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This inspection and classification of breeding stock is an important part of both breed improvement and breed records. The AHR program was developed to offer the inspection and classification of Haflingers in North America at the owner’s request. It is not a mandatory step in the registration process, as is the custom in Europe and in many other breeds here in North America, however is an important tool available to all breeders and owners.
Horses of all ages may be presented for breed inspection and classification. The inspection team consists of three Haflinger experts, at least one of which is a judge of international stature, and at least one must be a Senior AHR "C" Card judge. The team grades the horse according to the Breeding Objectives of the American Haflinger Registry, which were developed in accordance with the Breeding Objectives of the World Haflinger Federation. Horses age two and older are given a score of one to ten in each of ten categories: Type, Head, Neck, Forehand, Midsection, Hindquarters, Front Legs, Hind legs, Correctness of Movement and Overall Movement. Young horses, i.e. weanlings and yearlings, are informally evaluated by the team in the first nine of the above ten categories, and are scored "Very Good", "Good" or "Needs Monitoring Through Maturity" in each of the nine sections. Mature horses (2 and over) are awarded ribbons according to their scores: A Gold ribbon is awarded to horses scoring 81 points or above (this is very rare, only 1-2% of Haflingers achieve the “Gold” status), a Silver ribbon is awarded to horses scoring 75-80 points, a purple ribbon is given to horses scoring 71-74 points and a white ribbon is given to horses scoring 69 or 70 points. Mares scoring 68 points or less are not recommended for breeding. Stallions scoring 74 points or less are not recommended for breeding.
Inspected stallions and mares are also awarded certain distinct honors based on the scores of their offspring, as the offspring mature and are inspected. Stallions may achieve the "Proven" status by presenting a cross section of their offspring for evaluation. In addition, Stallions and Mares are awarded the "Star", "Elite" or "Supreme" status through the scoring of their offsprin g at inspections.
At the end of each inspection, the owner is provided with a copy of the score sheet, complete with the judges’ commentary, which will aid in choosing the right breeding match up for that particular horse. Through the records produced by the inspection and classification of breeding stock, breeders have access to information that aids in good decision making for future breeding. Undesirable traits as well as desirable traits may be identified and tracked. Traits thrown by certain stallions, mares or bloodlines are also recorded.
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Breed Inspection and Classification is offered once a year through the AHR, usually in the late summer or early fall. Registration forms are available through the AHR office and are published late spring in the AHR magazine.*
See the Registration form for dates and locations.
* information from haflingerhorse.com
