Buying a horse from abroad could be easy, but taking it back to Hong Kong or Macau could be an headache. Every single procedure has to be done correctly, appropriately and timely to ensure your new purchase arrive as early as possible. It is particularly important to note the difference of regulations as the importation criteria differ from one racing jurisdiction to another. From pre-sale & pre-transport veterinary examination to quarantine, from arranging air freight to insuring horses, Yuma's dedicated team of professionals are experienced in their field and is capable of taking care of our owners' worries and burdens.

Pre-sale/Pre-transport veterinary examination

From 1-Jul-2002, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has introduced new veterinary criteria for the permanent importation of racehorse into Hong Kong. The new regulations are effectively tougher than the old ones, thus it would not be surprising to see a considerable amount of raced-horses (PP) fail the clinical examination and banned from exporting to Hong Kong.

The HKJC's appointed veterinary surgeons will generally give one of the 3 recommendations regarding the suitability of these horses coming to Hong Kong.
1. Passed the clinical examination for racing purposes.
2. Do not recommend for export to Hong Kong for racing purposes due to remarks as listed in the veterinary examination report.
3. Failed the clinical examination for racing purposes.

It would be rather unfortunate if the horse fell into the third category as that would simply means the owner will have to look somewhere else and find another suitable candidate. Horses that fell into the second category may still be allowed to go to Hong Kong at the owner's discretion, with both the owner's appointed veterinary surgeons and the HKJC's veterinary surgeon's opinions taken into account.

Yuma will handle the clinical examination arrangements and the negotiation process with veterinary surgeons on both sides, as well as advising clients on the appropiate actions every step of the way.

Quarantine & transportation

Advising clients on when to send their horse to quarantine camp and booking shipment is also one of our services. The overall costs can be minimised if the dates are well planned ahead. The cost could be much higher if the horse has to travel alone instead of travelling with one or two other horses. We work closely with the British Bloodstock Agency (BBA) and Instone Air Services in order to plan the best date for quarantine and shipping. The UK shipment interval to Hong Kong is approximately 45 days. While shipment to Macau varies from 2 to 3 months, depending on the number of horses travelling.

Insurance

New owners always faced with the decision of whether or not to insure the new purchase. If it is to be insured, what kind of insurance is appropriate? Here is a brief introduction of several common bloodstock insurance options.

Mortality insurance is a life insurance policy for your horse. It is an all-risk policy which covers death from any cause, as well as loss or stolen. Travel insurance covers horses in quarantine, transit to destination and, usually, 1 month after arrival at the destination. Loss Of Use insurance covers the owner in the event that the horse is unable to race and has to retire compulsorily.

Due to special racing environment and governance, Hong Kong is the only racing jurisdiction in the world that allows Loss Of Use insurance claims to be processed. However, bloodstock rates were understated in the past, and the vast majority of underwritters were forced out of business owing to substantial underwriting losses. A lot of companies remaining decided to withdraw from the Loss Of Use market, claiming that there are many grey areas that need to be clearly defined. One of the examples is that a horse in Hong Kong has to retired after suffering from two bleeding attacks, while it may be able to continue racing in the US on medication.

Whether or not to insure a horse is within the owner's discretion but usually the cost of the horse is a major factor to be considered. We would normally advise our clients to insure their horses for travel insurance in order to cover the period where they are in quarantine, travelling and a short period after arrival.