*Passports
*Breed Certificates
*Sales Contracts
*Coggins
*Insurance Contacts & Policies
*Membership information
Dobby and I use 2 reinforced plastic expandable files to keep track of all his important documents. I have a Home File, and an Away File. Dob's home file has his passport, birth certificate, breed papers, sales contract, and the Xrays that were taken during his sales exam. It also contains all our old tests from horse shows, and the NDA Handbook, as well as the original USEF & USDF membership cards and certificates.
The away file I take with me to out-of-town horse shows. In it I keep: copies of coggins, and health certificates, a copy of the entry form I sent in for the show, copies of my USDF & USEF member cards. It is also a handy place to store your tests, once you get them back for the show office. And now that I think about it, a calculator as well.
It really is very important to keep track of all your horse's information. Give it the due consideration it deserves. Treat your passport, and your horse's in the same careful manner. Your horse's breed papers are a kin to your birth certificate. KEEP THEM SAFE. KEEP THEM TIDY. KEEP THEM TOGETHER.
A side note if your horse is insured, a copy of the "In Case of Emergency" information should be kept at the barn, just in case.
2 comments:
Miss Margo, I love the idea of the expandable file. That is a wonderful idea. I use one at home for other stuff, but that might be just what I have been looking for my dressage paperwork! I have a 3 ring notebook of stuff for Astro, including original registration papers, awards from AQHA, show records, pedigree records, pictures of his family from eons ago, etc. and the usual copies of membership stuff. But I have been thinking of a new "dressage" system. Thanks for solving that. I also got a spanky new calculator for my "file" for the shows!
For the "notebook" system, plastic paper protectors you can get in a package of like 25 and archival safe, are perfect to keep registration papers in "tidy" order. and with the prepunched holes fit perfect in a 3 ring binder. I find it easiest to have a separate "show book" for each type of showing I do on a horse. In Astro's case, I have one each for Quarter horse showing, open showing and now dressage. For my Appaloosa, she gets her own 3 ring binder for original papers, pedigrees, etc and a separate 'show book" for appaloosa shows. That way I can just grab the appropriate one for that weekend and leave the rest home where hopefully it will be safe.
I have also found it quite useful to put a copy of each horses registration papers and any current health paper work in the pickup and also in the trailer and just leave it there. I have had times when trucks and trailers get stopped by the highway patrol for truck/trailer inspections and they want to see something on the horses I am hauling at the time. They have told me that having those sort of copies in the cab is a "good thing". and sometimes in a rush you forget your normal "books' for a show and if you keep something in your trailer or the cab of your truck, it might save you!!! Also keep in a safe place a spare check blank or two. That has saved me a few times as well.
Excellent suggestion about keeping a copy of your health records in the truck!
I ran into that once, while bringing horses into NE from Colorado.
I also like the 3 ring binder idea, I think that would be great too.
I agree, that if you have multiple steeds, each beast should have their own file.
:)
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