Urgent: transport France-UK/UK-France?

Nour

Member
Joined
18 August 2016
Messages
20
Visit site
Morning all,

My horse is currently in France, and I'm having a bit of a nightmare time trying to get her across to the UK - I found a lovely lady willing to transport her for me at a reasonable cost (Veronica from Yew Tree Transport), but the dates were dependent on other clients who needed their horse first transported to Spain - she was going to pick up my horse on the way back from Spain. However, these clients have now pushed their dates back until Christmas, which is too late for me (the owner of my horse's livery yard in France is currently in hospital and unable to look after the horses - plus, I don't want her arriving in the middle of winter).

Veronica is looking into doing a special trip for me in November, but it would be A LOT cheaper if it could be tied into transporting a horse from the UK to France first, before doing the return trip with mine.. Does anyone have a horse in the UK that needs transporting to France in the next month?

Alternatively, if anyone is doing the France-UK trip shortly and has space for an extra horse, please let me know!


Fingers crossed!

Chloe (and my mare, Nour)
 

Palindrome

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 July 2012
Messages
1,717
Visit site
Have you tried contacting other transporters instead? I have used Parkers twice but there are others, if you do a search on the forum you will find them.
Be careful that you need your vet certificate stamped officially by some bureaucrat within a day or 2 of transport.
ETA: Parkers have always been within a few days of my date (sometimes they even suggested earlier) so I would try them first. They are competitively priced and load the horse for you on a top notch wagon.
 
Last edited:

The Fuzzy Furry

Getting old disgracefully
Joined
24 November 2010
Messages
28,453
Location
Pootling around......
Visit site
Parkers are def worth trying, 100% recco them.
Also try Peden, and Equestrian re-hab (based Surrey) on 01276 488040 for Richard who does a lot of runs to France/Spain.
There is also LOC, Richmonds to try too.
Hope you get something worked out :)
 

Nour

Member
Joined
18 August 2016
Messages
20
Visit site
Thanks guys! I emailed Parkers last night so hopefully they'll get back to me, but I'll also look up the other two you recommended as well, thank you.

It's pretty stressful, she was supposed to be here already by now and it's getting pushed back more and more, so now that livery owner is ill I'm panicking a bit! I did think about hiring a horsebox but it's a really long journey and I've never driven one so I don't really dare!
 

Dry Rot

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 May 2010
Messages
5,847
Location
Scotland
Visit site
Parkers work with Gillies. the first doing the European arrangements and Gillies here in the UK. I think they have been working together like this for several decades. They certainly take all the hasle out of it arranging documentation, vet certificates, etc. so all you have to do is have the horse head collared and with the passport ready to load.
 

CarlungM

Member
Joined
21 September 2016
Messages
29
Visit site
Parkers brought one over from France for me. They were very good and then he was brought to me by a Northern based transporter as Gillies couldn't do it. All went very smooth and the horse arrived in very good condition. It was great having a company who understood all the paperwork needed and meant I didn't worry.
 

Rollin

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 March 2008
Messages
4,779
Visit site
Parkers have frequent trips to and fro. From where in France to whereabouts in the UK? We are in Pays de la Loire and always do our own transport now. We use Dieppe-Newhaven which is only a 4 hour crossing, best price we get in the winter is just £80 Disco+ifor Williams.

Last time we sent a horse to the UK for a client, the transporter did not do the French paperwork, we had to go to the nearest Ministyr of Agriculture - 40mins away.
 

Nour

Member
Joined
18 August 2016
Messages
20
Visit site
My horse is in Chinon, in the Indre et Loire (région Centre), and I'm currently in Aberystwyth in Wales.

I took the Dieppe-Newhaven ferry on my way back to the UK this time round actually, and it was great, you're right. I did look at horse box hire, but I've never driven a horse box before so I'm too nervous to do the journey myself unfortunately.

What's the paperwork situation like? I know I need to get something signed by the ministry of agriculture, but I don't understand exactly what. I also need a vet to do a check up 24 hours before she travels, is that right?
 

Nour

Member
Joined
18 August 2016
Messages
20
Visit site
Thanks a lot! I've emailed Parkers so fingers crossed.

With regards to the vet certificate: I was under the impression I needed signed paperwork from the ministry of agriculture, plus a vet certificate 24 hours before departure - is it actually the vet certificate that needs to be signed? I've never had to deal with cross-border horse issues before so I'm pretty clueless!!

Thank you so much for your suggestions!
 

mutley75

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 November 2011
Messages
414
Location
surrey/sussex
Visit site
The French paperwork is now some of the hardest in Europe since the end of the free travel agreement. If your local vet is qualified they must instigate the papers. Once they have the transporters authorisation number and vehicle reg, all must be taken to the local ministry vet that can be some distance away to them be signed of by local vet within 48 hours of travel. If you are not in France the biggest expense can be the courrier running papers between vets. If your horse is not on a breed society passport they can require a journey plan as well. As its quite a new system it can vary a lot from department to department.
 

joosie

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 June 2009
Messages
1,105
Location
New Zealand
Visit site
I transported my mare to France with Parkers and have nothing negative to say about them at all. I would also try LOC, the best quote I got was actually from them, I only went with Parkers because the dates fit better.
 

Nour

Member
Joined
18 August 2016
Messages
20
Visit site
Ugh, that sounds fun! I'll call my vet this morning and talk to them about it, hopefully they'll know what to do and will be able to help me out!
 

j1ffy

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 January 2009
Messages
4,213
Location
Oxon
Visit site
Parkers are great, I'd recommend calling them as the contact form on their website seems to go nowhere!

LOC and Eastelms also get good feedback.
 

Dry Rot

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 May 2010
Messages
5,847
Location
Scotland
Visit site
DEFRA have a special department to handle import and export documentation and I'd talk to them before I'd talk to local vet. There should be a link on their site. But as above, a company like Parkers will do it all, so why bother? When things go wrong, it can be a horrendous business sorting it out!
 

Nour

Member
Joined
18 August 2016
Messages
20
Visit site
Parkers are saying they can do it within the next couple of weeks! And their price is totally reasonable. Thanks a lot everyone!
 

Nour

Member
Joined
18 August 2016
Messages
20
Visit site
They do it for me? Oh my god that's such a relief! Thanks, that's so reassuring! I emailed DEFRA this morning to check what I need to do, but it's good to know Parkers will help!!
 

Rollin

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 March 2008
Messages
4,779
Visit site
I have just telephone Parkers, just in case they had changed their service since we last used them.

If you are shipping from France to UK with a non-TB or on a non-FEI passport, YOU will have to get the export papers done yourself, as I have already stated. Your vet needs to complete the forms then you need to hot foot to your nearest Ministry of Agriculture, in our case it is 40mins away and it took a whole morning.
 

Nour

Member
Joined
18 August 2016
Messages
20
Visit site
Gosh thank you so much for being so incredibly helpful Rollin! Parkers seem very helpful which is great, the lady has given me some good instructions and I was also able to contact the lady from the ministry of agriculture - as soon as the exact transport date is confirmed I'll be able to book the vet and an appointment, so all good!

Thanks again everyone!
 
Top