USA → United Kingdom
Export Horses from the USA to the United Kingdom
Racing, breeding and sport horses into Great Britain, on the country's own post-Brexit certification rather than the EU process.
- Arrives
- STN
- Departs
- LAX / DFW
- Flight time
- ~7–8 hours
- Plan ahead
- 45–75 days
London Stansted
Or whichever US gateway suits the animals
Great Britain — England, Scotland and Wales — left the EU's animal health framework after Brexit and runs its own certification, separate from the process we use for Ireland, France and the rest of the EU. Northern Ireland is the exception: it still follows the EU rules, not the Great Britain ones.
The market itself is one of the largest and most established we work with, spanning Thoroughbred racing and breeding through to sport horses, and the process is well-trodden — it's just a different set of paperwork from our EU lanes, not a harder one.
Regulatory
What a United Kingdom export requires
These are the constraints that shape the timeline. The binding requirements are whatever the United Kingdom has in force on your day of export — we confirm the current position as the first step of every quote.
GBHC655 for permanent import
A horse moving to Great Britain permanently — sold, not just visiting to compete — travels on certificate GBHC655. Great Britain uses different certificates for temporary stays, transit and competition trips; we confirm which one applies before anything is scheduled.
VEHCS submission and USDA endorsement
The certificate is issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and submitted through VEHCS for USDA APHIS to ink-sign and emboss, the same endorsement process we use for our other international lanes.
Routed through an approved Border Control Post
Not every UK airport that handles cargo is approved to receive live animals. We route the shipment through one of the UK government's designated Border Control Posts for live animals — this is confirmed as part of planning the flight, not left until arrival.
Northern Ireland follows EU rules
A horse going to Northern Ireland uses the EU's EQUI-X process, not the Great Britain certificate — worth confirming early if the destination is anywhere in Ireland, north or south.
Official source
USDA APHIS publishes the International Regulations for Animal Exports (IRegs) — the U.S. government’s understanding of the United Kingdom's current import requirements.
By species
What we handle into the United Kingdom
Horses
Racing, breeding and competition horses moved door to door — barn in the United States to barn in Asia-Pacific, the Gulf or Europe.
Cattle
Brahman and other tropical and temperate breeds, bulls and group consignments — priced and protocoled by breed and destination.
Sheep & Goats
Boer and Nubian goats, breeding rams and ewes — regulated together under USDA's scrapie program, and often shipped together.
Swine, Poultry & Camelids
Swine, poultry, camelids and mixed livestock genetics — moved as single consignments or as a recurring program.
Exotic & Zoo Animals
Zoo collections, wildlife parks and private exotic consignments — including CITES-listed species — moved with the permitting handled.
FAQ
Exporting to the United Kingdom: common questions
Can you export a horse from the USA to the UK?
Yes — Great Britain is one of the largest markets we work with, across racing, breeding and sport horses. We confirm which certificate applies to your shipment before quoting.
How much does it cost to ship a horse to the UK?
Ask us for a written figure against your specific horse. This is a newer lane for us than our Asia-Pacific destinations, so we don't yet have enough completed shipments to publish a general range.
Is the UK process the same as the EU's?
No. Great Britain runs its own certification since Brexit — GBHC655 for a permanent move — separate from the EU's EQUI-X process we use for Ireland, France and the rest of the EU. Northern Ireland is the exception and still follows the EU rules.
Which airport does the horse arrive at?
We route through one of the UK's designated Border Control Posts approved to receive live animals — not every UK airport is authorized, so this is confirmed as part of the routing plan, not an afterthought.
Does someone travel with the horse?
Yes. A professional groom flies with every horse on every international shipment we handle, keeping it hydrated and with forage available, and manages the offload on arrival.
Other lanes
More destinations we run
Ireland
Export Horses from the USA to Ireland
France
Export Horses from the USA to France
Netherlands
Export Horses from the USA to the Netherlands
Moving animals to the United Kingdom?
Send us the species, the number of animals, the origin and your target date. We confirm whether the protocol is currently open and come back with a written quote at no charge. If we can’t do the shipment, we’ll email you and say why.