WORTHLESS HORSE REGISTRATION PAPERS / CANNOT TRANSFER OWNERSHIP

I have been looking for a new horse in the East Coast states and found Family Equine Services of Central NY on an internet chat/blog which said they sold Registered horses at a decent price. I got on their website to see what they had and took a look at the pictures and writeups of the Registered horses that they have for sale. 2 horses were Registered with the American Quarterhorse Association and the 3rd was Registered with the American Paint Horse Association. The 4th horse was a Grade.

All 4 of the horses I looked at was said to have been with the SAME Family for 5 years since 2002 (figuring its 2007 now). In addition to each horses biography, they included a PICTURE of 2 of the horses REGISTRATION PAPERS at the bottom of the page (I contacted the AQHA on the 3rd). When I looked at the picture of the horses Registration Papers placed under their writeup I became suspicious since there weren't any ownership transfers on the papers since the 1990's. I emailed this business and brought my concerns to their attention 2 or 3 times. They NEVER emailed me back. I even copied and pasted the Ownership Records that the AQHA provided me of a horse named Apple Crate Sonny. I asked them why hadn't this horses registration papers not been updated since 1999? Again, NO response.

Their failure to email me and answer my concerns prompted me to contact both the AQHA and the APHA and they confirmed that each horse is STILL registered under the same owner since 1993, 1996, and 1999.

Both organizations said "A TRANSFER FROM THE REGISTERED OWNER ON FILE IS NEEDED TO ANY AND ALL OWNERS IN ORDER TO UPDATE THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP HISTORY OF THE HORSE. These are the 3 horses I contacted the AQHA and the APHA about:

1. Apple Crate Sonny AQHA Registration Number 3831987. CHESTNUT Born 05/03/1999 NY BREEDER and CURRENT OWNER ON FILE SAME since Birth in 1999. This horse has changed hands over the past 8-9 YEARS YET is still Legally Registered with the Current Owner on File with the AQHA since 1999.

2. Tibbers Magnum Opus AQHA Registration Number 2944780 Born 07/01/1990 NY age 17. Transferred to 2nd and CURRENT OWNER ON FILE 07/13/1993. This horse has changed hands over the past 14-15 YEARS YET is still Legally Registered with the Current Owner on File with the AQHA since 1993.

3. MK BARS APHA Registration Number 358,053 PAINT born Peotone, Illinois on 4/26/1996 age 11 3/4 years. Transferred to 2nd and CURRENT OWNER ON FILE WITH THE APHA on 8/3/1996. This horse has changed hands over the past 11-12 YEARS YET is still Legally Registered with the Current Owner on File with the APHA since 1996.

These horses are being advertised by Family Equine Services of Central NY as Registered with the AQHA & APHA which they are. BUT what they fail to mention is that they are STILL LEGALLY REGISTERED WITH THEIR FORMER OWNERS ON FILE WITH THE AQHA AND THE APHA since 1993, 1996, and 1999.

WHY would 3 REGISTERED horses NOT have had their
1. Registration Papers &
2. Transfers of Ownership Updated with the AQHA or APHA since 1993, 1996, or 1999? Once sold, These 3 horses do not legally belong to the new owner unless the CURRENT OWNER ON FILE TRANSFERS THE OWNERSHIP of the horse over to the new owner with proper Transfer Paperwork. Their Registration Papers are WORTHLESS if the TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP HAS NOT BE DONE. Sure, the horses can be sold by this business or anyone for that matter but be aware that the CURRENT OWNER ON FILE STILL TECHNICALLY OWNS THE HORSE. They can come back at any time and take their horse back.

By posting pictures of these 3 horses OLD Registration Papers on their website without FULL DISCLOSURE, this business has placed false information to entice people to buy the horses. FULL DISCLOSURE STATES that these horses are still legally owned by the owner on file with the AQHA & the APHA.

I took a picture of these 3 horses Bios and Registration Papers that Family Equine Services of Central NY posted on their Website.

If you are new to buying a Registered horse, be sure to contact the appropriate horse Registration agency and compare the Current Owner on File with the Current Owner listed on the horse's Registration Papers. The names must be the SAME.

Make sure the current owner who is selling you the horse fills out A Transfer of Ownership form with their name and YOUR name. Check to make sure the former owner signs and dates the form. Next, the former owner gives you the actual Registration Papers of the horse. The Registration Papers will have the horses Registration Number on it along with the horses parents names, grandparents, etc. On the back of the Papers will show the horses distinct markings- CHECK EVERYTHING. Sign and date The Transfer of Ownership Papers and mail that form along with the Registration Papers to the Appropriate Registration Agency (ie: AQHA). You will be mailing TWO forms. The agency will mail the Registration Papers back to you once they update the new ownership. Put them in a SAFE place. If you sell the horse, You MUST fill out a Transfer of Ownership Form with your name, the new owners name, horses name, sign and date. This releases your Legal ownership of the horse over to the New Owner. Next give the owner the horses Registration Papers. Make out 2 Forms, have them sign both, so you have a copy of it. That completes the transfer on your end. The new owner then signs and dates the form, sends it in to the Appropriate Registration Agency which legally registers the horse in the new owners name. If they fail to send in the Transfer of Ownership Papers and Registration Papers, you still legally own the horse. You may want to check with the appropriate registration agency to see if the new owner Registered the horse. If they didn't, contact them. They may have simply lost the Transfer Papers which you can easily mail since you have a copy.