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Export guide

How to export a horse from the USA

What it costs, how long it takes and where we ship, before you share a single detail. Shared flights start at $13,500 per horse.

Where we come in

We run it from your barn to the destination airport.

Pickup, pre-export isolation, USDA endorsement, the export paperwork, the flight with a groom, and the handoff at the other end.

Horses in a fenced paddock before collection for export

Before the flight

  • Pickup from your farm
  • Pre-export isolation
  • Blood tests
  • Health certificate, USDA endorsement
  • Export paperwork and customs
A Flying Horse air stable being lifted into a cargo hold

Flight day

  • USDA port exam
  • Tender at the airport
  • Loaded into our air stable
  • A groom flies with the horse
A Flying Horse groom leading a horse out of its stall after landing

On arrival

  • Offload at the destination
  • Documents handed over
  • Importer takes it from here

Need the importer at the destination arranged too? Bring your own, or choose “handle it for me” in the quote form and we line one up, so you deal only with us. Handling both ends costs more than export only.

Step 1 · Your price

See what it costs before you share anything.

Three ways to ship a horse, and what each costs.

Shared flight

$13,500+ per horse

  • Three horses share one air stable
  • Flexible dates
  • The date is set when the stall fills
Hold a spot

Flying alone

$20,000 to $40,000 per horse

  • The whole air stable is yours
  • You choose the date
  • A fixed departure
Request a quote

Full charter

Quoted case by case

  • A whole aircraft
  • Herds, groups and collections
  • Cattle, goats, horses in numbers
See charters

Both prices cover

  • Air freight
  • 30-day pre-export isolation quarantine
  • Blood tests and swabs
  • 5-hour rest and USDA inspection
  • USDA user fees
  • Professional groom, including their flight

Billed separately

  • Farm board before quarantine begins
  • Road transport from the origin farm to quarantine
  • Farrier and routine veterinary work
  • Destination-country quarantine and customs charges

Cattle, goats and exotic animals are priced differently. See other animals.

Step 2 · Your destination

Where are you sending your horse?

Each country sets its own protocol, so lead times and routes differ. Pick yours.

Popular destinations

See all 18 destinations
Asia-Pacific
Gulf
Europe

Step 3 · The process

What happens, and when.

Nine steps, worked backward from the flight. Click through them.

Flying Horse Services at an industry event, with the company banner and name card on the table
Before the flightAbout 3 months out

1. Quote and protocol check

We confirm the destination's protocol is open for your species, what the importing country requires, and whether the importer needs a permit. You get a timeline and cost in writing, usually in a day or two. If we can't do the shipment, we say why.

Step 1 of 9

A typical schedule, worked backward from the flight. The destination's rules set the isolation length, the test window and any residency requirement, so yours will differ.

Comparing shippers? How to choose a horse shipper. Moving a whole group or a herd? See full charters.

Step 4 · Shared flights

Flexible dates? Share a flight and pay less.

Three horses from different owners share one air stable, so each pays a third of the fixed costs.

A flight goes out once its stable is full, so every date is a window until it says confirmed. See all shared flights.

Destination guides

Where we ship horses.

One guide per country: protocol, timeline, FAQ.

FAQ

Export questions

How much does it cost to export a horse from the USA?

Shared flights start at $13,500 per horse, when three horses from different owners share one air stable. A single horse flying alone runs $20,000 to $40,000, because it pays for the whole stable by itself. Both cover air freight, pre-export isolation, blood tests, USDA fees and a groom. Trucking to quarantine and farm board are billed separately.

Why does one horse cost so much more than three?

Most of the cost is fixed per shipment: the air stable, the isolation facility, the paperwork and the groom cost about the same whether one horse travels or three. Sharing splits that three ways.

How long does it take to export a horse?

Budget 60 to 120 days from first enquiry to departure for most destinations, and longer for some, such as China. Most of that time is permits, pre-export isolation, the test panel and USDA endorsement. The flight itself is hours.

What is pre-export isolation?

Your horse is held and tested at a USDA-approved isolation facility before the flight. The length and the test panel come from the destination country's protocol, so we check it before anyone commits money or picks a date.

Do I need an importer at the destination?

Most destinations require an importer with a permit. You can bring your own, or we can line up the importer for you so you deal only with us. Handling both ends means your quote covers more, so it is higher than export only.

Can I ship just one horse?

Yes. You can fly alone, or hold a spot on a shared flight if your dates are flexible. Shared flights go out once the stable is full, so the date is set when enough horses are committed.

What is not included in the price?

Farm board before quarantine begins, road transport from your farm to quarantine, farrier and routine veterinary work, and destination-country quarantine and customs charges.

Request an Export QuoteImporting a horse to the USA instead?

Sources and last review

Reviewed November 7, 2026. The binding rules for any shipment are the destination country's protocol on the day of export, and USDA APHIS endorses every certificate.

Destination and aircraft photos on Unsplash: Sean Yoro, Marek Okon, Alicja Ziajowska, Manson, Ibrahim Abdullah, Next Dream, Jeanne Rouillard, Florian Wehde, Anantachai Saothong, Yahdi Yasya, Sigrid, April Pethybridge, Daniel Dara, E Vos, Matt Pictures, Jean Carlo Emer, Tobias Reich, Tom Podmore, David Syphers. Blood-test photo on Pexels: Fernando Lacerda Branco.