Equine Law Blog

A teenager, 17 years old, drives herself to your stable and expresses an interest in buying or leasing one of your horses.  She is old enough to drive a car, but is she old enough to enter into a contract with you?

The answer is no.  Unless she has reached the age of majority in the applicable state, she does not have the legal capacity to enter into a contract with you.

Part one of this series explored the buyer's legal rights against sellers who fail or refuse to provide breed registration papers.  This part examines suggestions for buyers to consider in an attempt to avoid equine registration paper disputes.

Two months ago you bought the mare you always wanted.  Your goal was to win championships in breed-recognized horse shows and then retire the mare for breeding.  A terrible problem has derailed your plans:  The seller will not transfer the horse's registration papers into your name.  Your arsenal of weapons is limited -- there is no written sales contract, but you recall the seller promising to send you the horse's papers "right away" the day you gave him your money (a promise he now denies ever making).

What are the buyer's options in these types of situations?  Here are a few of them:

Over the years, horse sellers have entered another’s property, such as a private barn or pasture, in an attempt to repossess a horse, only to face costly legal battles and sometimes even criminal charges of trespass and theft, as a result.

Here are suggestions for avoiding equine installment sales disputes.