Custody Transfers
Transfer horses between barns with complete chain-of-custody tracking. Every transfer is logged, creating a permanent record of where a horse has been and who had custody.
Barn Code Required: To receive a horse from another EquineOps barn, you’ll need to share your barn code. Find it in Account Settings > General.
Overview
The custody transfer system supports two types of transfers:
- In-System Transfer: Move a horse to another barn that uses EquineOps. The horse record transfers instantly — no acceptance flow needed. You choose which records and documents to include.
- External Transfer: Record a horse leaving to a barn outside of EquineOps. You retain read-only access to historical records and can receive the horse back later.
Barn Codes
Every EquineOps barn has a unique 6-character barn code (e.g., A7K3MX). This code is used to identify barns during transfers.
Finding Your Barn Code
- Go to Account Settings
- Under the General tab, look for Barn Code
- Use the copy button to share it with other trainers
How Barn Codes Work
- Barn codes are auto-generated when your organization is created
- They use uppercase letters and numbers, excluding similar-looking characters (0/O, 1/I)
- Share your code directly with the receiving trainer via text, email, or in person
- Barns are not searchable by name — this protects your privacy
Transferring a Horse
You can initiate a transfer from three places:
- Horse detail page — click Transfer Custody in the header actions
- Horse list (table view) — open the row action menu and select Transfer Custody
- Horse list (card view) — open the card menu and select Transfer Custody
Only Active horses can be transferred. Archived horses must be restored first.
To Another EquineOps Barn
In-System Transfer
Enter Barn Code
Select To EquineOps Barn and enter the receiving barn’s 6-character code. Click Verify to confirm the barn name.
Where do I find the barn code? The receiving barn can find their code in Account Settings > General. A tooltip in the transfer dialog also explains this.
Set Transfer Type
Choose the reason for the transfer:
- Sale — the horse has been sold to the receiving barn
- Temporary — the horse is visiting temporarily (e.g., training stint, breeding)
- Permanent — a permanent move that isn’t a sale (e.g., relocation, donation)
Choose What Data to Include
You’ll see a Data to Include section with checkboxes for each type of record to copy to the receiving barn. All options are checked by default:
- Registration Numbers — breed registry numbers (e.g., AQHA, USEF)
- Farrier Program & History — shoeing schedule defaults and all past visit records
- Feed Program — current feed items, quantities, and schedule
- Health Records — vaccinations, deworming, dental, and veterinary records
- Treatment Program — treatment tasks and completion history
- Documents — expand to see all documents attached to the horse and select which ones to include
Records are copied, not moved. Both your barn and the receiving barn keep independent copies of the included records. Changes made by the receiving barn won’t affect your historical records.
Add Reason (Optional)
Add any notes about the transfer. These are visible in the custody timeline.
Confirm Transfer
Review the details and click Transfer Horse. The horse will immediately:
- Appear as Active in the receiving barn’s horse list with the selected data
- Disappear from your active horses
- Show in your Transferred filter for read-only access to historical records
Transfers are immediate. There is no acceptance flow. Make sure you have the correct barn code before confirming.
What Transfers with the Horse
When transferring to another EquineOps barn, you control exactly what data the receiving barn gets:
| Data Type | What’s Included | What’s NOT Included |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Numbers | All registry names and numbers | Linked documents (select separately) |
| Farrier Program | Schedule defaults, shoeing types, all visit history | Staff assignments |
| Feed Program | Current feed items, quantities, units, frequencies | Historical feed snapshots |
| Health Records | All vaccination, deworming, dental, and vet records with products | Staff assignments, linked documents (select separately) |
| Treatment Program | All treatment tasks with completion status and recurrence | Staff assignments |
| Documents | Selected documents — files are copied to the receiving barn’s storage | Unselected documents |
Staff and clients don’t transfer. Staff assignments are cleared since the receiving barn has their own team. Client associations are also barn-specific. The receiving barn can assign their own staff and clients after the transfer.
How Reference Data Works
Program data often references barn-specific settings like shoeing types, feed types, and health products. During a transfer, EquineOps automatically:
- Checks if the receiving barn already has a matching item (e.g., a shoeing type called “Front Shoes Only”)
- Reuses the existing item if found
- Creates a new item in the receiving barn if no match exists
This means the receiving barn gets all the context they need without duplicating settings they already have.
Receiving a Horse Back
If you transferred a horse externally (to a non-EquineOps barn) and the horse returns:
Find the Horse
Go to your horse list and enable the Show Transferred toggle to find the horse.
Open Horse Profile
Click on the horse to view its detail page. You’ll see a Receive Back button.
Confirm Return
Click Receive Back, optionally add a reason, and confirm. The horse returns to Active status with all records intact.
In-system returns work differently. If another EquineOps barn has your horse, they initiate a new transfer back to you using your barn code. There’s no “recall” mechanism.
Custody Timeline
Every horse has a custody timeline showing its complete chain of custody. View it on the horse’s detail page under the Custody History section.
Each entry shows:
- Date of the transfer
- From and To barns (or external barn name)
- Transfer type (Initial, Sale, Temporary, Permanent, Return, External)
- Reason/notes if provided
- Who initiated the transfer
Viewing Transferred Horses
To see horses you’ve transferred:
- Go to your Horses list
- Enable the Show Transferred toggle (below the search bar on desktop)
- Transferred horses appear with a Transferred badge
Clicking a transferred horse opens its detail page in read-only mode with a banner showing where it was transferred.
Horse Summary PDF
Generate a downloadable PDF containing the horse’s complete history across all custody periods:
- Horse identity (name, breed, registration numbers)
- Full custody timeline
- Health records (chronological)
- Farrier records
- Treatment records
- Training board entries
- Feed program history
Each record notes which barn/custody period it belongs to. This PDF is useful for sharing with buyers, vets, or new trainers.
To download: open the horse’s detail page and click Download Summary PDF.
Access Rules
| Status | Access Level |
|---|---|
| Active | Full read/write. You can edit records, add new entries, and initiate transfers. |
| Transferred | Read-only. You can view historical records from when the horse was in your custody. |
| Archived | Existing archive behavior, unchanged. |
- Only the barn with the horse as Active can add new records or initiate transfers
- Client records are barn-specific and do not transfer with the horse
FAQ
Can I undo a transfer?
No. Transfers are permanent log entries. If a horse was transferred to another EquineOps barn by mistake, the receiving barn can transfer it back using your barn code. For external transfers, use the Receive Back action.
What happens to my historical records after a transfer?
They stay exactly as they are. You retain read-only access to all records from when the horse was in your custody. The receiving barn gets independent copies of whatever data you chose to include.
Do client associations transfer?
No. Client records are barn-specific. When a horse transfers to a new barn, the new barn manages their own client associations independently.
Can I transfer an archived horse?
No. Only Active horses can be transferred. Restore the horse from archive first, then initiate the transfer.
What if I don’t select any data to include?
The horse still transfers — it will appear in the receiving barn as an active horse with its basic profile (name, breed, sex, etc.) but no program history or documents. The receiving barn can build records from scratch.
What’s the difference between Sale, Temporary, and Permanent?
These are labels for the custody timeline record. They don’t affect how the transfer works technically — all three transfer the horse immediately. Choose the one that best describes the reason:
- Sale — ownership has changed
- Temporary — the horse will return (training, breeding, etc.)
- Permanent — a permanent move that isn’t a sale (donation, relocation)
How do I find my barn code?
Go to Account Settings > General. Your barn code is displayed there with a copy button.
Next Steps
- Managing Horse Profiles — Edit horse details and manage records
- Health Program — Track vaccinations, deworming, and vet visits
- Farrier Program — Manage shoeing schedules and history
Need Help?
Questions about custody transfers? Contact us:
- Email: support@equineops.com