Buying a horse abroad: delivery and transport checklist
Bought a horse in Germany, the Netherlands or Ireland? How to arrange safe delivery, paperwork, post-purchase exam and insurance from signing to stable.
Before you sign: confirm the transport window
Ask the seller when the horse can physically leave — vaccinations up to date, passport in the seller's name, FEI chip verified. Delivery delays of 2–3 weeks after signing are normal if the seller has to update vaccines or transfer the passport.
Your side: provisional insurance from the moment of signing, not arrival. Mortality and transit cover need to be in force before the horse leaves the seller's yard — most policies require it in writing 48 hours before transport.
Pre-purchase exam and paperwork transfer
If you've had a PPE, you'll have the imaging and bloods — keep copies for your vet. Passport transfer: the seller's vet updates the ownership page, or in some countries a notarised bill of sale is the document that actually changes ownership. Know which applies before booking transport.
The passport physically travels with the horse. Never accept delivery without the physical passport and chip-read verification matching the paper — a mismatch here is the most common cause of post-sale border problems.
Transport coordination
Seller's yard pickup is best: they know the horse, loading is calm, and the horse leaves in a familiar head collar. If the seller wants to ship via their own transporter, check insurance liability carefully — the seller's insurance typically ends at their gate.
Arrival timing: aim for mid-morning arrival at your yard. Horse has six hours to settle in daylight, eat hay, drink, meet the stable staff, then rest overnight. Evening arrivals make the first 12 hours harder.
First 72 hours at your yard
Quarantine 14–21 days is best practice — dedicated stable, separate turnout paddock, no shared water or grooming kit. Take rectal temperature twice daily for the first week and watch nasal discharge, appetite and manure output.
Your vet does a familiarisation exam 48 hours after arrival: passport check, general condition, any travel-related issues. This visit also creates the vet relationship for ongoing care and future transport certificates.
How HORSETRANS supports post-purchase delivery
We offer a post-sale package: pickup from seller's yard, all paperwork handled (ownership transfer notification to the passport-issuing body, border formalities, quarantine documentation), insurance-compatible transport with certificate of loading, and arrival photos for your insurer's records.
Popular markets we deliver from: Netherlands (Valkenswaard, Meerssen), Germany (Warendorf, Oldenburg), Ireland (Goresbridge, Tipperary), France (Deauville, Fontainebleau). Fixed price from seller's yard to your yard with all documentation.