The other direction
Import a horse into the USA
Your origin-side agent gets the horse to the plane. We take over from the moment it lands — the APHIS permit, quarantine booking, the touchdown handoff and delivery to its new home.
What we do and don't do
Our job starts at touchdown.
Export destinations are organized by destination country because the destination protocol is ours to match. Import is the mirror image — the origin country's export rules are your origin-side agent's problem. What we own is the US side.
Not our scope
- Origin-country export health certificate and pre-export testing
- The international flight
- Choosing or paying an origin-side agent
Our scope
- APHIS import permit filing
- Port-of-entry inspection scheduling
- Quarantine facility booking and USDA fees
- Ground transport from the airport to quarantine
- Coordination through release
- Final ground transport to the horse's US destination
The process
From touchdown to delivery.
Before touchdown
Varies by originThe origin-side agent's job, not ours — but it has to be right before we can plan our side.
- 01
Origin health certificate and testing
The origin country's official government veterinarian issues the export health certificate and manages any pre-export disease testing. This is arranged by your origin-side agent or exporter, not by us.
- 02
APHIS import permit
We file the APHIS eFile import permit at least 7 business days ahead of arrival — this has to be in hand before the horse can legally enter.
- 03
Port inspection and quarantine booking
We schedule port-of-entry inspection at least 3 business days ahead and reserve quarantine space at the gateway you're routing through — capacity is limited, so this is booked early, not on arrival.
Touchdown
Same dayThe moment our scope begins.
- 04
Customs clearance
We clear the horse through customs and APHIS port inspection on arrival.
- 05
Ground transport to quarantine
The horse is vanned directly from the airport to the quarantine facility we booked in advance.
Quarantine
3, 7 or 60 daysSet by USDA, not by us or the facility — this is federal, not something we can shorten.
- 06
Federal testing
USDA veterinarians and technicians run the required disease testing at the quarantine facility. This is a federal function — we book and pay for it, we don't perform it.
- 07
Release
Once testing clears, USDA releases the horse from quarantine.
After release
Same day or nextThe last leg, back to your world.
- 08
Final delivery
We arrange ground transport from the quarantine facility to the horse's final US destination.
U.S. arrival gateways
Choose the gateway around the actual shipment.
Equine import quarantine is tied to approved facilities near the arrival gateway. We match the route to the horse's history, the airline schedule and current availability.
Los Angeles / LAX
LAXA West Coast option with a private APHIS-approved equine quarantine facility near the airport.
- Jet Pets, Inc. — Playa del Rey, CA — near LAX (Private)
New York / JFK
JFK, Newark, StewartThe busiest equine import corridor in the country, with a federal option and a private one.
- New York Animal Import Center (NYAIC) — Rock Tavern (Newburgh), NY (Federal)
- The ARK at JFK — Jamaica, NY — on JFK airport property (Private)
Miami
MIAGovernment quarantine here stopped taking horses in 2021; imports now route through private facilities nearby.
- Private USDA-approved facilities near Miami — Miami, FL (Private)
Chicago / O'Hare
ORDA private equine import quarantine option near O'Hare.
- Chicago Import Quarantine (CIQ) — West Dundee, IL — near O'Hare (Private)
We confirm the gateway and quarantine option before the flight is booked, rather than fitting the horse into a route after the fact.
FAQ
Import questions
Do you handle the flight from Europe (or wherever the horse is coming from)?
No — that's your origin-side agent's arrangement, the same way the destination farm is always the buyer's own arrangement on our export lanes. We take over from the moment the horse lands in the US: permits, quarantine, and delivery to its new home.
Who actually tests the horse in quarantine?
Federal USDA veterinarians and technicians, not us. We file the import permit, book and pay for the quarantine reservation, and coordinate the ground transport — the testing itself is a federal function performed at the facility, the same way USDA APHIS endorses every certificate on our export lanes.
How long does US quarantine take?
3, 7 or 60 days, set by USDA based on your origin country's disease-risk classification — not something we or the facility can shorten. On top of that, the APHIS import permit needs at least 7 business days and port inspection needs at least 3, so build those into your timeline.
Which U.S. airport should my horse arrive at?
We select the arrival gateway around the horse's country history, flight route, required quarantine and current facility availability. It is best to confirm the U.S. entry plan before committing to an international flight.
How much does it cost?
Typical door-to-door imports run $10,000–$15,000, covering the international flight and US quarantine combined — that's an industry-wide figure, not a Flying Horse invoice, since we don't yet have completed import jobs to quote a firm number from. We'll confirm a specific figure once we've priced your route and gateway.
What if I don't have an origin-side agent yet?
Tell us the country and we'll point you toward what to look for. We don't arrange the origin-country side ourselves, but forty years in this industry means we know what a competent origin-side agent's paperwork should look like.