A Horse Bill of Sale, or equine bill of sale, documents the sale or transfer of a horse between a seller and a buyer. When buying a horse or pony, a bill of sale for a horse shows that ownership of the equine has been officially transferred to a new person.
Once signed, this document is a legally binding agreement that protects both the buyer and seller, in case either party changes their minds or disputes arise.
Horse Bill of Sale Requirements
A simple Horse Bill of Sale is proof that a purchase occurred and includes the following details:
- Seller: the person who currently owns the horse being sold
- Buyer: the person buying the horse or becoming the new owner
- Description of Horse: the horse’s date of birth, coat color (bay/chestnut/gray), sex, breed, registration number, markings or tattoos
- Sire: details about the horse’s father, including his registration number
- Dam: details about the horse’s mother, including her registration number
- Price: state the sale price and how the horse will be paid, whether in full or in installments, plus when the registration papers will transfer hands
- Warranties: whether the horse is sold “as is” or if there are guarantees
- Date: when the horse was sold by the Seller to the Purchaser
When You Need to Use a Horse Bill of Sale
You should use a horse bill of sale anytime you plan to either buy, sell, or transfer ownership of a horse. Without a bill of sale, there is no way to legally prove the ownership of the horse has been transferred.
In some states like California, Florida, and Kentucky, a bill of sale is legally required whenever a horse is sold, purchased, or transferred.
You can also use a completed horse bill of sale to protect yourself, whether you’re the buyer or the seller.
As the seller, a horse bill of sale protects you if there are any problems with the horse after the sale, and the buyer attempts to get their money back. With a horse bill of sale, the horse is sold “as-is”, so any issues that occur after the sale is complete are the buyer’s responsibility.
As the buyer, a horse bill of sale will protect you if the seller attempts to reclaim the equine since the bill of sale legally proves that you are the true owner of the horse.
What to Include in a Horse Bill of Sale
A simple horse bill of sale should generally answer the following basics:
- Who is buying and selling the horse
- What the purchase price of the horse is for future tax purposes
- Where the horse was registered and its registration number
- When the horse is being purchased
- How the horse is sold with warranties and conditions or simply “as is”
What else should be included?
A horse bill of sale may also address these additional considerations:
- Breeding Rights: whether rights to breed the horse are being transferred
- Commission: whether the buyer and/or seller will pay an agent, trainer, or third party a fixed amount or percentage of the purchase price for help with brokering the deal
- Deposit: whether and under what conditions the seller must refund the deposit if the buyer rejects the horse after confirming the horse’s health with a veterinarian
- Registration Papers: confirm when the official registration papers should be transferred to the buyer and make sure the horse description and registered owner matches
- Veterinarian’s Examination: whether the buyer can get a pre-purchase veterinary exam with a blood sample from a local vet, especially if the horse is sold “as is”
Horse Bill of Sale Template
Horse Bill of Sale
Seller Information
| Full Name | |
| Address | |
| Telephone | |
Buyer Information
| Full Name | |
| Address | |
| Telephone | |
Horse Information
| Name | Date of Birth | Color | |
| Sex (Check one) ☐ Mare
☐ Gelding ☐ Stallion |
Breed | ||
| Size | Registration Number | Markings or Tattoo | |
| Description | |||
| Name of Sire (stallion / father) | Sire’s Registration Number | ||
| Name of Dam (mare / mother) | Dam’s Registration Number | ||
I, ________________________ (the “Seller”), hereby sell, transfer and convey all rights, title and interest in the above described horse (the “Horse”) to ________________________ (the “Buyer”) for and in consideration of the total sum of $_____________, (Check one) ☐ inclusive of all sales tax ☐ plus any applicable sales tax, paid by: (Check all that apply)
☐ Personal check
☐ Cashier’s check
☐ Money order
☐ Cash
☐ Credit card
☐ PayPal
☐ Other: ________________________
and the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged. This sum represents the mutually agreed upon purchase price of the Horse, between both the Seller and the Buyer.
Veterinarian Examination (Check one)
☐ The Buyer hereby waives the right to take the above described horse to a veterinarian for a pre-purchase examination.
☐ A successful veterinarian examination was performed on ____________________, 20______.
Warranty and Guarantees
The Seller certifies to the Buyer that the Seller is the legal and rightful owner of the Horse and has full right and authority to convey the same.
The undersigned Seller declares under penalties of perjury that the statements herein contained are true and correct to the best of his or her knowledge, information and belief.
The undersigned Buyer accepts receipt of the Horse described herein and understands and acknowledges that the Horse is sold in “AS IS” condition without any guarantees or warranties of any kind, either express or implied, except for the following: ______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
| ________________________ | _________________ | __________________ | ||
| Seller Full Name | Seller Signature | Date |
| ________________________ | _________________ | __________________ | ||
| Buyer Full Name | Buyer Signature | Date |