Equine Exportation

Veterinary Services

Taking your horse abroad?

At Shotter & Byers Equine Vets, we can assist you with exporting your horse. We work very closely with transport companies to certify horses fit to travel and complete the appropriate health certificates. We export several hundred horses each year to Europe, UAE, USA, Hong Kong, Argentina, Singapore and South Africa to name but a few.

The quarantine and testing process can be time consuming and regulations vary from country to country. Each country outside of the EU will have specific requirements. Plenty of time should be given for diagnostic testing and processing of health certificates. Obtaining a DEFRA export health certificate is a critical first step to beginning the process of taking your horse abroad and you must approach a registered exporter or DEFRA directly to apply for these.
The type of health certificate that you require will depend on where you are planning to export your horse. For EU countries, you will require an Intra Trade Animal Health Certificate. For Non-EU countries, you will require an Export Health Certificate. However, with BREXIT looming, this information is subject to change so if you are planning to export your horse any time soon, our advice would be to notify an exporter or DEFRA with as much time as possible in case any extra testing is required.
As the UK has now left the EU with an agreed trade deal and third-country status, due to Brexit, there are that certain changes have been made which UK residents must be aware of when it comes to transporting their horses to Europe.

You will need to ensure that:

  • All equines are tested for certain diseases prior to export.
  • You meet pre-export isolation and residency requirements.
  • You have the appropriate export health certificate.
  • You have the correct ID documents for your animal.
  • You have checked to see whether you require an export welfare declaration.

Take a look here for more information about taking your horses abroad.

If you’re looking for more information about how we can help with exporting your horses abroad, please telephone us on 01306 627706 to discuss further.