Anyone looking for a specific type of horse ends up looking across the border sooner or later. Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Ireland: each country has its own breeding regions and sometimes a wider selection or a more favorable price level than the Dutch market. But a purchase abroad also brings extra steps and extra risks — you can try the horse yourself less often, transport is added to the mix, and in a dispute you're facing a seller under a different legal system. This guide walks through the process, from the first video to the first weeks in a Dutch stable.
Why Buy Across the Border — and What You Get for It
The reasons are usually practical. Certain breeding directions are more strongly represented elsewhere: anyone looking for an Iberian horse gets considerably further in Spain or Portugal than in the Netherlands, and for specific jumping or dressage bloodlines, the German supply is simply larger. In addition, price levels can differ by country, though that advantage shrinks quickly once you factor in vetting, transport, and travel costs.
Against that wider selection stand three structural disadvantages. You can't simply try the horse a second or third time without traveling again. Transport adds both cost and stress, for the horse and for you. And if something turns out to be wrong after the purchase, your legal position is more difficult: litigating abroad is expensive and slow, even within the EU. Anyone who realizes this beforehand can factor it into every subsequent step.
Viewing and Trying the Horse at a Distance
Videos are a preselection tool, not a replacement for riding the horse yourself. Use them to shorten the list: ask for continuous footage of all three basic gaits on both reins, on hard and soft ground, plus footage of tacking up and mounting. Watch out for the well-known sales-video tricks — lots of editing and little continuous footage, only the good rein, a horse that's just been lunged and is therefore tired, or a ridden clip that's clearly older than the rest.
If the horse remains of interest, you travel there and ride it yourself. Plan that trip generously: a single test ride on an unfamiliar horse in an unfamiliar setting tells you little, so try to ride the horse at least twice during the same visit, preferably at different times of day. Bring your instructor along if at all possible — a second pair of eyes weighs even more heavily across the border than at home, because there's no second chance built in. How to structure a test ride and what to look for is covered in more detail in the guide on buying your first horse.
The Vetting: On-Site, by an Independent Veterinarian
Have the pre-purchase vetting carried out in the seller's country, before transport — bringing a horse to the Netherlands first and only then having it vetted boxes you in, since sending it back is a practical and financial nightmare. Choose the veterinarian yourself, and choose one who has no ties to the seller; the selling stable's regular veterinarian is by definition not independent, however good they are. Large clinics in the well-known breeding regions are used to vetting horses for foreign buyers and report in English or German.
Agree in advance that the full report and the X-rays will be delivered to you, not to the seller. If you're unsure about the findings, you can have the images reviewed by your own veterinarian in the Netherlands before you sign.
The Contract: Fix the Applicable Law, Not Just the Price
Within the EU, the core of consumer sales law is broadly harmonized, but the implementation — and especially the practice — differs by country, and bringing a case before a foreign court is costly. That's why the contract matters more for an import purchase than for a domestic one. Record in writing which law applies and which court has jurisdiction, and describe precisely what was promised: health, intended use, stable behavior, any defects the seller has disclosed. Also agree on the moment risk transfers — at payment, at loading, or on delivery in the Netherlands — because it's precisely during transport that you don't want this left open. What else belongs in a good purchase contract is covered in the guide on the purchase contract and your rights.
Paperwork, Transport Rules, and Registration
In broad terms, it works like this: the horse passport always travels with the horse, transport within the EU is subject to health requirements that must be met in advance, and after arrival the horse must be registered at its new location in the Netherlands. The precise requirements change regularly; check the current registration obligations at rvo.nl, and for the transport rules, see the guide on transporting horses abroad — the same rules apply in the reverse direction. A professional transporter knows these requirements and usually arranges the accompanying documents as well, but the responsibility for making sure everything is in order stays with you as the buyer.
Transport and Insurance
Choose a professional horse transporter with experience on the route and the correct permits for international transport — ask about them; a serious company will show them without hesitation. Discuss in advance how the horse is insured during the journey: does the transporter carry coverage, and if so, for exactly what, or do you need to arrange your own transport insurance from the moment ownership transfers. Also ask about the practical side: does the horse travel alone or with other horses, how long does the trip take, and where are rest or overnight stops made for long distances.
Costs: Add Up Every Item
An imported horse costs more than the purchase price. List the items beforehand, so the foreign price advantage doesn't evaporate along the way:
| Item | What to watch for |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | Record the agreed currency and payment timing |
| On-site pre-purchase vetting | Clinical exam plus X-rays; report delivered to you |
| Travel costs for viewing | Often several days, sometimes a second visit |
| Transport to the Netherlands | Distance, solo or combined transport |
| Insurance during transport | Through the transporter or arranged yourself |
| VAT and formalities | Varies by situation and country; get advice beforehand, especially outside the EU |
| Registration and follow-up | Registration in the Netherlands, health check by your own veterinarian |
After Arrival: Rest, Settling In, Checking
Give the horse rest first after the trip. A long journey, an unfamiliar stable, and new herd mates together add up to a significant strain; plan no training for the first few days and build up gradually after that. Have your own veterinarian do a health check in the first period — that way they know the horse right away, and you'll know for certain it came through the journey well. Keep in mind that a horse can need weeks to truly settle into new feed, new footing, and a new routine; don't judge the horse on its first week. Anyone wanting to look up the technical terms from the buying process can find them in the glossary.
In Short
- Buying across the border gives access to specific breeding regions and a wider selection, but adds transport, cost, and legal distance.
- Videos are a preselection tool; riding it yourself remains the standard — plan the visit generously and bring your instructor.
- Have the pre-purchase vetting done in the seller's country, by a veterinarian you choose who is independent of the seller.
- Record the applicable law, the competent court, and the moment risk transfers in the contract; litigating abroad is expensive.
- The passport travels with the horse, transport is subject to EU health requirements, and registration after arrival is mandatory — check current requirements at rvo.nl.
- Add up every cost item (vetting, travel, transport, insurance, VAT formalities) and give the horse rest and a check by your own veterinarian after arrival.
See also: The pre-purchase vetting · The purchase contract and your rights · Transporting horses abroad · Buying your first horse · Glossary · Level: owning your own horse