Shopping internationally for a dressage horse or a hunter/jumper is an experience of a lifetime. However, without the right support it can feel overwhelming. You need a team.
When you join our team, you get more than agents who just give you a list of horses to see and drive you around. As a member of our team, you will receive VIP service with an international trainer, who has worked at some of the top sales barns in Europe. We make sure that you have the best possible experience, without having to worry about any of the details.
We tailor the level of help you need based on your experience and comfort with the process, recognizing that a professional trainer may not need the same level of help as an amateur rider. No matter your level of experience, we help you navigate the process, by handling the details every step of the way. We will be in constant communication, answering questions and explaining the process.
From the initial planning to transporting your horse home, we make sure your experience is top-notch. Read on to discover the steps involved with finding your perfect sport horse partner.
Initial Information
Once you decide you are ready to shop for a horse, Allida will contact you to get more information. You and Allida will discuss your vision for your perfect horse, your riding level, your goals, and your budget. We will also discuss how involved you want to be, your time constraints and any other activities you want to plan. We will make recommendations for what country or regions to visit and how many days we should plan. We will then send you a quote and a contract that clearly outlines how Global Equestrian Imports works for you and authorizes us to start officially planning your trip.
Planning
We will start planning and booking. There are many options. For busy clients, or those trying to combine a vacation with their horse purchase, we offer an option to travel ahead and create a list of the best horses for you to see, when you arrive. Some clients want to be part of the entire adventure, start to finish. Other clients prefer that Allida do all the shopping and select the horse on their behalf, without ever traveling. We will book flights. Allida will start sending you photos and videos of horses, because we know you will be excited to see what awaits.
Selecting Prospects
The real fun begins! We will send you photos and videos of horses we think you'll like, in your budget range. We will decide what kind of barns you want to visit. We have contacts in some of the big sales and training barns, but we like to get our clients into boutique breeding and training barns. Based on what you like, we will contact breeders and trainers and make appointments to visit their facilities. By the end of this step, we will have an itinerary and will finish booking hotels and transportation. We will also leave some flexibility in the plan.
The travel begins
This is what you've been waiting for! Allida will travel with you or we will meet you at the airport, in our destination country. You may go to the hotel to rest or you may go directly to the stables. Horse shopping is exciting and emotional and sometimes, exhausting. We want you to be comfortable and we will travel at your pace. You will have a plan for where you want to go and when, but that plan is flexible. Often, the early part of the trip is highly planned, with the second part being open, in case you want to visit more farms, revisit some horses, or are ready to get a vet check.
Riding and Selecting
We are not just horse agents, we are full service professionals. It's not just about taking you to see horses. We are there to help you choose the best horse for your goals. For amateur riders, Allida will ride first, to assess the horse. Safety is our number one priority and you will never be encouraged to get on a horse that isn't safe. When you ride, Allida will coach you, just as she would in a clinic, so you can get the most from your test ride. We take lots of notes and videos, so we can review when it's time to choose a horse. Allida will guide you as you rank your prospects and select your horse.
Vet Check
We will arrange to have a local vet do a pre-purchase exam. We can do this while you are still in country, but if your travel time does not permit Allida or Marsha will attend on your behalf. We do not do vet checks in which one of us is not on site. The local vet will perform a flexion test, draw blood and take x-rays. You will get video of the flexion tests and we will immediately contact you with the initial results. Blood work will be sent to the official lab for that country. The x-rays will be reviewed by the local vet, and sent to your vet in the US or our vet, at a top sport horse clinic, in California.
Paperwork
No need to stress about the paperwork, we've got that handled. We will negotiate the terms of the sale and take care of the contracts. Marsha help you with making your payment. Most payments are done by wire transfer, but some sellers may have other options. We can also arrange payment by credit card. (Think about all those potential points!) We will make sure that you have everything you need to register your new horse in your name, the FEI passport, and any records you will need to compete with your new partner. Lastly, we will ensure that all the paperwork is in order for transport.
Homeward Bound
We will have already discussed the import requirements, when choosing which countries to shop, but we will review them as we start the process. We will confirm the horse's travel dates with the agents. You will get regular updates: when your horse is picked up, arrives at quarantine, and is ready to board the aircraft, etc. We can also arrange to fly as your horse's personal air travel groom, advocating for his health and safety. We are with you the whole time, serving as the point of contact for the shipping company and helping reduce the stress of travel for your horse, and you.
Continued Success
Our support doesn’t end just because the papers are signed. We care about you and want you to be successful with your new horse. We will give you instructions for managing your horse's health after the stress of air travel. After importing many horses, we have a system that works. We can help you come up with a training plan for your new horse and we are happy to talk to your trainer about our observations. We will help you get your horse’s registration changed, as dealing with foreign registries can be confusing. Any problem you have, we are just a phone call away.