How to Buy a Horse in Europe and Ship It Home: The Complete Guide

Europe is the world’s leading source for sport horses. Buyers from the United States, the UAE, Japan, Australia and beyond travel to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France each year to find horses that meet international competition standards. Yet for many first-time international buyers, the process feels overwhelming. This guide walks you through every step — from choosing your region to settling your new horse at home.

Step 1: Choose the Right Region

Germany’s northern states — Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia — are home to the world’s most recognised sport horse breeding associations: the Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Oldenburg and Westphalian studbooks. Recently breeders apply for other studbooks as well such as Zangersheide. The Lüneburger Heide, situated roughly 45 minutes south of Hamburg, sits at the heart of this breeding corridor and gives buyers access to some of the finest horses in Europe. Neighbouring countries, very nearby like the Netherlands (KWPN) and Belgium (BWP) are also strong sources for show jumping horses.

Step 2: Plan Your Buying Trip

Allow at least five to seven days for a first buying trip. If you pre-select horses online using platforms such as ehorses.com or through a trusted local agent, please notice the best horses may not be online. As ‘horse buying tourism’ (fake buyers pretend to buy a horse to have nice horse day for free) is popular and scouts/agents just pre-select for their collectino without serious intention, many show their best horses only to trustworthy contacts. Therefore contact a farm in advance to arrange trial rides and book your accommodation close to the horses — ideally on a farm. This saves travel time and lets you observe horses at rest, during feeding and in their daily routine, which reveals far more than a single test ride.

Step 3: Trial Rides and Selection

Plan to try several horses over multiple days. A horse may feel different on day two than on day one, especially once it has warmed to a new rider. Ask the trainer or owner to demonstrate the horse before you ride. Pay attention to ground manners, reaction to new environments and temperament under pressure. It is entirely normal to revisit a shortlisted horse on a second trip before making a final decision.

Step 4: Pre-Purchase Veterinary Examination

Always commission an independent pre-purchase exam (PPE) from a veterinarian who has no connection to the seller. A standard five-phase PPE includes a clinical examination, flexion tests, evaluation of movement in all gaits, radiographs of key joints and an optional endoscopic airway check. For horses intended for international air transport, a blood test for export health clearance is also required. Discuss with your vet which additional tests — such as an ophthalmology check or drug screen — are appropriate for the horse’s intended use and price point.

Step 5: Export Health Certificate

Once you have decided to purchase, the seller’s veterinarian — in coordination with the German official veterinary authority — issues an export health certificate. This document must be government-endorsed and is required by every destination country. Processing time is typically three to seven working days. Your shipping agent will advise on the exact requirements for your destination country.

Step 6: International Air Transport

Horses are transported internationally in purpose-built air stalls, typically accommodating two or three horses. Specialist equine air freight companies manage the entire logistics — collection from the farm, ground transport to the airport, flight and customs clearance. Flight times range from approximately nine hours (Germany to the US East Coast) to fourteen hours (Germany to Japan or the UAE). Horses generally travel well, provided they are well hydrated and accustomed to loading.

Step 7: Quarantine and Arrival

Quarantine requirements vary by destination. Horses arriving in the United States from Germany undergo a minimum 42-hour observation period at an approved facility while blood tests are conducted. Horses entering Japan are subject to a minimum seven-day quarantine. UAE requirements depend on the emirate and current veterinary protocols. Your shipping agent or destination-country veterinarian will confirm the current requirements before departure.

How Heinshof Can Help

Heinshof, a historic equestrian estate founded in 1540 in Egestorf in the Lüneburger Heide, offers international buyers a full-service base for their buying trip. As trusted by other breeders and owners, they bring their horses to Heinshof especially for your visit, so you save time for travelling. Guests stay in one of eight holiday apartments directly on the farm, ride and evaluate horses on site, and work with trainer Linda Naeve-Haht, who has trained the yard’s horses herself. Heinshof maintains contacts with local breeders and can assist with introductions, trial rides and export logistics. Contact: heinshof.com or by phone at +49 4175 808 4618, e-mail office@heinshof.com.