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Frequently Asked Questions About Buying and Importing Horses From Europe
Return to the Buy/Import page. Why should I consider a European horse? Riding is far more common in Germany and
trainers must be state licensed, so the quality of training of
the German horse is more consistent. Also, because of state-controlled
breeding programs, the "average" German horse has far
better bloodlines than the "average" American horse,
making high quality horses more plentiful and thus less expensive.
Of course, the prospective buyer needs to consider whether the
anticipated savings will offset the costs of importing the horse.
In general, a budget of $25,000 or more is needed for the buyer
to benefit from importing a horse. These days, importing a horse
may not always be necessary--Jürgen
has now developed a large number of contacts here in the United
States and may be able to find a horse that meets your exact specifications
and that is within your price range right here. Most of these horses
were imported previously or have been trained by German colleagues
and represent the same good value that the imported horses do.
Jürgen's years of experience can help the buyer make sure
they are getting their money's worth. What costs are associated with importing a horse? Costs will vary depending on where the horse enters the United States, the duration of quarantine required, and cost of the horse (which affects insurance rates for the trip over). Airfare to Los Angeles on KLM, transport of the horse to the airport in Holland, insurance during travel and shared expenses for a groom in flight, is between $5000 and $6000 (USD). Two days quarantine in Los Angeles (required on all horses) is roughly $1550. Stallions and mares will require additional quarantine, costing another $1400 or more plus transport to the long-term quarantine center. Overall, importing a horse costs between $6500 and $10,000. Quarantine for geldings and very young horses is 2 - 3 days, and is done at the port of entry into the United States at facilities designated for that purpose. Mares of breedable age require an additional 2 weeks of quarantine so that they can be checked for contagious equine metritis (CEM). This is done at a long-term quarantine facility, requiring that the mare be transferred from the port of entry quarantine facility in a USDA-sealed rig. Quarantine for stallions is 4 weeks, and involves live coverage of mares. Again, this is done only at specially-approved long-term quarantine facilities, and requires that the stallion be transferred in a USDA-sealed rig. Jürgen will discuss quarantine matters in detail in advance with all buyers considering the purchase of mares and stallions, and will help to arrange quarantine and transportation/transfer for all buyers. Are commissions higher on a European horse? Surprisingly, they are not. Jürgen and his colleagues split a 10% commission for matching a buyer to a horse, and are frequently able to get the seller to pay the commission. The only additional cost is Jürgen's airfare to and from Germany (if Jürgen is unable to fly over on a pass in exchange for serving as a groom for KLM on the return flight), which will often be shared by several buyers. Jürgen has trusted contacts that are able to vet horses for him, should the prospective buyer desire it. (The buyer is also welcome to select his/her own vet). Most commonly, Jürgen will use Peter Cronau, DVM, who was the team vet for Germany, Austria and Italy at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. I don't speak German. How do I know that I'm getting the best price? Jürgen takes great pride in getting his clients the best deal for their money and wants to see them riding a horse he can be proud of finding for them. In fact, most clients are so thrilled with their purchases that they have offered to serve as references for him. Repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals are the norm for Jürgen, and he intends to keep it that way! |