Giving away a horse???

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Berry and Des

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My friend is giving away her horse to someone who knows about his leg problems and and we were just wondering if there is any kind of contract or possibly something she can write on his passport that will prevent the new owners selling him on and passing on the problem? He has already had an operation and this new home is just going to give him a slightly longer life.

If anyone has any ideas on what she can do we would really apprecitate it!! :)
 
The only way to ensure the horse's long term welfare is to loan with a contract stating clearly the terms and conditions. Once ownership has been relinguished, the former owner has no control over the future of the horse.
 
Well, if she completely 'gives' him away, then she can't control what happens to him thereafter. So the only thing she can do is copy the rescue charities way of doing this, and retain ownership of him - do a loan agreement that specifies that if ever it comes about that he can not remain at the home on the agreement, then he is to be returned to his owner (her). She would need to retain the passport of course.

I suppose it depends on how much she trusts this new home. If it were me, and if I really needed to do this - but still had some doubts - I think I'd adopt a 'belt and braces' approach:

- retain the passport
- have him freezemarked and micro-chippped
- do a contract as above
- get independent references for the new home (such as vets & farriers)
 
Passport has to go with horse. If you give it away then you have no say over it and what good are contracts when the horse is long gone?
 
As has been said, once the horse is not yours then it is out of your hands.

I would think about writing something on it's passport, where people would see it if they were buying it - just a note saying the horse's leg is injured, and the horse shouldn't be sold on as a ridden horse... Otherwise have it freezemarked as "loss of use". Both of these things should start alarm bells if the horse is being sold on as a useful riding horse.
 
Thankyou for the responses they are all very helpful, the thing is he is still rideable and complely sound ATM but the problem will come back and she is just worried that they might as there is a window there. They have said they will keep him and ride him until he has to be put down! She is thinking along the lines of a loan agreement now!!!! :)
 
Why doesn't she just keep him herself?

Seriously, whether she sells him or loans him she is going to relinqish control over his future (some loans don't end well).

Better to keep him herself and guarantee his future rather than palm him off onto someone else.

It would be awful if she spotted him in a few months time on a poster demonstrating the plight of meat horses en route to Hungary.
 
Make sure he is micro-chipped and freezemarked, and associate yourself (the owner) with the passport on NED Online and you can add notes on there to say the horse is on loan and not to be sold. Keep in touch and go and see the horse, never take someones word that he is happily eating grass in the field, make the effort at least once or twice a year to visit the horse.
 
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