Main studbook
– animals eligible for main studbook must have 2 registered main studbook parents or must have joined via the Star Seeker Showing Series. These horses may compete in Royal International and Horse of the Year Show qualifiers.
Part bred appendix
– animals that have passed an assessment and have 1 main studbook parent are eligible for this appendix. These horses may compete in Royal International and Horse of the Year Show qualifiers.
For inclusion onto the Part Bred appendix all crosses involving parents from the Breeding Only appendix and Part Bred appendix need to have the full pedigree verified as only animals with 50% British Bloodlines are eligible.
Breeding only appendix
– animals of any breeding that have passed an assessment are eligible for this appendix. These animals MAY NOT compete in Royal International and Horse of the Year Show qualifiers.
Eligibility for full main studbook registration depends on the following:-
The horse must have an Equine Passport. If you require a passport, see our Passport section. If you already have a passport, then you will need to send a photocopy of Sections 1,2, 3, and silhouette.
Only the proven offspring of two BMHS main studbook registered parents are automatically eligible for BMHS Stud Book registration. This is a DEFRA instruction for all recognised Stud Books. To be proven offspring:-
1. Mating must be recorded with BMHS. This is done when a Stallion Breeding Report is filled out by the owner of the stallion at the time of covering, and sent to the BMHS head office prior to the foal's birth.
2. The foal must be identified at foot by a veterinary surgeon before it is 6 months old (this is usually done at the same time as microchipping).
3. If these two conditions are not available, then DNA testing will be required. See the page on Breeding Reports and DNA.
If your miniature horse does not have two registered BMHS parents, and is 3 years old or over, then it can still be registered for breeding only, through hardship assessment. (See below.)
If you have any queries relating to eligibility then please contact the BMHS Head Office.
Hardship Assessment Procedure (Part Bred and Breeding Only assessments)
Horses must be at least 3 years old before they can be put forward for assessment.
Assessments usually take place in small groups; each horse is thoroughly examined by a team of assessors who each give an independent score, which are combined to give an overall percentage mark. The teams are usually made up of at least one show judge, an experienced breeder and a committee member wherever possible.
An
example Horse Assessment Sheet is in the 'Downloads' button on this website.
In addition to the assessment, your horse will be given a veterinary inspection to ensure its soundness, and that it carries no hereditary faults (this is mandatory).
Any horse scoring 50% or less is not eligible for Stud Book registration.
The following scale is used for horses scoring more than 50%:
Up to and including 60% – the full hardship fee is payable.
Up to and including 70% – one half of the hardship fee is payable.
Up to and including 80% – one quarter of the hardship fee is payable.
Up to and including 90% – normal registration fee is payable.
Above 90% – no additional fee is required.
Hardship fees are published annually along with dates of pre-arranged assessments. The full cost of assessment will vary depending upon the amount charged by the attending veterinary surgeon but is normally between £100 and £150.
You are under no obligation to register your horse once an assessment has been carried out but if you wish to do so it must be within six months of the date of the assessment.
If you are unable to attend one of the published assessment days but still wish your horse to be assessed, please notify the office of your interest so that further assessment dates and suitable venues can be arranged. Due to the costs involved in running the assessments additional dates cannot be added unless there are sufficient numbers to justify the costs. It is possible to assess horses by video for the Breeding Only appendix.
If you have a number of horses that you would like to put forward for assessment it may be possible to arrange for three assessors to visit your premises.
If you need any further information, then please contact the BMHS Head Office.
The BMHS Head Office, Stretcholt Farm, Bridgwater, TA6 4SR| +44 (0)1278 685 943