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by Andrea Laycock Mattson
I receive many, many inquiries from people who have purchased a Quarter Horse whose registration papers are unavailable. There are various reasons ... some legitimate, and some not. I hope the following information will prevent your getting into such a situation, or help in some way if you are already involved in one.
First of all, try to get the names and addresses of all previous owner(s). It may not be easy, because this information may be forgotten or deliberately being withheld from you. This is your best chance to find out the true identity of the horse ... at least its name and/or the name of the last owner recorded with the AQHA. This is very important. Also, you should check for a tattoo number inside the upper lip. AQHA can identify a horse from that number, which is different from its registration number.
Let me explain a little bit about the AQHA rules. When a horse is registered, the registration certificate is issued to the person registering the horse. HOWEVER, the certificate belongs to the AQHA, and they have the right to revoke or require it's return for sufficient cause. Whenever a horse is sold, the SELLER is required to return the certificate to AQHA along with a completed transfer form showing the date of sale, name and contact information for the buyer. The AQHA then records the change of ownership on the certificate and in their records, and mails the certificate directly to the new owner.
If a seller fails to record the transfer of ownership, as above, their AQHA membership can be suspended,
which is a very serious situation. This means they cannot race or show in AQHA events, they cannot transfer any more horses into their ownership, they can't stand a stallion, breed a mare, register a foal, etc., etc. If a horse dies or is sold without papers, the recorded owner must report this to AQHA and send the certificate of registration to them for notation.
These rules are enforced more strictly now than in years past, so once a horse has been transferred several times without having the change of ownership recorded with AQHA, it becomes a ticklish situation. The original seller is in trouble, and he or she may be worried that they risk suspension if it becomes known that they sold a horse without personally mailing the certificate and transfer report to AQHA ... even though it might have been a long time ago.
What needs to be done is to trace back all owners until you find the last owner recorded on the papers. Even if the papers cannot be found, or have been lost or destroyed, AQHA will issue a replacement certificate if applied for properly by the last recorded owner.
So the bottom line is ... you need to know the full registered name of the horse in order to find out who the recorded owner is. This is obviously not the person you purchased the horse from. If you can learn the name of the horse, chances are you can find the last recorded owner. In fact, that's easy: just call the AQHA records department at (806) 376-7415. They will give you the name and address of the last owner over the phone. Once you reach this point, transfer reports should be obtained from each previous owner to the next, up to and including the person who is selling the horse to you. These reports can then be submitted, along with the required fees, to AQHA. Hopefully, someone along the way still has the registration certificate in their possession. If not, most likely the AQHA will issue a replacement certificate if provided with proper documentation. You can call the registration department for advice on that matter: (806) 376-4811.
There really is no way to identify a horse unless you have a tattoo number or can learn the name of the horse and follow through, as above. There simply is not a way of learning anything from color, markings, gender, etc. If the horse is branded, you may have a possible trail to follow, but even that is difficult since you would need to know what state the brand is recorded in, etc., etc.
I hate to say this, but sometimes there are bad reasons why a horse "loses" its papers. Maybe it was never really registered, even though eligible for registration; it could have been obtained by means of a stable lien, or it could have been stolen; it may have been sold on a payment plan and the buyer failed to pay, then sold the horse without papers. There are endless ways this could have happened.
So I would be very careful about investing in a horse without papers if having the certificate is important to you. Do not pay for a horse until you see the registration papers and confirm that the color, markings, age, etc., match perfectly!!! The situation may seem bad now, but it could become much worse, especially if it turns up stolen along the way, or a previous owner has any kind of claim. Also, it would be a shame to invest in feeding and maintaining the horse and ultimately end up losing your money ... not to mention the emotional trauma you will go through.
Be cautious, act quickly to identify the horse, and good luck.
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