What is a livestock sale agreement?
When animals change hands privately, the two questions that cause trouble later are what the seller knew and when the animal became the buyer's problem. A livestock sale agreement answers both. It identifies the animals precisely, records the health history the seller has disclosed, and fixes the moment risk and ownership pass.
This template works for a single horse or a group of cattle, sheep, goats or pigs. It records ear tags, microchips, brands, passports and registration papers, the price and an optional deposit, and the seller's confirmations about ownership, identification, health records and known problems. Choose whether the buyer may have a pre-purchase vet examination with a right to withdraw, or confirms it has had the chance. It covers collection or delivery, movement records and welfare rules, risk passing at loading or unloading, ownership passing on full payment, and either a short window to report a hidden pre-existing problem or a clear sold-as-seen basis.
- Best for
- Farmers, breeders and private horse sellers
- Signed by
- The seller and the buyer
- Vet check
- Optional pre-purchase exam with a right to withdraw
- Length
- About 2 pages, initialled on every page
When to use a livestock sale agreement
- Selling a riding horse to a private buyer after a trial ride
- A farm selling a batch of breeding heifers to a neighbouring herd
- A smallholder selling a pair of dairy goats
- A breeder selling a registered ram with its society papers
- Selling a pony with a deposit held until the buyer's vet has seen it
What you fill in
17 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: seller, buyer.
1 The parties
- Date of agreement*
- Seller (name or farm)*
- Seller address or holding*
- Buyer (name or farm)*
- Buyer address or holding*
2 The animals
- The animals*
- Registration papers or passport handed over (optional)
- Health records and history*
- What the Buyer intends to use them for (optional)
3 Price
- Currency*
- Total price*
- Deposit paid on signing (optional)
- Buyer's vet examination to be done by (optional)
4 Delivery and warranty
- Collection or delivery date*
- Transport* The Buyer collects from the Seller · The Seller delivers to the Buyer, included in the price · The Seller delivers to the Buyer, at the Buyer's cost
- Days to report a hidden problem (optional)
- Governing law*
5 Who signs
- Seller signature and date, initials on every page · The owner selling the animals.
- Buyer signature and date, initials on every page · The person or farm buying them.
What the livestock sale agreement covers
- The animals
- Price and deposit
- What the Seller confirms
- Vet examination
- Collection, delivery and movement
- Risk and ownership
- Hidden problems
- General
Using the livestock sale agreement, step by step
1 Identify the animals
Describe each animal with species, breed, sex, age, colour and markings, and every identification number. Add the papers or passport you will hand over.
2 Record health and history
Write what you know: vaccinations, tests, worming, treatments, past illness or injury, and breeding history. Add the buyer's intended use if they've told you.
3 Price and vet check
Enter the price and any deposit. To give the buyer a pre-purchase vet examination with a right to withdraw, enter the date it must be done by; leave it empty if they have already had one or chose not to.
4 Handover and send
Set the collection or delivery date, who transports, an optional period to report hidden problems, and the governing law, then send to the buyer.
Tips before you send it
- Be complete about known problems. The seller confirms every illness, injury, lameness or vice it knows of has been disclosed, and leaving one out undermines the whole agreement.
- Movement records, passports and tag rules differ by country and species. Check what you and the buyer each have to file, and by when.
- Encourage a pre-purchase vet exam for horses and valuable breeding stock. It protects the seller as much as the buyer.
- Agree who insures the animals in transit. Under the template, risk passes at loading onto the buyer's transport, or at unloading if you deliver.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Livestock sale agreement: frequently asked questions
Can I sell animals as seen?
Yes. Leave the hidden-problem period empty and the animals are sold as they are, apart from the seller's confirmations about ownership, identification, health history and known problems. Those still count if they turn out to be untrue.
What happens if the vet finds a problem?
If you allow a pre-purchase exam and the vet finds a problem the seller had not disclosed, the buyer can withdraw in writing before the deadline and any deposit is refunded.
When does the buyer become the owner?
Ownership passes when the full price is paid. Risk passes when the animals are loaded onto the buyer's transport, or when they are unloaded if the seller delivers.
Does it work for more than one animal?
Yes. List as many animals as you like in the description. The agreement treats them together as "the Animals".
Can a livestock sale agreement be signed online?
Electronic signatures are generally valid for a private sale contract like this in the US, UK, EU and Canada. Registration transfers and movement documents may have their own forms. FileIt keeps an audit trail with the signed PDF.