TRANSPORT AND ARRIVAL OF THE HORSE
Step 6 — Organize transportation and prepare for arrival
Once the purchase is finalized, one essential step remains: organizing the transport of the horse to its new stable.
This step requires coordinating several elements: the payment received by the seller, the documents needed for departure, the choice of carrier, the loading date and the conditions of arrival of the horse.
At IberHorse, we support you in this final part of the process so that the departure is well prepared and you know what to expect before your horse arrives.
Transporting the horse is an important step
which requires planning, coordination and anticipation.
Depending on your situation, transport can be arranged with one of our trusted partner carriers, or with the carrier of your choice.
Before confirming departure, several things must be ready: payment must have been received by the seller, the necessary documents must be prepared, and the loading date must be coordinated with the departure stable.
We work with specialist carriers who make international journeys every week. Once the sale is completed, the horse's departure can therefore be arranged quite quickly.
At IberHorse, we remain your point of contact throughout this stage, so that each party knows what needs to be done before the horse leaves.
The main transport options
Each solution has its advantages. The choice depends on the destination, availability, schedule, and the horse's needs. We help you choose the most suitable option for your situation.
In private transport, the horse travels alone on a route organized specifically for it.
This is the most direct and flexible option: dates can be chosen more precisely, stops are limited and the journey depends solely on your horse and the arrangement agreed with the transporter.
This solution is often recommended for high-value horses, sensitive horses, horses that do not travel well, or when the arrival date needs to be more precise.
This is also the most expensive option, as the price is not shared with other horses. As a guide, professional private transport often costs between €1 and €2 per kilometer, based on a round trip. of the carrier. The exact price always depends on the actual distance, the desired dates, the type of vehicle and especially the chosen transport company.
In shared transport in a small truck, the horse travels with a small number of other horses.
This usually involves a light vehicle capable of transporting two horses, accompanied by a van capable of transporting two more. The transport therefore concerns a small group of horses, often a maximum of four.
This is often the option we prefer at IberHorse. when the route allows: the price remains competitive, the journey is more personalized than in a large truck and tracking the horse during the journey is easier.
This solution is very suitable for many journeys in Europe, when you want to avoid completely private transport, but also a journey that is too impersonal or too busy.
Shared transport in large trucks is often the most economical solution for long journeys in Europe.
The horse travels with many other horses, often more than twenty, depending on the transporter's organization and the planned tour.
The journey can therefore be much longer: The truck has to pick up and drop off several horses in different countries, which can mean several days of travel. For some international journeys, it can sometimes take about a week before arrival.
This is an option that requires flexibility. Tracking the journey is generally more limited than with a small truck, because the transporter is managing a large number of horses and a complex route.
In this type of transport, we mainly know the day of departure and the estimated day of arrival, but it is more difficult to obtain precise information during the journey or to coordinate an exact time of arrival.
It is also necessary to anticipate that The horse may arrive very early in the morning, late in the evening, or even during the night. depending on the progress of the tour.
In some cases, transport can be combined.
For example, a small truck can pick up the horse from its starting stable and take it to a meeting point, where it then joins a large international truck.
This organization sometimes makes transport possible when a large truck cannot easily access the stable, or when the main route passes through another area.
Combined transport requires good coordination between carriers, schedules, documents and transfer locations.
When a horse travels to a country outside the European Union, but still accessible by road, such as Switzerland or the United Kingdom, transport is usually by truck.
The main difference concerns the formalities: export documents, veterinary controls, customs documents and possible import procedures in the country of destination.
The organization of transport must therefore take into account not only the route, but also the necessary documents so that the horse can leave the European Union and legally enter its new country.
IberHorse helps you anticipate these formalities so that your departure is organized with the required documents.
When the horse travels to another continent, the transport is done by plane.
The horse is first transported by truck from its starting stable to the airport, often in Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands, where the main European platforms specializing in the air transport of horses are located.
For the flight, the horses travel in containers specially designed for equine transport. Each container carries three horses.
During the flight, the horses are accompanied by a professional groom, responsible for monitoring and caring for them during the journey.
This type of transport requires very precise organization: coordination of road transport to the airport, export documents, veterinary controls, flight booking, possible quarantine and import formalities in the country of arrival.
That is why IberHorse works with agencies specializing in international transport of horses, so that each step is coordinated correctly.
If you prefer to pick up the horse yourself or arrange your own private transport, that is possible.
In this case, the TRACES transport permit must be prepared in advance. Depending on the region of Spain or Portugal where the horse is located, This process can take up to five days.
The horse will not be able to leave the stable until the TRACES transport permit is ready.
Documents needed before departure
Before the horse can leave its stable, several documents must be prepared.
The formalities depend on the country of departure, the country of arrival, and the type of transport chosen. A horse traveling within Europe does not have the same procedures as a horse exported outside the European Union or a horse traveling by plane.
At IberHorse, we help you check the necessary documents before departure, so that transport can be organized under good conditions.
Proper document preparation is the key to a smooth transport process.
TO BE PREPARED BEFORE TRANSPORT
- Original horse passport
- Property card
- Carrier's roadmap
- TRACES Transport Permit
- Veterinary and health certificate
- Full coordinates of the starting and finishing stables
- Export and import documents for destinations outside the European Union
The horse cannot leave the stable without the required documents for its transport.
TRACKS
Trade Control
and Expert
System
TRACES is the European platform used for certification, sanitary control and monitoring of the movements of all live animals between European countries, as well as for certain imports and exports.
Its objective is to guarantee the traceability of movements: to know where the horse leaves from, where it arrives, with which transporter it travels, and to allow the authorities to react more quickly in the event of a health problem.
Therefore, no horse can legally travel from one European country to another without a TRACES transport permit.
This document is issued by the competent authorities of the country of departure. It accompanies the horse during transport and must be given to the buyer upon arrival, along with the horse's other documents.
In order to issue the TRACES permit, three elements must appear correctly in the database:
- The horse's starting point
- The carrier
- The horse's arrival point
If any of these elements are not recorded in TRACES, the permit cannot be issued. This is particularly important for the receiving stable: if the location where the horse is to be delivered is not entered in the database, it will not appear in the system and the document cannot be prepared.
If you are organizing your own private transport, it is therefore essential to check in advance that the transporter and the arrival stable are properly registered in TRACES.
Depending on the region of Spain or Portugal where the horse is located, Preparing for the TRACES permit can take up to five days.
This document also incurs administrative and management fees, generally ebetween €50 and €200, depending on the region and the necessary procedures.
At IberHorse, we check
This point should be addressed before departure to avoid any administrative delays on the day of transport.
During transport
Things you should know during the journey
During a long transport, especially when several horses are travelling together, the journey may include one or more night stops.
In this case, the horses sleep in stalls designed for horses in transit: equestrian centers, stables of passage or structures specializing in horse transfers.
This point is essential, because many horses pass through these transit areas. If the stalls are not properly cleaned and disinfected between two passages, the health risk increases: A horse that is tired from the journey, more sensitive to stress and with temporarily weakened defenses, may be more exposed to infections.
That is why the choice of carrier should not be based solely on price.
The transporters IberHorse works with know of reputable and suitable stopping places for horses in transit. They ensure not only that their truck is clean, suitable, and disinfected, but also that the horses sleep in clean, prepared, and properly disinfected stalls.
During the journey, horses primarily eat hay and have access to water. It's normal for a horse to drink less during the trip or to arrive a little drier, especially after a long journey. It may also lose some weight, often due to stress, fatigue, and fluid loss.
In most cases, the horse recovers quickly with rest, water, hay and a well-organized arrival.
The pace of the journey can also be adjusted if necessary. If a horse seems more tired, more nervous, or needs an extra break, the transporter can adjust the route to ensure its comfort.
A good transporter does not just drive: he chooses safe stopping places, monitors the condition of the horses and adjusts breaks or the pace of the journey when necessary.
Preparing for the horse's arrival at its new stable
Arriving at a new stable is a big change for the horse.
It leaves its usual environment, its familiar surroundings, its caretakers, its food, and sometimes even its climate. Even if it has traveled very well, it may need a few days to recover, observe its new environment, and begin to relax.
Before its arrival, it is important to prepare a clean, quiet, and secure stall with fresh water and good-quality hay. If possible, avoid abruptly changing its diet during the first few days.
We also recommend that you plan a simple arrival, without too much stimulation: no immediate work session, no rushed introduction to the whole herd and no sudden change of routine.
The goal is to give him time to land, to understand where he is and to begin this new stage in good conditions.
A horse that arrives in a calm environment will find it easier to settle down, recover from the journey, and establish new reference points.
THINGS TO PREPARE BEFORE ARRIVAL
- Clean, quiet and secure stall
- Fresh water available
- Good quality hay
- Usual diet or gradual transition
- Sufficient availability is required on the day of arrival, as the schedule may change during transport.
- Easily accessible landing site for the carrier
FIRST DAY
- Let the horse settle down in peace
- Avoid an immediate work session
- Avoid rushed introductions to the entire herd
- Check that he is drinking, eating and recovering normally
- Observe its general condition after the trip