So I imported for the first time right before Christmas. Lots of excitement. Owned horses for close to 30 years. Lost my Dad recently and I had a YOLO moment and pulled the trigger after finding this dude online and my other horses being semi-retired/soundness issues.
A big 5yo Irish Sporthorse (TIH)
Thought I checked all the boxes of doing this correctly. Consulted with an agent and she walked me through the steps. Videos, good feedback of seller, 5 stage vetting. Etc.
2 days before I pick horse up at quarantine I’m getting warning messages horse is fractious, rearing, striking, kicking as soon as he got off plane. I back tracked his experiences before getting on plane (no issues)
Had toxicology done (nothing found)
Seller swears he has no aggressive behavior and has nothing negative to say about him. I disclosed my 17 year old intermediate step daughter would be working around him with me. Yes he’s young but has that Irish Draught brain right?!
Horse has XC schooled, hunted in Ireland and done some showing….
I could barely get near this horse to change a halter for the first couple weeks. Kicking at blanket straps, hiding in back of stall when approached, but runs up for cookies.
Quarantine facility claims nothing happened on their watch.
Trazodone did nothing, treated for ulcers but haven’t scoped him yet.
He’s improved in 2 months but getting on him is not in the very near future!
I now know I should have asked for more day to day videos, grooming, bathing, tacking.
I love him and know there’s a good guy in there but someone PLEASE give me some reassurance! 
how long did yours take to settle in after their plane ride?!
I have never imported a horse, but there are a lot of things that can greatly change a horse’s personality.
Shipping and quarantine is a lot of stall time with no out time. How much out time did he get before all that? How much out time is he getting now?
What was he eating before versus what is he eating now?
Has the vet been out to look at him?
It’s been many years since I imported my Dutch filly. She was 3, big, and a little on the hot side. But after a couple of weeks to relax and adjust, she was easy to start and never behaved as you describe your horse. Yet they’re all individuals, right? Maybe he’s more sensitive than you figured.
Is your horse getting plenty of turnout time? I mean hours and hours, where he can just unwind and be a young horse? That’s my first thought.
Also, are you working with a trainer? Not trying to discount your years of experience, but this might be where a pro, with an objective perspective on the situation and a solid background of working with big, young WBs, would come in handy.
What were the videos of him of? Just under saddle?
My immediate suspicion would be that this is how he is and the seller lied to you, or that he had a very controlled environment at the old place.
Besides yourself, who has been handling him since he came home?
My immediate suspicion is ulcers. Even if he’s being treated, they can be very difficult to get under control without knowing the severity and location. This horse also has gone through A LOT of change. I always prepare for a full year to get to know a new horse and it sounds like you did do your due diligence; so, I’m not so sure I would rush to judgment on the seller. I would work on getting the horse properly worked up which means GI endoscopy.
I don’t have any experience importing, but I wonder how the horse’s diet, as well as turnout, may have changed?
I think I would follow up on the horse’s diet and also, as another poster suggested, just make sure he’s turned out 10+ hours a day in a big field if possible.
Unless you’re living in the far north, the horse, being an Irish Sporthorse, probably doesn’t need a blanket. That’s one less thing to worry about when he’s out in the field.
Good luck!
Hi- imported my horse in April 2024 from the Netherlands. Big, strong, 6 year old at the time, prospect for 1.30m+ (successfully shown in 1.20m over there), and of course when he arrived we treated for ulcers as one does and scoped him (nothing shown after 3 weeks of ulcergard and sucralfate in the scope). He settled pretty quickly. I was lucky. I would say about a month in he was really settled but even within a week was being turned out and ridden without a lunge, jumping around no issues, etc. I have friends that imported a horse and had a similar experience to you where what they bought and what they got were drastically different, and same story- people they imported from said the travel changed the horse and none of the issues were present when the horse left their facility and no one fessed up to anything happening during the import or quarantine process. I’m afraid there isn’t much you can do once the horse is here. My mind at first goes to the horse may be in pain and that’s why it’s behaving so poorly, but it’s hard to do a thorough vet check (I would include scoping in this vet check) if the horse won’t let anyone safely near it. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this and hope things turn around soon.
I did the import thing for the first time in early Nov. '24. As a 4 yr old gelding his total travel time (being cooped up) from leaving his European farm to getting to my barn was 5.5 days. I left him in his stall part of the first day, and lunged lightly later and the next 2 days. I rode him lightly his 3rd day and he’s been on a 5 day/week riding schedule and group turnout. He’s a saint, but I did go to Europe to try him and others. This was a big purchase for me and after 30+ years of riding/horse ownership there was no way I would undertake this sight unseen UNLESS someone I knew could ride him for me first to vouch for temperament. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this, but this is NOT normal!
Sorry that you’re off to a rough start. That’s not what anyone wants to experience has part of an import.
When I imported mine he was a bit “up” for a few days, but then settled in and acted civilized. Mine was a yearling so it was a bit hard to tell what was being unsettled and what was a young horse just being handled more than before.
I’d definitely scope for ulcers to see what you’re dealing with.
I was trying to think if he could have some other condition that could’ve become symptomatic due to the stress of travel, but I’m not sure what that would be, if anything.
Some can really lose their sh*t when they’re out of a working routine, but this seems a bit dramatic for that.
I’ve never imported, but I know horses can have large personality shifts when changing locations, even just within the same city. Some are more sensitive than others. My mare would take a good month to settle into a new barn in the same general location when she was 4-5 years old. It took her two months to settle when we moved from Ohio to Florida when she was 7. I mean, her “not settled” wasn’t as extreme as your guy’s sounds like, but still.
Further info would be needed before jumping to a conclusion that the seller lied.
Did seller own horse its entire life before this sale?
What was horse’s diet in Europe? And diet now?
What horse’s turnout in Europe? Turnout now?
Yeah, turnout and feed can affect a lot. That’s a good shout.
Seller did say he was shy of needles so I’m assuming in quarantine they overly restrained him in a hurry to take blood and freaked him out.
He now has 24/7 turnout with access to his stall and timothy hay in front of him free choice. He was stalled much more in UK being it mud season I was told. He was worked 5-6 days per week. He’s really enjoying his turnout even choosing to be out during the rain & snow.
He was freshly body clipped (heavily sedated obviously) when I got him so he has to stay blanketed it’s been a frigid winter in Northeast.
Impossible to replicate what he was eating there but I started with a ration balancer and outlast gut support. His appetite has been EXCELLENT since day 1. He’s gained weight he lost during travel and looks wonderful.
He has really friendly moments, whenever there is activity he comes right in to see what’s going on (he really associates us with snacks!)
I’ve been able to crosstie and lightly groom and can handle his face more now. He’s tolerating but not enjoying being touched.
I sedated him and had all his shoes pulled since I won’t be doing anything for awhile.
On the daily I find my self pleading “let me love you!”
I haven’t scoped yet because I’m trying to be the least invasive as possible to not freak him out again.
Baby steps!
I actually reached out to former owner that had him from a yearling to 5 and she only had good things to say. “Not a mean bone in his body”
Dealer I purchased from only had him maybe 3 months. I should have asked more questions and demanded video…you live you learn!
He’s body clipped and in the frigid north so he has to be blanketed with his 24/7 turnout 
He’s not bothered by the wearing of the blankets and is getting better but the act of fastening the belly straps really bothered him for awhile. He’s better now 90% of the time with that.
He really only wants a soft brush on him too, very sensitive 1600lb BABY!
I had videos of him under saddle, jumping xc and flat in the arena. 2 different riders. His jogs, flexions and lunging for PPE were also videoed for me.
I had a brief video of him tied and being brushed where he didn’t look bothered.
He really was portrayed as a steady eddy, wear many hats guy that was pretty close to bombproof for a youngster.
Yet he was scared of me blowing my nose today!
Frustrating but determined to get through it!
Tons of turnout time now, his paddock is attached to his stall and I never shut them in. He didn’t have much turnout in UK with mud season.
I haven’t been able to work him yet, not even on the ground bc everything has been a sheet of ice since he arrived! (Never doing this without an indoor in New England ever again!).
Once I can get a better idea of what I’m dealing with I’ll seek trainers help if it’s beyond my ability.
I already picked up a round pen, waiting on good ground!
Oh no! What a nightmare. Along with treating/scoping for ulcers…
I can imagine a scenario like, hypothetically, being brought up at a small quiet yard, outside 24/7, amongst familiar horses - then being thrust through a dealers barn and the onslaught of international travel from hub to hub, busy airports, being indoors 24/7, and being molested by a parade of strangers could be pretty traumatic to a horse.
Does he get along with other horses? Do you have the option of turning him out with friends for a while and slowly bringing him back into a stall?
I agree all those things probably traumatized him. He is getting along great with my 2 older guys, they hang out over the fence but not in together yet as the footing has been too sketchy if they get really playing!
Was he ever previously body clipped? I’m wondering if clip and blanket means static or otherwise irritating him.
The first photos I saw of him were in November and he was clipped, I got him a whole month later. It’s now been 2 months and he’s grown back a good amount of coat 
