Arabian Horse Registration Transfer

[Indeeana]

Hey all! New poster, but long-time lurker here. I have a question for you more experienced people about registration transfers, particularly with the Arabian Horse Association.

I have owned this horse (a 19-year-old gelding) for a number of years, and received his papers at the time of purchase. However, the family I purchased him from had never had the papers transferred to their name. They had also owned him for a number of years (2-3). The papers are signed over by the current recorded owners with the AHA (NOT the people I purchased him from, but the family who owned him prior). Hopefully this makes sense.

My understanding is that since the papers are signed over, I can sign them, enclose a check for the appropriate amount, & mail them to the AHA to have my horse’s registration updated to be in my name. However, there obviously won’t be record of the owner between me & the current registered owner. Are there any possible issues that could arise from this? Is it even worthwhile to update his registration? On the one hand, it would be nice to have his registration papers up-to-date with my name. On the other, he’s a gelding, on the older side, and probably not ever going to show at breed shows at this point in his life either. So…I’m conflicted & also perhaps overthinking things (which is partially why I haven’t bothered to do anything about his registration information yet). Anyone have any helpful experiences or thoughts to share? Thank you in advance!

[findeight]

Call AHA and ask them. They know and will give you the correct information. Let them know you physically have the registration papers.

[Indeeana]

That’s the direction I’ve been leaning. I do wonder if that would require multiple bills of sale to show a “paper trail” of ownership. I know I have mine somewhere, but I doubt the previous owners have the paperwork anymore from when they purchased him from the last recorded owners with the AHA. They’ve moved across the country since I purchased this horse from them.

[findeight]

Again, only they can answer your specific question. All registries have slightly different policies and procedures, it will depend on them.

My guess is if you physically have the papers and a bill of sale from the last owners for this 19 year old gelding it may not be that big an issue those last owners never officially transferred ownership with the registry. But that is just a guess.

They might want to verify he is the horse described on the papers and have some steps to follow. Or they may say not no way no how. You have to ask them.

[Indeeana]

Hopefully it isn’t a big issue. Fingers crossed- I just reached out to them. Thank you for the advice & for being a sounding board!

[findeight]

Could you update us, please? It can add to the hive’s knowledge.

[Indeeana]

Absolutely! I plan to do that.

Reading through the AHA handbook, Chapter 10 (rules and regulations for purebred Arabian, Half-Arabian, and Anglo-Arabian Registration) under their “Transfer of Registration” section, it says:

"To transfer the recorded ownership of a registered horse which has a standard
Certificate of Registration, the recorded owner must complete and sign the transfer
portion of the Certificate of Registration. A transfer of recorded ownership may be
recorded if the following requirements are met:

1. The completed and signed Certificate of Registration has been sent to the AHA
   Registry;
2. The horse was resident in the United States or Mexico on the date of sale
   indicated; and
3. The transfer fee has been paid." (https://arabianhorses.org/export/content.export/aha-handbooks/current-handbook/CHAPTER10.pdf)

So, I’m hoping my signed papers are enough because that would certainly be the easiest way to update his registration information. We shall see what they have to say- hopefully I know more soon.

[Indeeana]

Update #2: Heard back from the AHA today. They do want to see both bills of sale along with the signed registration papers to be able to track who has owned the horse over the past few years & straighten out his records. I just reached out to his last set of owners, and hopefully we can track down the necessary paperwork. It was in order 7 years ago when I purchased him…but there was a lot of time for things to get lost in between. I’m kicking myself for not doing this sooner, but, hey, at least it’s a good educational experience.

[TheJenners]

Seriously? That’s awfully fussy and serves no purpose. Person A owns him now. Person B lawfully sold him. Person C owned him some years ago. Person B didn’t do the right thing. Person A now has to jumps through hoops?

I bought a possibly purebred Arabian mare at auction, all I had was her barn name, the names of the people who defaulted on their board, and the fact that they had moved to that state from another state (I think…Arkansas? or Kansas?). She had NO markings. Ooof. I signed up for a membership with AHA, searched for solid black mares born in that state in a certain time period, then started making phone calls. Found the original breeder who sold her to the people who had defaulted on the loan, and they were more than happy to send her papers to me, as they still had them waiting on final payment for her that obviously never arrived. That was a lot of work back in the day of no social media, limited email, and less robust Internet. I did this on dial up with a disc from Walmart And I still feel like this is easier than Person C having to manufacture a BOS from X years ago to Person B just to provide to AHA.

[findeight]

Registries can be nit picky…even with 19 year old geldings. OP is lucky she got all the paperwork from the last owners who never bothered to transfer him and the previous owners.

Funny thing is if breeders fraudulently register breeding stock, all their paperwork will be current. Forged. But current. They get by but somebody trying to just do the right thing gets snagged in the bureaucracy of “protecting the purity” of the breed. And extra fees,

[trubandloki]

@TheJenners

That’s awfully fussy and serves no purpose

It serves a purpose, the registry would lose out on one transfer fee if they did not require this.