Old owner asking me to do something strange

RollOnSpring

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 March 2014
Messages
100
Location
Devon
Visit site
I bought my mare off a lady nearby and she is known to be a bit of a dodgy character. I fell in love with the horse and she played on that and charged me more than the first agreed price because I'd already fallen in love with her and I was stupid enough to pay her more even though everyone was telling me not to. She is a great horse and we are both very happy. She contacted me last week and said that the foal she had from my mare wasnt registered and she was finding it hard to do as she bred her but hadnt registered herself as my mare's owner in her passport. She has now told me she wants me to transfer the ownership on her passport back to her so she can register the foal as the breeder and then I can re-register my horse back to myself. I dont trust her fully but she tells me she is stuck unless I do it. she said that a passport doesnt prove ownership anyway and that vets bills etc do, plus I have a receipt from when i bought her, so she said it will be fine and she will help me transfer her back to me as soon as shes registered the foal.
Do you think it would be ok and is she being reasonable? She wouldnt own the horse, its just a legality so she get the foal sorted.
 
I wouldn't rush into doing that.
I'd probably investigate a little further with the registering body to see what a more appropriate way of doing it would be
 
If she is registered in your name can't you just register the foal? I would not be changing it the other way at all.
 
I would be very cautious with this request working on the principle that if it feels wrong it probably is. Do some research and possibly speak to the BHS advice line or even DEFRA.
 
Thanks for the replies. I cant register the foal as she said it would then belong to me and she wants to show up as the breeder in his passport. I just feel a bit pressured as she said the previous owner to me who techincally was still the registered owner of my mare when the foal was born (because this woman didnt change it) no longer lives at the address on the passport and she cant be traced. I dont really want to do it as it sounds wrong and I dont 100% trust her as she tried to rip me off before when I bought her but shes piling on the pressure :(
 
I don't know the answer to this but have you put it in breeding. They just might have the answer on there. But failing that I would ring the passport issuer they will tell you what you have to do.
 
I would say no but write her a letter saying she was the owner of the mare on xxx date when you then purchased her for her to pass on to passporting authorities.
 
No way, as you said she is known for being dodgy. She should have registered the foal before she sold the mare so I wouldn't feel like you are obliged to help her out either, its her own fault really. Perhaps she is putting pressure on you because she knows you'll cave, if you're not going to do it (I wouldn't!) then just say no to her. I hate people like that, its not your problem, so don't let her turn it into your problem.

Also, best of luck with your mare! :)
 
Good advice on this thread.

It sounds about as fishy as a dead mackerel TBH; she should have registered the foal before she sold the mare - the fact that she failed to do so - then tough I'd say. Her problem not yours and I can't see how re-registering the mare back to her is going to help with that???

It must be a common situation: I'd be very very chary of doing anything of the sort.

Her foal, her problem to sort out from her end, her failure to do it before she sold you the mare.

Tell her to jog on up the road.
 
Thanks for the replies. I cant register the foal as she said it would then belong to me
So on one hand she says having your horse registered in her name does not prove ownership yet to have the foal registered in your name does?
Sounds like she is pulling a fast one.
Why on earth would you even consider helping her after she took advantage of you over the purchase price.
Just tell her to sling her hook in no uncertain terms.
 
Absoloutely not. If she hasn't bothered to register the foal it's her problem. And she could say you transferred ownership to gift the mare to her.
Tell her to find out a better way.
 
Don't do it.

The passport issuing authority can see from your mare's passport that she didn't belong to you at the time the foal was born so no need to change anything on there.

Also, foals are supposed to be registered, chipped and passported at weaning - she obviously didn't do that so why is that now your issue?

I would offer to give a photocopy of the owners page and offer to write a covering letter for the agency but that would be about it.
 
I agree with everyone else, I had my girls old owner take advantage of me (paid £1100 for a horse worth £500 - she then tried to sell tack and rugs separately ) I kept things amicable for the purpose of the sale but as soon as I had passport and a signed letter for the sale I wouldn't let her have anything to do with the horse again. I wouldn't let her sit on my horse again- no way would I give her the passport!
Tell her to jog on, her mistake she can deal with it. I know it's difficult as I hate confrontations but it could put you and your horse in a dodgy situation not worth the risk, better to p**s one person off and keep you and your horse happy.
 
So on one hand she says having your horse registered in her name does not prove ownership yet to have the foal registered in your name does?
Sounds like she is pulling a fast one.
Why on earth would you even consider helping her after she took advantage of you over the purchase price.
Just tell her to sling her hook in no uncertain terms.

Yep, this. Absolutely no way in hell. Ever. Nada. Nope. Can just imagine the scenario ... she changes name on passport to hers, then claims horse belongs to her. best case scenario, you have to pay to register your horse again as yours - unless she's going to pay for each address change?
 
I would have thought it was not necessary for the mare to be registered in her name, as long as she can provide the foal to a vet for marking, chipping and DNA testing (blood or hair) and she is willing to pay for the vet to take DNA from your mare and check the Passport and chip (with your permission of course) and, if not already done, pay for the mare to be registered as a broodmare (in your name), the foal should be able to be registered with her as breeder. Leased mares don't have to have the owner changed on the passport, however I would check with the issuing agency/breed society. It will be costly for her with two vets visits and all the fees but thats not your problem.
 
The paperwork for foals for breed societies are usually done before the foal is weaned, this is so the vet can almost guarantee the foal is the offspring of the mare. The sires is usually confirmed by the covering certificate, some breed societies also want DNA testing as accidents do happen. So long as the mare was owned by her at the time of foaling and she has all the paperwork she can register with her stud prefix, the WPCS have breeding loan rules so the foal can not be registered in the loaners prefix unless the correct paperwork has been filed in.
If the mare is registered with a breed society there may be some value but really she should have passported it before weaning, if its over six months the breed society may want DNA anyway. I do not see who actually owns the mare now makes any difference in the registration it when the mare foaled. If you have the previous owners address you can look up if she has a registered prefix on the central prefix register.
 
Tell her you'll do it but you want £5000 cash pond newts in your hand before the mare is re-registered to her and you will return them safely once the mare is registered back to you. Let's see where the trust goes on this one :D
 
I think you get the gist of the advice - NOT a chance!!!
And Start recording all conversations - texts - screen shots - whatever you need and can get saved onto your hard drive!

- Sounds like shes a horrible slippery type to try anything!
 
No. Don't do it! You could have a chat with the breed registrar yourself to see what the procedures are and also to alert them to any possible nefarious intent on the part of the foal's owner.
 
I haven't read this the whole way through but I loaned my mare out to have a foal, the mare's passport was never changed into the loanee's 'ownership' and she had no trouble registering the foal. All very odd to me.
 
Passports never have been proof of ownership, so she is talking through her backside. If she wants to prove the breed of the foal suggests she gets it blood tested and offer her the opportunity to have a vet take bloods from the mare. Job done.
 
Thank you for your advice. I knew it all seemed strange so thats why i wanted to check I was right about my gut instinct. She just surprised me on the phone with it and made me feel as though i was being unreasonable by not agreeing to it by saying 'well, what am I meant to do now? I have a poor foal that will have to go for meat'. Im a fairly shy and quiet person and its a huge weakness of mine to be easily bullied by people because i dont stand up for myself. Thank you for all your advice, it has really helped - once again horse and hound has come to my rescue!
 
She just surprised me on the phone with it and made me feel as though i was being unreasonable by not agreeing to it by saying 'well, what am I meant to do now? I have a poor foal that will have to go for meat'.
What utter rubbish (her not you!) It can't go for meat without a passport!!
 
Top