Can't obtain a covering certificate! Help?!

[sjp164]

I am at the end of my tether and no idea how to proceed with this.

I took my mare to a yard to be covered last year, the lady has 5 stallions there, some she owns some she just has there at stud.

We chose a TB stallion called Omanii and took my mare to him and she was scanned in foal. I paid the stud fee and keep up front. All vet bills were sent to me direct.

I chased the covering certificate for a bit but then forgot about it and thought it was no big deal until we had the foal delivered safe and well really. An oversight on my part.

I should add that the lady was recommended to me and we know a lot of the same people so I didn't feel too concerned about things. She treated my mare very well as well.

So this year my mare foal and we had a lovely foal and decided in her foaling heat to take her back to same place but to use a different stallion. So i have since been chasing covering certificates and no joy yet. This has been going on since May. She has moved house (not far, less than 500yds) and was using that as an excuse to start with but we are still no further on and i have since found 2/3 other people who have failed to obtain a covering cert for this stallion! I have a copy of his pedigree and passport. I rang wetherbys who he is passported to and he is not registered as a stallion there.

SHGB cannot really offer any advice! I really do not want to register the foal with unknown sire which is what i will have to do before long. I have messaged her every week nagging her for it and she either doesn't reply or fobbs me off. She has since told someone else who is chasing that she has the stuff but needs to fill it out. I told her that i was led to believe thats the case and she agreed but still no joy.

I just don't want to let it slide because i have potentially two foals at stake and i am going to be showing the one this year and before long he will need his own passport.

Any advice very gratefully received!!!!

[gillwales]

If the stallion was TB then Weatherby's would be where the Stallion was registered. Did you sign a contract? If so do you have a copy? How did you pay her? Do you have a receipt? I would contact your local trading standards office, they should be able to give you some advice. But if you paid cash, have no receipt then I think you will have to kiss a covering cert goodbye. The only other course of action would be costly and that is to go to your Solicitor. It might be that in Court you could force her to allow you to obtain a DNA sample to prove who your foal is by, however I would check with your society if they would find that acceptable.

[honeypot]

When I had my mare covered I got the certificate when I collected her and handed over the cash. If the stallion is registered as such it should have a certificate book from the society it is registered with. I would send her a letter signed for delivery saying if you do not receive it you will take her to the small claims court, for costs and return of the stud fee. With a bit of luck she will suddenly find the book.

[Philippa]

Jul 31, 2018 23:12:01 GMT honeypot said:

When I had my mare covered I got the certificate when I collected her and handed over the cash. If the stallion is registered as such it should have a certificate book from the society it is registered with. I would send her a letter signed for delivery saying if you do not receive it you will take her to the small claims court, for costs and return of the stud fee. With a bit of luck she will suddenly find the book.

Agree

I would also be claiming compensation too for false representation as you were led to believe the stallion was registered. That said if he isn't registered there will be no cert and you won't be able to use his breeding when registering the foal.

Whichever way you have a case. Good luck.

[sarahp]

If the stallion is TB he would have been DNA'd when he was registered, so it may be possible to prove parentage that way and so get the foal registered, but you'd have to DNA the foal - first talk to the society with which you will be passporting the foal though before doing this.

Financial advice as above, but adding any costs of having to do it this way.