Would you buy a pony without a passport?

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LisW

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Question in title - I do know it is actually illegal for the seller to sell a pony without a passport & presumably to buy her without too & even to transport her home.
But would you consider it?
A friend has borrowed one of our Minis as a companion to her mare, but we don't want to part long term as we drive her more in the summer months, so were looking out for a replacement companion.
Found a lovely 4 year old Mini advertised for £250 not far away. Went with her to see her. Lovely pony, very sweet temperament. Perfect for what she wanted.
Assumed she'd have a passport - but she doesn't! Lady says none of her ponies have. Has apparently owned her a year & sees no issue in her having no passport.
Obviously it's a risk to buy without & transport home. But friend could get her chipped & passported at home. Lady not intersted in holding onto her whilst she is chipped.
Would you do it? Any idea of costs? Obviously need vet call out but what does chip cost?
Thanks.
 
The lady is committing an offence by selling without a passport and the soonest you could get one and the mare be legal to transport would be two to three weeks.

Vet call out, microchip & passport fee, probably a tet vacc at the same time. No change from £100.

Where did she buy it?
 
Yes I definately would. A lot of people still don't and half the horses coming out of Ireland don't have passports. To be fair I'm sure most owners make sure their horse is passported and most dealers will passport before selling but some stil don't.
 
While it is illegal to buy or sell without a passport, loads of horses and ponies do not have one!
Passport does not prove ownership anyway! Only identifies the horse/pony. Even if it had a passport does not prove/disprove it has been stolen!

How are you planning on moving the pony? This can make a difference to the passport!

Its up to you if it is worth the risk of being caught however. How many times have you been stopped by trading standards?

I have bought without a passport in the past and the vets never questioned it when coming out to issue one!

Good Luck
 
in the case the price will be £150 or less for the pony then? They are all crawling out of the woodwork now. Lazy owners that just cannot be bothered to comply with the law.
 
See the fact ot was bought form travellers would ring alarm bells for me. It may well be it was one bred by travellers and they have sold or they could well have nicked it and sold it to the first person who'd have it to get it off their hands.

Personally I'd point out to this lady that it is illegal to sell the pony without a passport and that she should get it passorted before you will buy it.

Theoretically you could actually report her for selling/attempting to sell the pony without a passport and shop her for not having any of her horses passported. She is in the wrong. I know there are many people who argue they are not having their horses passported because they never leave the field they are in and will be with said person til the day they die BUT this lady is selling this horse and how many others? She is committing an offence.

You could just say you'll give her less for it on the basis that you'll have to apply for a passport but the problem I have with this, the more people who are willing to buy a horse that doesn't have a passport the less pressure there is on a seller to get their horses passported.

If you did buy the pony and it transpired it had been stolen you would be the one who would suffer the financial loss if the pony was seized and returned to the rightful owners. The lady who sold it to you and of course the travellers who sold it to her would get off scott free!
 
A word of warning to anyone thinking about buying a horse without a passport, a very impatient 'friend' bought a supposedly papered KWPN 6 year old gelding, he did not come with a passport or any breeding papers. Hmmm, alarm bells rang in my head, horse had not much done with it and was very thin/poor looking. He was microchipped which also raised more alarm bells. In two months he has hospitalised her, bolt numerous times ridden and whilst being lunged, jumping out of or through the arena fence. Bolts when led and is very difficult to catch. In short, someone has messed him up. She has contacted the seller who admitted they were frightened of him as he had bolted with them (no mentioned at sales) but as she hasn't got the money she can't have him back. Hmmm, so she has three options, send him away to be schooled at great expense for something that is currently worthless, sell at an unwarranted sale having obtained a cheapy passport or have him shot. She is experienced (although not in UK) and a good rider, we have all tried to help but we could all see it coming, he had too many 'dodgy' signs to be a genuine deal. I would have walked away as soon as I knew he didn't have a passport.
 
No, I definately wouldnt. I nearly bought a horse once ,a few years ago, wrote the cheque out and asked to see the paperwork agian, passport and registraion papers. Realised they were in a different name to the seller.
wrote the cheque to pay "Joe Bloggs", seller said, thats wrong, my name is "mary smith" . I said , but passport etc say Joe Bloggs is the owner. You should have seen her face. Never did get the horse.
 
ladyt25 said:
See the fact ot was bought form travellers would ring alarm bells for me. It may well be it was one bred by travellers and they have sold or they could well have nicked it and sold it to the first person who'd have it to get it off their hands.

Personally I'd point out to this lady that it is illegal to sell the pony without a passport and that she should get it passorted before you will buy it.

Theoretically you could actually report her for selling/attempting to sell the pony without a passport and shop her for not having any of her horses passported. She is in the wrong. I know there are many people who argue they are not having their horses passported because they never leave the field they are in and will be with said person til the day they die BUT this lady is selling this horse and how many others? She is committing an offence.

You could just say you'll give her less for it on the basis that you'll have to apply for a passport but the problem I have with this, the more people who are willing to buy a horse that doesn't have a passport the less pressure there is on a seller to get their horses passported.

If you did buy the pony and it transpired it had been stolen you would be the one who would suffer the financial loss if the pony was seized and returned to the rightful owners. The lady who sold it to you and of course the travellers who sold it to her would get off scott free!
Click to expand...

Trading Standards are the people who deal with this.
 
Thank you for all replies. After a long chat with my friend, I think she is going to walk away. There will be other small companion ponies.
I agree it's not good to support somebody who wants to break the law. She won't keep her whilst we get a passport. She's a very pretty pony - stolen? possibly.
How would we go about reporting her please?
 
LisW said:
Thank you for all replies. After a long chat with my friend, I think she is going to walk away. There will be other small companion ponies.
I agree it's not good to support somebody who wants to break the law. She won't keep her whilst we get a passport. She's a very pretty pony - stolen? possibly.
How would we go about reporting her please?
Click to expand...


Local council trading standards people and if you suspect stolen then the police too.
 
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