Breeding Stock Inspection Guidelines

Foal and Youngstock Inspection

The Foal/Youngstock Inspection has four stages. Each horse is judged individually in the first three, and in the last stage, all of youngstock must appear together.All stages are compulsory for all youngstock, and their assessments will count towards the progeny assessment of the sires. The young horses are assesssed on: type, frame, conformation, movement, and general impression.

STAGE 1 - Assessment of Conformation enables the judge to assess the overall conformation and appearance of the animal. The foals will be shown with their dams if possible; the dams of older youngstock may also be presented at the request of the stallion owner.

STAGE 2 - Walk in Hand allows the judge to assess the straightness and correctness of the animal's walk.

STAGE 3 - Trot and Canter at Liberty enables the judge to check the straightness, correctness, elevation, and elasticity of the animal's trot and canter.

STAGE 4 - The Final Critique is an overall assessment and critique of the foal's marks and performance at the inspection that enables the judge to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the animal's sire as a source of the element being judged in that step.

Stallion Inspection

Stallion inspection is designed to assess the horse as a potential breeding animal; the purpose of a foal inspection is to assess how the stallion actually performs as a sire. The format of the inspection helps to ensure that the animals have the opportunity to display themselves naturally.

Stallions are judged individually in each of the six stages, except for the last and final stage in which all stallions appear together. Stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are cumpolsory for all except those given a waiver for veterinary reasons; Stage 5 is optional for stallions between 36 and 48 months of age, and cumpolsory all older stallions except those with a veterinary waiver. The inspection allows the stallion to be assessed in the following categories, on which he must score a 7 out of 10 overall:

• Breed, type, and conformation
• Shoulders and withers
• Top-line and quarters
• Front legs
• Hind legs
• Correctness of movement
• Carriage and elasticity
• Loose jumping
• Jumping under saddle
• Flatwork under saddle
• General impression

STAGE 1 - Preliminary Walk and Trot Up and Conformation Assessment on Hard Ground permits the judge to assess the straightness and rhythm of the stallion's movement on a firm surface, so that the horse's feet can be seen in action at all times. He or she gains an initial impression of the stallion's overall conformation and look as well as his overall attitude, temperament, and handleability.

STAGE 2 - The Walk and trot on Triangle and Second Conformation will permit the judge to assess the straightness and rhythm of the stallion's movement in extension on a softer, preferably artificial surface, and examines his overall conformation and look.

STAGE 3 - The Trot and Canter at Liberty is an assessment of the stallion's natural balance plus the elevation and rhythm of his pace when at liberty, as well as his attitude, temperament, handleability, and mannerism when loose.

STAGE 4 - Free Jumping allows the judge to assess the horse's natural jumping ability, as well as his attitude and temperament when jumping.

STAGE 5 - Display Under Saddle provides the judge with the opportunity to assess the stallion's attitude and temperament when being ridden on the flat; to check his attitude and temperament when being jumped under saddle (optional); and to assess the level of the stallion's current training and performance.

STAGE 6 - The last step is the Final Critique, in which the stallion's overall performance at the inspection is assessed and evaluated, and the total performance is graded.

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Breeding and Ownership

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