Three of the biggest ownership transfer questions answered.

Updating the ownership of an American Quarter Horse represents a vital part of AQHA’s mission statement: protecting the integrity of the American Quarter Horse breed.

As stated in my post AQHA Transfers, Cheap and Painless, it’s important to make sure the horse you’re purchasing has an updated ownership record. Even then, there are a few bumps you might hit along the way. Read on for the three most common issues we see when completing ownership transfers.

Need to transfer your horse? Find transfer forms and other paperwork on AQHA’s Forms page.

Question:

Why did I get charged for a new membership? I already had one!

Answer: When filling out the buyer’s line of the AQHA transfer report, your name must read exactly as it does on your AQHA membership card. If what you wrote doesn’t match anything in our records, we think it’s a new owner and therefore create – and bill for – a new membership for that person. To correct this issue, AQHA requires a signed statement if the ID number was not included on the transfer report. When in doubt, contact AQHA Customer Service for that information.

Question: I made a mistake on my transfer, marked through it and corrected it. Why am I being asked for verification?

Answer: Information such as the date of sale and the buyer’s name can affect several things outside of the transfer. AQHA uses these dates to determine things such as stallion breeding reports, foal registration documentation and foal ownership. Alterations to the date of sale and the buyer’s name will always require verification from both the buyer and seller. This is one way AQHA prevents fraud. If I got your transfer, marked out your name and put mine in place, and AQHA didn’t check out the situation, that horse would belong to me on AQHA’s record.

Question: What’s the big deal about the date of sale?

Answer: Especially when dealing with breeding mares and stallions, the date of sale is probably the most vital piece of information on the transfer report. AQHA goes by those dates to determine the breeders and owners of those horses’ offspring. Mistakes on the date of sale can also determine the validation of points earned in the show ring. It’s important to be accurate when filling out this section of the transfer report, and to either start over if you make a mistake, or provide AQHA with the necessary verification.

Check out our transfer video tutorial for a visual walk-through of the transfer report. Again, you can find the transfer report form at aqha.com/forms. And of course, don’t hesitate to comment below if you have questions!

As Always, At Your Service

Kayla Randall