Cost calculator
Horse shipping cost calculator
This is for international air export — flying a horse out of the United States — not a per-mile trailer quote. Pick what you're shipping to see a real range from completed jobs.
A single horse carries the whole air stable. Sharing with others is the single biggest lever on price.
Estimated range
$13,000 – $25,000
Covers air freight, pre-export isolation, blood tests, USDA inspection and fees, and a groom flying with the horse. Ground transport to quarantine is billed separately — real shipments have landed closer to $16,000–$17,000 all-in once that's added.
Typical timeline
60–120 days, start to finish
These are real ranges from completed shipments, not a rate card — every job is priced individually once we know species, destination protocol and timing. This estimator is for international air export; if you need a horse trailered within the United States, that’s a different kind of job than we do.
What actually moves the price
Four factors, in order of how much they matter.
Whether you're shipping alone or as a group
A single horse carries the whole air stable. Sharing one with two other horses splits that cost three ways — this is the biggest single lever you have.
Species and crate configuration
Horses need an air stable; cattle, minis and exotics need purpose-built crates sized to the animal. Crate cost and CITES/wildlife permitting are what drive exotic species well past a standard horse quote.
Destination protocol
Every destination country sets its own test panel and isolation requirements. China, Australia and New Zealand run longer and more thorough protocols, which shows up as more days of farm board and isolation, not a bigger flight bill.
Ground transport and extras
Getting the animal to quarantine, farm board before isolation starts, farrier work and destination-country customs charges are billed separately from the air freight quote.
Every species we ship
Real ranges, from real shipments.
Every shipment is still priced individually. These ranges are drawn from completed jobs, not a rate card, so treat them as a starting point rather than a quote.
A single horse
$13,000 – $25,000
Covers air freight, pre-export isolation, blood tests, USDA inspection and fees, and a groom flying with the horse. Ground transport to quarantine is billed separately — real shipments have landed closer to $16,000–$17,000 all-in once that's added.
Horses shipped as a group
materially less per head
A single horse carries the whole air stable. Three sharing one split the cost three ways — the single biggest lever on price.
Breeding cattle
around $5,000 per head
Consistent across the group shipments we've run. Quoted per head on a group consignment — small numbers cost proportionally more.
Miniature horses and ponies
around $4,000 per head
Usually moved alongside full-size horses on the same consignment rather than shipped alone.
Exotic and zoo species
quoted case by case
Driven by crating, CITES and wildlife permitting more than by the flight itself. Mixed-exotic consignments have run well into six figures.
Questions we hear a lot
Cost calculator FAQ
What does it cost to ship a horse internationally?
$13,000 to $25,000 for a single horse flying alone, covering air freight, 30-day pre-export isolation, blood tests, USDA inspection and fees, and a groom on the flight. Horses shipped together as a group cost materially less per head — a single horse carries the whole air stable, and three sharing one splits it three ways. These are real ranges from completed shipments, not a rate card, so request a written quote for your actual move.
How is this different from a domestic horse transport quote?
Domestic haulers price ground transport within the US by the mile. This calculator is for international air export — flying a horse out of the country — which involves pre-export isolation, USDA endorsement, an import permit at the destination and an air stable on a freighter, none of which a mileage-based ground quote covers. If you need a horse trailered between two US states, that's a different job than we do.
Does shipping horses as a group actually save money?
Yes, and it's the single biggest lever on price. A single horse travelling alone carries the entire cost of the air stable. Three horses sharing one split that cost three ways. If your timing has any flexibility, tell us — we can often consolidate you with another shipment headed the same direction.
What's included in the price, and what isn't?
A quote normally covers 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.
How long does the whole process take?
Typically 60 to 120 days, and 90 to 150 days for China, Australia and New Zealand. Very little of that is flight time — the time goes into the import permit, the pre-export isolation period, the destination test panel and USDA endorsement, none of which can be accelerated by paying more.