So you want to breed Knabstruppers! It is important to know and understand the rules.
It will save you a lot of heartache and expense if you know how to go about it. Knabstruppers are not registered just on the basis of pedigree. The rules are set by the Founding or Mother registry, in the case of Knabstruppers this is the Knabstrupperforeningen for Danmark (KNN). All other Knabstrupper registries (EQUUS International, Westfalen/RPSI, etc) are considered daughter registries and have to follow the KNN rules. You can read the full rules on the KNN website (www.knabstrupper.dk), but here is a slightly simplified version.
Knabstuppers are an ‘inspection breed’. That is ALL breeding stock, mares as well as stallions have to be inspected and graded and have a high enough score at grading to have a breeding license. Even registered Knabstrupper mares must have a breeding license for their foals to be registered. All outcross mares must have an inspection score from a European Verband. All out cross stallions must have a breeding license from their Verband AND you must get permission from KNN to use them! Mares and stallions are inspected by a judging panel from the KNN in Denmark, who fly over every other year and travel around the country. The inspections are held at various venues and the horses are brought in for inspection and grading.
Westfalen/RPSI Registration:
Westfalen do not at this time have a Knabstrupper book, thus they cannot register Knabstruppers. They can inspect mares for outcross and give them a breeding license which is recognised by KNN, but if they register a foal it is a Westfalen with the Knabstrupper ancestry 'recorded' it not registered as a Knabstrupper.Westfalen cannot (at this time) issue approvals for Knabstupper stallions. Horses previously inspected and registered by RPSI are grandfathered in, but RPSI no longer exists so you now have to go with the other daughter registries or use KNN.
For a stallion to be approved by KNN, it has to complete a Performance Test, either under saddle or in harness, This is done once the stallion reaches 4 yrs of age or older. KNN also do a preliminary test for stallions between 2 -4 yrs, where they are not ridden, but do jump down a lane, move free, are run in-hand, and examined. A passing score at this test means the young stallion gets a temporary license, and can breed for 2 yrs. After that the license expires and the stallion has to do the full ridden/driven performance test. If you are really interested in becoming a Knabstrupper breeder it is well worthwhile attending one of these inspections and seeing what happens and how they are run.
Registration of Foals for KNN Main Stud Book & Appendix Book
1.Make sure the stallion you want to use is on KNN’s stallion list. And if it is an out-cross stallion make sure he can be approved by KNN before you cover your mare.
2.Upon breeding, a 1st Covering Event Form must be filed (*check with the stallion owner as they may do this on your behalf*Usually the stallion owner fills out the breeding certificate and file in and will receive the invoice from SEG#S for this. If it is AI with frozen semen the vet must file in the breeding certificate – make sure the vet is prepared to pay for this, or inform SEGES that the bill must go to the mare owner. )a.Must be reported within 14 days after 1st breeding
b.A copy of the mare’s registration papers must be included withBreeding Certificate (if registering in Main Book or Appendix Book) if the mare is not already entered onto SEGES’ database, HesteData.
c.1st Covering Event Form is sent to: hestekontoret@seges.dk &knabstrupperforeningen@gmail.com
3.Once a mare is checked, a Reproduction Event Form must be filed – this will detail if the mare is pregnant, not pregnant or aborted a pregnancy and the method of confirmation. *check with the stallion owner as they may do this on your behalf*
a.Reproduction Event Form is sent to: hestekontoret@seges.dk &knabstrupperforeningen@gmail.com
4.Upon birth of a foal, the mare owner will fill out a Foal Registration Form within 40 days after foaling at the latest.a.Send Foal Registration Form to: hestekontoret@seges.dk &knabstrupperforeningen@gmail.com
5.SEGES will email back with the Chipping & Inspection of Foal Form. At this point you will need to do the following:
a.Pull mane or tail hairs and have a Parental Verification done by UCDavis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) *This will require a NQ number for both sire and dam. The stallion owner should supply you with the NQ number at the time of breeding. If you do not have the genetics of your mare on file with VGL, you will need to also submit a hair sample on your mare*.
b.A veterinarian will need to implant a microchip of ISO-standard and sign off on the Chipping & Inspection of Foal Form once the microchip has been implanted.
c.Submit the Parental Verification and Chipping & Inspection of FoalForm back to SEGES: hestekontoret@seges.dk &knabstrupperforeningen@gmail.com
6.SEGES will contact you with an invoice for payment
Difference Between KNN Main Stud Book & Appendix Book Registration
The KNN Main Stud Book is for breeding stock. Appendix mares can also be used for breeding. Any resulting foal that is entered into the Main Stud Book is still required to pass a grading from or after the year in which they turn 3 years old in order to be approved for breeding. This can be done a year earlier but it is not advised.- only after applying to KNN’s board for a special approval which may not be granted
The KNN Appendix Book is for offspring by approved KNN stallions bred to F1 mares (mares that are of undesirable or unknown breeding) who have passed a grading inspection with KNN.
Offspring registered in the Appendix Book are categorized as follows:
oF1 – Offspring of an approved KNN stallion with a mare that has passed a grading by KNN .
oF2 – Graded Offspring of an approved KNN stallion with a mare that is categorized as F1 in the Appendix Book.
oF3 – Graded Offspring of an approved KNN stallion or an approved outcross stallion with a mare that is categorized as F2 in the AppendixBook.
An F3 mare can be graded and have the offspring of approved KNN stallions or an approved outcross stallion entered into the KNN Main Stud Book. F3 stallions may not be bred.
Mares will on become F1, F2 or F3 by grading – ungraded they are F0
Certificate of Ownership
Together with a Danish passport you will receive an ownership certificate
For horses that are eligible for KNN registration, KNN will issue a Certificate of Ownership. This document will also be the document that is sent in when you are transferring the ownership of a horse.
Passports
Passports are separate documents from KNN Certificate of Ownership. All horses in Europe are required to have a Passport which acts as an identification document and is issued for the lifetime of the horse. There are three Passport categories:
1.KNN Main Stud Book Passports – these are red in color and indicate the horse’s registration as a registered Knabstrupper
2.KNN Appendix Book Passports – these are blue in color but will indicate whether the horse is F1, F2 or F3. A main book passport is called ‘registreringsattest’ and an appendix passport is called ‘afstamningsoplysning’
3.Unapproved Breeding Passports – these are green in color and are for the offspring of a KNN stallion bred to a mare that is not of approved breeding and has also not been graded by KNN.
Key Takeaways
For mares of approved breeding who have been bred to a KNN approved stallion but have not yet been graded by KNN or another Verband, you have two options:
1.Have the mare graded by a European Verband prior to foaling in order to register the foal or present it to KNN – this would allow the foal the be entered into the KNN Main Stud Book.
2.Wait for the mare to be graded after foaling and hold off on foals registration which would allow the foal the be entered into the KNN MainStud Book.
For mares that are not of approved breeding or are of unknown breeding, you would need to bring your mare to a KNN grading and have her approved in order to register her offspring into the Appendix Book. If the mare is not of approved breeding or of unknown breeding and does not attend a grading, the resulting foal would not be eligible for registration but could receive an unapproved breeding passport (green in color).
If a mare is not graded and of approved breeding, there are no registration papers from KNN but you would still receive a passport it would just be an unapproved breeding passport which is green in color. Should the mare later be inspected and graded and pass, the foal can be retroactively registered.
Just because a horse is registered KNN DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE APPROVED TO BREED.
Pedigree Requirements for the Main Stud Book
For entry into the Main Stud Book, the animal must have 3 full lines of approved ancestry AND meet one of the below criteria:
oAncestors must be registered with KNN
oAncestors must be graded with another approved KNN stud book
oAncestors must be graded with other KNN acceptable stud books –outcross list below – additional outcrosses outside of Danish borders are accepted but should be confirmed prior to breeding:•Frederiksborg Hesteavlsforeningen (Fredricksberger)
•Dansk Oldenborg Avl (Danish Oldenborg)
•Trakehner Avlsforbundet i Danmark (Trakehner)
•Dansk Selskab for Arabisk Hesteavl (Shagya, Arab and Angloarab)
•Dansk Varmblod (Danish Warmblood)
•Grænseegnens Holstener Hesteavlsforening (Holsteiner)
•Thoroughbred XX (approved with Danish Warmblood, Trakehner orArab Societies)
•Lusitano approved by APSL (Associação Portuguesa De Criadoresdo Cavalo Puro Sangue Lusitano)
•PRE approved with ANCCE (Asociación Nacional de Criadores deCaballos de Pura Raza Española)
•Avlsforeningen for New Forest Ponyer i Danmark (New Forest pony)
•Welsh Pony avlen i Danmark (Welsh Pony but not Welsh Cob)
•Avlsforeningen for Connemara Ponyer i Danmark (Connemarapony)
•Dansk Sports Ponyavl (Danish Sport ́s pony)
•Avlsforeningen for Dartmoor Ponyer i Danmark (Dartmoor pony)
•Avlsforeningen for Shetlandsponyer i Danmark (Shetland pony)
•Dansk Miniatureheste Forening (Danish Miniature Society)
Outcrossing with animals from other spotted breeds other than those above is not allowed.
Gray is not permitted. Acceptable base coat colors are solid chestnut, bay and black. No pinto is allowed.
KNN Graded Mare – Bred to Stallion from Outcross List:
When using a stallion from the accepted outcross list on a graded Knabstrupper mare, the progeny will be eligible for registration, provided the mare ́s owner has notified the Society’s Stallion-list Administrator before November 1st of the year
the covering takes place. These are the rules; but the KNN will help retroactively as well. Westfalen Registration: Westfalen will inspect and grade mares, (they follow the same rules as the KNN). Please check the Westfalen stud book rules for these.
See earlier. Glossary of Terms Grading – grading is done to define the breeding program in the breeding society to ensure the advancement of the breed. Foals can participate in a foal show along with mares, geldings and stallions, but the grades they are assigned are for interest of the owners only they are not recorded.. The grading assigns scores and scores of 4 or less are considered not passable. Gradings are governed by the Society’s Board and Breeding Management. In the USA, these are held at various locations every other year. HesteData – this is a subscription database with horse data that is run by SEGES free access for KNN members Inspection – See “Grading” License – refers to a stallion’s ability to produce registerable offspring. Passport – separate documents issued in Europe. All European horses are required to have a Passport. The Passport acts as an identification document and is issued for the lifetime of the horse. Passports do not equal registration with a breed. Performance Test- conducted by the KNN during the biannual tour. All stallions must complete their performance test with a passing score, before they get a full lifetime license. Performance tests conducted by other breed organizations (70 day test etc.), can be offered and may be considered as an alternative. The breeding committee of the KNN will consider each stallion offered thru the 70 day test on an individual basis. Mares can do the performance test as well, and many do, but it is not mandatory for mares. Preliminary License – Young stallions 2-4 yrs of age, can undergo a Preliminary test which does not involve being ridden, if they get a passing score they are issued a temporary breeding license good for 2 years. Foals bred under this license will be registered. However once the 2 year window has passed the stallion no longer has a breeding license until he is represented for the full Performance test and passes.
Registration – refers to the breed registry (KNN) and how they register offspring of approved stallions. Not all registered KNN horses are allowed to breed to produce registerable KNN offspring.
SEGES - is the company KNN contracts with for studbook registration and passports.
Verband- Panel of judges who inspect and score horses for various registries.
