Ask H&H: getting a duplicate passport

Q: A few years ago, I bought a microchipped, branded German-registered Oldenburg. I put him on loan but the loanee brought him back after six days, without his passport and papers. She insists she returned them, but obviously she didn’t.

Will the German issuing authority give me a duplicate passport, even though I did not change the ownership after I bought the horse — the owner shown is that of the original purchaser from years back.

I have the horse’s microchip and passport number, as well as the breeder’s name and address.

JB, Gloucestershire

We asked the Oldenburg Horse Breeder’s Society (OHBS), the North American division of the German Oldenburg Verband (Oldenburg Horse Association), for advice. OHBS spokesman Katrin Burger explained you would need to supply the Oldenburg Horse Association with proof you own the horse and that the information has been lost.

Elisabeth Gerberding of the Oldenburg Horse Association checked with the person responsible for issuing horse owners with copies of the original papers — a process called zweitschrift, in German.

“We will need information on the horse’s breeding — at least sire, dam, sire of the sire, etc — as well as the horse’s age, sex, any information about branding and microchipping, and the registration number of the horse,” Elisabeth explained. “Then official proof is required that you are the owner of the horse and the original papers have been lost.

“You must supply us, the Oldenburg Horse Association, with a notarised letter, eg an official letter from your lawyer, detailing the fact the papers have been lost and stating all the horse’s information mentioned above.

“The issue of a zweitschrift will cost you around €115 plus bank fees for transferring funds from abroad,” she added.

Information

Oldenburg Horse Association, Grafenhorststr, 5, 49377 Vechta, Germany. www.oldenburger-pferde.com

This Q&A was first published in Horse & Hound (19 February, ’09)