Why keep the horse passport and other documents in the app
A horse without a passport cannot travel, compete or change owner. A farm without registration cannot keep animals legally. And even when everything is in order, at the decisive moment the document has to be found — at an inspection, on a sale, for transport, at a vet visit.
Animal documents in iPalomino replace the binder that is always somewhere other than you are. Every animal has its own list of documents. The app knows what each species needs, and you upload a scan or photo for every item. That way you have the horse passport on your phone even when the original lies in a safe.
The identification details — microchip number, passport number and registration number — are also written in the horse’s profile in the animal records, so you don’t have to copy them from the documents every time.
Horse passport, ownership transfer, registration and microchip: what the app records
Horse passport
The passport is the basic document of every equine in the European Union. It accompanies the horse throughout its life, and the identification, the owner and the vaccinations are entered in it. In the app you save a copy of it and write the passport number into the profile.
Transferring a horse to a new owner
On a purchase or sale the change of owner has to be reported and recorded. That is the moment when you need the passport number, the chip number, the details of the previous and the new owner and the purchase contract all at once. When everything is stored with the animal, a horse ownership transfer stops being a hunt through drawers.
Registration and microchip
Registering the holding or farm and marking the animal with a microchip or ear tag are among a keeper’s obligations. For each animal the app shows which documents apply to its species — a horse has different ones from a cow, a goat or a sheep.
Requirements differ by country and species, and they change. The list in the app gives you an overview and order; always verify binding information with the competent authority or the breed society.
An animal’s document overview: what you have and what’s missing
This is what the list of documents for one horse can look like. Tick off what you have already arranged and you will see how much remains. In the app an item is ticked off by itself when you upload a document to it:
The list is an example. The actual list of documents depends on the species and the country.
How to save an animal’s document step by step
- Open Animal documents and registrationsYou will find them in the animal list. You see all the animals and the status of each one’s documents.
- Choose an animalThe list of documents its species needs is displayed, with the mandatory ones marked.
- Upload the documentPhotograph the document or pick a file. It is saved to that item and to that animal.
- Check what’s missingItems without a document stay marked as missing, so you know what still has to be arranged.
Documents are backed up together with the rest of your data, so you won’t lose them even when you change phones. And because the app stores the data on the device, you can open the horse passport even in a barn with no signal — see the offline stable app.
Who document records help
Horse owners
Have you bought your first horse and don’t know what all needs arranging? The list with the animal shows which documents you need, and once you have them they are at hand for good — at the vet’s, at competitions and on a sale.
Farms and breeders
A farm with several species has different obligations for each. The document overview by species shows where your gaps are before an inspection points them out.
Ranches and stables with a team
In a boarding stable it is good to have a copy of the passport with every client’s horse. For transport, a veterinary procedure or an insurance claim you don’t have to ask the owner for it.
Professionals: farrier, vet, trainer
At vaccination the vet needs the chip number and the passport; the transporter needs the travel documents. When they are stored with the animal, the owner shows or sends them in a few seconds.
The most common mistakes with horse documents and forms
Paperwork for horses is a subject everyone puts off — until someone asks for it. That is when these mistakes show:
- A horse passport without a copy. The original should be with the horse, but you need its details at home as well. A photographed passport in the animal’s profile is always with you.
- The ownership transfer put off “for later”. The longer it waits, the harder it is to get the signatures and the seller’s details.
- Documents in five places. The purchase contract in an email, the passport in the stable, the insurance in a binder. In the app they are with the animal they belong to.
- You don’t know what is actually missing. The document overview shows what you have stored and what you haven’t yet.
- Nobody has the documents of clients’ horses at hand. The owner of a boarded horse uploads them and has them with their horse on their own phone.
A photographed document in the app doesn’t replace the original. It does guarantee, though, that you find the passport, chip or registration number within seconds — and that a sale or a move doesn’t begin with a search through drawers.
Registrations and forms you can leave to us
Not everyone has the time or the inclination to find out which form to send where. That is why iPalomino also offers a service in which our team takes care of the paperwork: we handle registrations, applications and communication with institutions and societies for you. In the app you just tick that you are interested and we will get in touch.
Because the app knows the animal’s details — name, breed, date of birth, chip, passport, owner — you already have most of what the forms require written down. So the paperwork doesn’t start from scratch.
The documents come in handy on other occasions too: with a foal from your own horse breeding you know what needs arranging first, and on a sale you add an export of the horse’s health history to PDF to the documents.
A family buys their daughter her first horse. The seller hands over the passport and the purchase contract; the rest “you’ll sort out yourselves”. At home they add the horse to the app, photograph the passport, enter the chip number and open the list of documents.
They see at once what they have and what is missing: the transfer to the new owner and the registration of the place where the horse will be kept. Instead of an evening spent searching forums they have a clear list of three things — and the option of leaving the arranging to the iPalomino team.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep the horse passport on my phone?
Yes, in the app you save a copy of the passport and other documents with the animal. That doesn’t replace the original passport — for transport or an inspection you must still have it with the horse.
How do I find out which documents my animal needs?
For each animal the app displays a list of documents according to its species and marks which are mandatory. Always verify binding requirements with the competent authority.
Will the app help me with a horse ownership transfer?
For a transfer you have all the necessary details and documents together with the animal. If you don’t want to deal with the forms yourself, you can leave the arranging to the iPalomino team.
Do document records apply only to horses?
No. The list of documents adapts to the species, so you can also use it for cows, goats, sheep and other animals.
What if I lose my phone?
Documents are backed up to your account together with the rest of your data. After signing in on a new phone you have them back.
Related features of the iPalomino app
These parts of the app are related to animal documents:
Your whole ranch in one pocket.
iPalomino is now on the App Store. Download the app and try it in your own stable. An Android version is in development.