manyspots]

Thanks so much for the pictures! It would be nice to have a list of Quarantine places too! Does anyone know if they have annual inspections or what they have to do to be a Quarantine location? Would there be federal or state inspectors issuing the liscenses? Thanks! Lavonne

 

[shadelady]

From the other perspective. We currently have three horses in quarantine with E Z 2 Spot Ranch. Terry and Dianne have been great, answering all questions and keeping us in touch with everything that is going on. They were recommended by a friend here in the UK who had used them earlier this year. I have every faith that they will be well looked after whilst they are there, and we are really looking forward to seeing them when they arrive here next month ( some Christmas present huh

) Thanks for all of the information that you have added on here Terry.