Getting Registration Papers?

GEE, that is the exact same story I was told about the pinto shetland colt I bought. Guy said he had papers but they burned in a fire...

TRANSLATION:

The horse looks like an Appy so I can get more money for him if I claim he is registered and the papers are lost.

Next time you buy, if the animal has papers demand to see them -- Before purchase. If you really like the horse and the papers are not produced offer a lower price for the animal because a grade is a grade is any animal without papers.

Now think about what you are trying to do. If you do not have the names of everyone who has owned the horse there is no way for a registry to see if an Appy owned by one of those people matches the animal you now own.

As Lakelady said you need a starting point to narrow the search:

Owner who had papers

OR

Dam and sire

OR

Dam and year of birth

Then the photos of the animal can be used to confirm ID (perhaps DNA test too.)

Realise of course if the animal does prove to be registered and someone still holds the papers they can claim the animal was stolen and 'recover it' even if you have record of the sale. Unfortunately horse theft is still alive and well. Someone not to far from me made a very good living swiping horses out of local pastures and selling them at out of state auctions. She was finally caught.

You are going to need at least some information about the records ApHC has on him. Do you know his registered name? Do you know the name of one of the registered owners? If you can narrow it down, ApHC might be willing to look at those papers, but you will have to get the last registered owner to sign a transfer.

Contact the club. Tell them your story. Do you know what his registered name was?

There is about a 99% chance that he was never registered.

But since he's a gelding, and if he's obviously Appy, they will probably re-register him anyhow for a big fee. It's not like you're going to breed him...

See if maybe his first owner had his number tattooed inside his upper lip. You may also be able to ID him with the registry (which is in moscow, Idaho) by the name of his sire AND dam, or his date of birth and the name of sire OR dam. If the markings are drawn on similar to what the first owner drew they'll send you new papers based on that and several pictures.