mares that might be eligible to be accepted include mares from established Warmblood registries such as Oldenburg, Dutch and Holstein. Tere are two principal sections to the AHS stud-
book. Te Main Studbook is open to Hanoverian mares scoring an overall 6 or higher at inspection, and to non- Hanoverian Warmblood mares that have an overall score of 7 or higher. A Toroughbred, Arab or Anglo-Arab mare can be accepted into the Studbook and have the op- portunity to move up to the Main Studbook book through successful completion of the Mare Performance Test if the mare scores an overall 7 or higher at her inspection. Te Studbook is open to Toroughbred, Arab and Anglo-Arab mares that score acceptably for their breed at a Hanoverian inspection, and to Hanoverian mares scoring less than an overall 6 at inspection.
Presenting a Hanoverian mare for inspection Inspection day is one of the most important of a Hanove- rian mare’s life. Te scores that she receives will remain with her for life and will determine her studbook placement. Breeders look forward to presenting their mares with both excitement and trepidation. Kris Schuler, a breeder in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, has presented several mares over the years. “I tend to buy into the fact that the judges see a lot of horses. Even if I don’t always agree with what they say about my horse, I still appreciate their feedback,” she says. “I feel it helps to keep the quality high and helps to move the entire breed forward. Tere have definitely been times when I haven’t agreed. But on a global level, it really helps to maintain the breed as a whole, and maintain the standards of minimum quality in the breed. Tere can be
philosophical differences such as the inspectors wanting a more refined or leggy horse than what the breeder himself is seeking. But overall the inspectors have done a really good job of moving the breed forward in a relatively short period of time, or number of generations. Tere will always be ups and downs. You have to buy into the process if you want to move the breed forward.” Te inspection consists of an evaluation of the horse’s
conformation, walk and trot. A mare’s trot, and sometimes her walk, is shown using a triangular pattern. Judges stand at the apex of the triangle, allowing a good vantage point without having to move their position. Mares will be posed for the judges to evaluate conformation. Te handler stands facing the horse with one rein in each hand, and the mare is asked to assume an open stance so all four legs can be ob- served clearly. Once the judges have finished with their conformation
notes, the handler will be asked to demonstrate the mare’s correctness at the walk, then exhibit her trot on the triangle. When trotting the triangle, straightness and correctness of gaits are evaluated primarily when the horse is moving toward or away from the inspection judges on the short sides of the triangle. Te greatest challenge of showing on the triangle is to get the horse to develop its optimum, balanced, ground- gaining trot on the far side. Te quality of the walk is typically evaluated using a walk ring, when all of the mares are encour- aged to relax, walk a large circular pattern and display their best regular and swinging walks. Purity and quality are best judged when the horse is seen in profile as it travels. Profes- sional handlers who can bring out the horse’s best gaits are often employed.
Preparing to inspect a mare on the triangle at the Spirit Eques- trian site in Somis, California. Turnout is a key factor in the pre- sentation of a mare. Both horse and handler should be condi- tioned and well-turned out. The mare shown is Daphne LK (Don Frederico-Wonne/Wolkentanz I) with her filly by Lortzing. Daph- ne LK was named the Champion Hanoverian mare of the day. Owner/breeder is Louise Koch, California.
60 March/April 2014 SPECIAL HANOVERIAN SECTION
Explaining The Mare Performance Test Most AHS inspection sites also hold a Mare Performance Test (MPT). Te purpose of the MPT is to evaluate a mare’s innate athletic aptitudes in three categories: gaits, rideability and free jumping. So, in addition to having a Hanoverian horse inspected, the AHS encourages owners to performance test their mares to determine their overall rideability and whether their talent lies in jumping or dressage. A study conducted in Germany shows a high correlation between the Mare Performance Test results and the ability to predict the talents of a mare’s offspring. Te test is not required but it can be an invaluable aid in determining the breeding goal for a mare. Te high genetic correlation related to jumping and the inheritability of gaits make the Mare Performance Test a very important tool in deciding whether to breed a mare for jump- ing or dressage offspring. In the Mare Performance Test, each of the three categories,
a mare’s rideability, gaits and jumping talent, is weighted one- third of the final score. During the under-saddle portion of the test, a mare’s gaits are scored in addition to her rideability,
Rebecca Neff
American Hanoverian Society
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