Ownership and authority
Confirm who may authorize collection, veterinary decisions, charges and changes. Purchases, leases and agency arrangements may require different documentation.
HORSE PURCHASE & IMPORT COORDINATION · INTO THE U.S.
Import your horse.
From abroad to your barn.
Want to import a horse from Europe or another overseas market? Connect the steps from the purchase handover to the horse’s arrival at its U.S. barn, alongside specialist shipping and veterinary professionals. Whether you already own the horse or are arranging a purchase, this service focuses on getting the horse to its U.S. destination.
Discuss your horse import ↗Specialists manage the import.
We connect the wider plan.
Your appointed shipping agent and customs professionals handle their agreed transport and entry work. Veterinarians and the relevant authorities determine health requirements and release conditions.
Stable Arrival helps organize the agreed information, introductions, destination arrangements and follow-through around those professional decisions. We confirm the proposed team and scope before accepting an engagement.
STILL LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT HORSE?
A search shaped around the rider.
LEV can help identify horses to buy and connect you with prospects suited to the rider’s experience, discipline, ambitions and budget. We can organize introductions and viewing or trial conversations alongside your trainer, then help connect the purchase handover with the import plan.
You and your advisers make the purchase decision. Your chosen veterinarian assesses the horse; the search and import support included, fees and any commissions are agreed before work begins.
YOUR ARRIVAL JOURNEY
The steps.
The connections.
Expand each stage to see the arrangements, the purpose and the professional handoff. Your individual plan includes only the services we agree.
01Define the horse purchase and import plan
Discuss the horse you are considering or have purchased abroad, its current country, intended U.S. barn, intended use, budget and preferred arrival window. Identify your seller, trainer or buying agent and what has already been arranged.
Why it matters: The purchase, veterinary assessment and import arrangements need to work together before travel is booked.
Who leads: You choose the priorities. LEV organizes the agreed brief and next steps.
02Review identity and entry circumstances
The appointed specialists review identification, ownership or lease authority, age, sex, breeding history and relevant residence and travel history. They determine whether entry is permanent, temporary or a returning U.S.-origin journey.
Why it matters: Country of departure alone does not determine the import pathway.
Who leads: Your shipping agent, customs professional and veterinarians confirm the applicable requirements.
03Confirm the team and full budget
Identify the international shipping agent, export vet, customs contact, quarantine arrangements, receiving vet and authorized decision-makers. Request a written breakdown of transport, handling, testing, quarantine, onward travel and possible additional charges.
Why it matters: A flight quote may not include every part of getting the horse to its final barn.
Who leads: Providers quote their services. You approve contracts and payments. LEV tracks the agreed information.
04Prepare the departure abroad
Coordinate the provider-confirmed checklist for tests, appointments, export certification and collection from the stable. If the horse has just been purchased, keep sale documents, veterinary assessments, insurance and the travel handoff aligned.
Why it matters: Missing information, expired documents or unclear collection authority can delay departure.
Who leads: The seller or owner, export veterinarian and shipping agent lead their respective responsibilities.
05Plan the route and welfare arrangements
Confirm flight routing, ground transport in the departure country, any staging accommodation, suitable handling and air-stall arrangements, accompanying equipment and emergency contacts. Flag relevant travel needs to the responsible professionals.
Why it matters: The whole journey includes ground handling and waiting time as well as the flight.
Who leads: The carrier and shipping agent manage transport. Veterinary decisions remain with the veterinarian.
06Prepare U.S. entry and import quarantine
The appointed professionals arrange the applicable permits, health documents, port inspection, customs entry and quarantine reservation. LEV can keep the destination plan informed of the dates they confirm.
Why it matters: Customs clearance and veterinary release are separate parts of arrival.
Who leads: The importer and appointed shipping or customs professionals handle entry. Authorities control clearance and release.
07Complete any additional quarantine
Where required, the specialists arrange additional quarantine, including CEM procedures, and the authorized journey to the approved facility. Confirm likely costs and the limits of provisional dates before committing to onward plans.
Why it matters: Some horses cannot travel directly from initial import quarantine to their intended barn.
Who leads: The shipping agent, approved facility, veterinarians and authorities determine the process and release.
08Align onward transport and the receiving barn
Confirm collection authorization, applicable state movement paperwork, the actual release position, receiving contact, delivery access and the plan if timing changes.
Why it matters: A reserved stall and a truck booking must match the horse’s authorized release.
Who leads: Your carrier and receiving barn confirm delivery. LEV coordinates agreed communications.
09Prepare the horse’s new base
Confirm stabling, turnout, feed, hay, bedding, water, care instructions, supplies and any trainer arrangements. Identify routine and urgent veterinary access and a suitable farrier contact.
Why it matters: The destination needs to be ready for the individual horse, not simply available on a calendar.
Who leads: The barn and care professionals confirm suitability. You authorize the arrangements.
10Support the settling-in period
With your permission, coordinate relevant records and care instructions between your existing and receiving teams. Track agreed follow-ups, equipment needs and professional appointments.
Why it matters: Import release does not by itself establish readiness for training or competition.
Who leads: Your veterinarian and trainer decide the care and return-to-work plan. LEV handles agreed administration.
11Connect the seller, buyer and receiving team
Keep the buyer, seller or sales agent, shipping agent and U.S. receiving barn aligned on collection authority, horse records, care instructions and delivery confirmation. Track outstanding handover items and agreed communications.
Why it matters: A clear handover helps the purchased horse reach its new team with the right information.
Who leads: The buyer and seller authorize the handover. Shipping and care professionals lead their services; LEV coordinates agreed communications.
12Complete the import handover
Confirm delivery, organize the agreed document handover, track outstanding provider invoices and identify any remaining registration or ownership-update tasks with the relevant professionals. If the entry is temporary, ask the appointed specialists to confirm continuing obligations.
Why it matters: The import is more than a flight: the buyer needs a clear record of what is complete and what remains outstanding.
Who leads: The buyer and appointed professionals confirm completion of their responsibilities. LEV closes out the agreed coordination checklist.
DATES THAT MEAN WHAT THEY SAY
Confirmed. Provisional. Awaiting a provider.
We distinguish a booked flight from a provisional arrival and an actual release from an estimated quarantine timeline. A shared plan can help keep your carrier, seller, buyer and receiving barn working from the same information.
THE DETAILS THAT DESERVE A PLAN
Beyond the flight.
Insurance and payments
Discuss appropriate cover with an insurer, confirm when it begins and ends, and identify who pays each provider. Customs, taxes and currency questions belong with the relevant specialists.
Tack, feed and medication
Ask the shipping agent and veterinarian what may accompany the horse and what should be sourced locally. Do not assume European hay, supplements or medicines can travel or enter quarantine unchanged.
Changes and emergencies
Agree escalation contacts, authorized decisions, provider availability, possible extra charges and alternatives if the journey or receiving arrangements change.
Competition and ongoing care
Review the intended training and show plans with your trainer and veterinarian. Competition memberships, identification and vaccination requirements are separate from import clearance.
An existing professional team
Keep the relationships you already trust. We identify the remaining coordination needs rather than require you to replace your trainer, agent or shipping provider.
GOOD TO KNOW
A little more
clarity.
Can LEV help me find a horse to buy?
Yes. We can help identify suitable prospects around the rider’s experience, discipline, goals and budget, organize introductions and viewing or trial conversations, and work alongside your trainer. You make the purchase decision with your advisers and chosen veterinarian. We agree the search scope and any fees or commissions in advance.
Is this for people moving internationally?
This service focuses on buying a horse abroad and importing the horse into the United States. It does not require the buyer to move, and does not include international household relocation.
Can the horse come from outside Europe?
Yes, we can discuss a horse purchase from Europe or another overseas market, subject to the route, current entry requirements and specialist availability. LEV can also discuss horse search and rider-matching support as an agreed part of your brief. Your trainer, sale agreement and veterinary advice remain important.
Who handles the import documents and customs?
The importer and appropriately appointed shipping, customs and veterinary professionals handle their respective entry requirements. LEV does not act as a customs broker or issue health documents.
How long will quarantine take?
There is no single promise for every horse. Requirements depend on origin, residence and travel history, sex, age and entry circumstances. Your agent and the authorities confirm the applicable pathway and release.
Can you guarantee a flight, release date or stall?
No. Provider availability, regulatory decisions and suitability must be confirmed for the individual move. We coordinate around confirmed information and flag remaining dependencies.
Do you provide veterinary advice or emergency care?
No. Clinical decisions belong to the horse’s veterinarian. Emergency services are arranged with the relevant providers; LEV’s availability and escalation role are defined in the engagement.
Can you help before I finalize the purchase?
We can discuss the proposed import plan, specialist introductions and estimated logistics before you commit. Your chosen veterinarian performs the pre-purchase examination, and your sales or legal advisers handle the purchase terms. We do not guarantee a horse’s suitability or import eligibility.
What is included in your fee?
Your written scope identifies the research, introductions, coordination hours, updates and deliverables included. Provider fees, travel and additional work are separate unless expressly included.
PROFESSIONAL CONFIRMATION FOR YOUR ROUTE
Requirements belong to the individual journey.
Reviewed October 21, 2026. This overview explains coordination, not a country-specific veterinary or customs instruction sheet. Providers must verify current requirements before booking and departure.
A PERSONAL STARTING POINT
Let’s connect
the journey.
Tell us where the horse is located, its intended U.S. destination and where you are in the buying process.
TWO CONNECTED SERVICES · ONE LEVGLOBAL
Find your horse.
Bring them home.
The Sport Horse Edit by LEVGlobal helps with horse searches and rider matching. Stable Arrival by LEVGlobal helps connect the import journey and destination arrangements. Start with either service or discuss a combined brief; you can keep the trainer and providers you already trust.