Information for American Buyers

The most common questions asked by our American buyers are what is required to get horses across the Canadian/US border and what costs are involved. For your convenience we have listed what is required.

Current Health Regulations and Expenses to Cross the Border

All horse being exported to the US must have a recent coggins (within 6 months - 180 days). They need an international health certificate drawn up by a local vet and stamped approval by a federal vet. Approximate cost would be $135 for the health certificate and coggins plus $45 for the federal vet fee. This takes care of the health papers to take them across the border. This usually takes us approximately a week to get the paperwork ready.

From there, the US Customs requires a broker to clear the horses for entry into the US. When the horse passes through the border it must then be taken to the US Federal Vet. The Federal Vet inspects the paperwork to make sure that it is legitimate and inspects the horse to make sure that it is indeed the right horse and that it is healthy. The closest point of entry to us, is Port Huron, Michigan. The Federal Vet there is about 5 or 10 miles down the road from there on Highway 69. We can also meet you in Lewiston, New York (right by Niagara Falls) at the Federal Vets there about 2 miles from the Canadian Border.

The fees involved to actually get your horse across the border are roughly $280. $240 of this is for US Department of Agriculture release, US vet charges, US Customs Entry service, Border Cargo select filing, Entry Bond Service, and other disbursement fees. There is also a cost of $25 for filing an Electronic Manifest and the $15 cost for crossing the bridge both ways.

Also there is a $140 charge for us to haul your horse from our place to the federal vet’s on the US side of the border.

When this it totaled out it comes to $600 (Canadian). This is your horse landed on the US side of the border with all costs taken care of and paperwork done as well. All you do is load your horse in your trailer and drive away.

Please note – Most of these charges are the same for multiple horses. The Broker’s fee is the same for one horse as it is for 10, the same with our trucking costs, etc. If you buy more than one horse the costs of taking the other horses across the border is minimal. Also with the $200 discount we give when buying multiple horses these costs would likely be offset by the discount.

The health papers and brokerage fees are the buyer’s expenses. However, we will do the foot work and and get this paperwork looked after for you.

Trucking

Trucking is the buyer’s responsibility and has nothing to do with the price of the horse. However, we will try to help arrange trucking if you need it. We have Canadian truckers that will haul your horses for you that are experienced crossing the border. We are not in the trucking business but sometimes we have occasion to be in the US with our truck and trailer, and it is possible that we could meet you at a point that is convenient to both parties.

We understand that a first trip can be difficult for an individual or an American trucker not experienced with border crossing. Anyone hauling horses across the border needs a Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) and Pre-Arrival Processing System number (PAPS). It is not practical for most individuals to get all these numbers for a single entry. The Canadian truckers that are hauling horses regularly across the border have these numbers and stickers so it is not a hardship for them to take these horses across. We at Northstar Livestock have the PAPS numbers, SCAC numbers, Importer numbers, Exporter number, and GST numbers so we are equipped to get your horse over the border for you. We can do the paperwork involved, and haul your horses to the US side of the border to make things easier for you. This is a distance of about 160 miles for us to travel and for this we charge roughly $140 for the price of fuel, etc.

Trucking costs seem to be the biggest deterrent on horse sales to the United States. With the recent price increases in fuel, truckers have to charge accordingly. Most of these truckers are very fair but they still have to make a living as well. Most will drop their prices per horse if they can arrange for more horses to be going your way. Also keep in mind that they have to get home again. These fellas can’t charge the same amounts that your buddy would charge who’s doing this for gas only and to see the sights and because he is your friend. It has to make sense for a trucker economically.

To get an idea of distance – a good idea is to check out www.mapquest.com to give you the number of miles from us to your area. Our town to figure from is Port Elgin, ON. This will give you something to go by. However, it would probably be more practical to figure from Port Huron, Michigan or Lewiston, New York and have us haul it to the Veterinarian inspection station there or have a Canadian trucker haul it through there on down to your final destination.

Pricing

All our horses are priced in Canadian dollars. Prices on our horses are firm. If a person is buying more than one horse from us we will take off $200 per horse. We price our horses fairly and at what we have to have for them and the price is the same for all our customers. We do not favor one customer over another.

Payment

We do not accept American cheques as these cheques take three or four weeks and often longer to clear a Canadian bank. This would very likely have it that the horse would leave the country before the cheque cleared the bank. Money Orders and Drafts work in much the same way. Horses have to be paid in full before leaving our premises. The best way to make payment is to wire the money to our account. We will give you our bank information if you wish to go ahead and purchase a horse or horses. We sell a number of horses to the US and have found that this way works the best.

We do not consider horses sold until they are paid for. No one has prior claim to a horse and the first one that pays for the horse owns it. Keep in mind that we have no recourse on these horses once they leave Canada.

General Sales Tax (GST)

There is a General Sales Tax in Canada (5%) that applies to horses sold in Canada. However, this does not apply if the horse is taken possession of on the US side of the border.

Exchange Rates

All our horses are priced in Canadian dollars. The Exchange Rate on the US dollar can be a considerable advantage on both the price of the horse and the cost of trucking. This varies up and down of course, and can change several times in a day. When you transfer funds, your bank can tell you what the exchange rate is at that time.    

We would like you to know that we value our American customers. We appreciate your business.