Signing over ownership of a horse - what should we consider?

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Walrus

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Hey guys,

I need some advice for a friend. She has a lovely pony her family has had for years, now he's about 16 and has arthritis. Due to various circumstances she isn't able to keep him herself and he has been on loan to various people over the last 4-5 years as a companion or light hack. Now she has found a very nice lady who has had him on loan for over a year and who adores him. The lady has said the pony has a home for life with her, my friend would like to sign him over legally to the lady as she is in absolutely no position to have him back.

My question is how is best to go about this to make it legal? If she just drafts up a document for change of ownership and both her and new owner sign it and then the passport is transferred is this enough? Or would it be better for the lady to "buy" the pony for a nominal amount, say £1?

Any advice as to how to make the transfer as smooth and legally binding as possible! (for peace of mind more than anything, not becase we suspect anything of the lady - she's great!).

Thanks guys

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Ideal scenario would for to sell it for £1 or even 1p and fill in passport paperwork with a signed receipt.
 
I sold a pony for £1, she had sidebone and wasn't happy as a companion and found a lady who was happy hacking her when she sound.

I did the usual receipt of purchase for £1 and she sent passport off and everything went through fine.
 
Thanks guys, you've confirmed what I suspected. I suggested a nominal amount, then it's more "standard practice" isn't it. I'll let her know what you said. Cheers.
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Hi Walrus,

Completely agree with all the above but can I just ask one question? Are you absolutely sure that this pony will have a home for life, no matter what? I just wonder it might be worth having a contract with a clause saying that, if this lady changes her mind about ownership, then she has to "sell" it back to her current owner for the sum she paid for it. That way your friend does not need to worry that the pony will ever be sold or given to someone else.
 
It's a really good point Camilla and one we've thought about. But it's a sad fact, the truth is that that woulldn't be any different really to the pony being on loan, if the lady offered it back my friend really isn't in any position to take it back. It's not an ideal situation but I don't think she can really live with the shadow over her that the horse may come back. Obviously she would always do her very best for pony but financially I don't think him coming back is an option. And this isn't a case of someone having a knackered horse and wanting to palm it off on someone so they can have a new one like I know people get annoyed about on here, in truth the horse was a family horse who was under the main care of my friend's mother who sadly passed away several years ago. She's kept the pony as long as poss and esp with him coming down with arthritis quit young it made selling him as a riding horse impossible. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place!

Thanks for your advice everyone.
 
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