HELP! Would like to get a TB mare approved? Where to go an how to start?

Hello all,

I think this must have been discussed/asked before but I couldn't find anything, so I'm hoping there is someone who can help me figure this whole thing out.

I have a LOVELY Thoroughbred mare that recently came off the track. She is sound and super athletic, so I'm aiming to develop her for a career as a sport horse (just giving her time to fatten up now, she came off the track about 300lbs underweight). That being said, I think she has a lot of nice qualities for a sport horse breeding program and I would like to go ahead with getting her approved with one of the WB registries now, so all of the pieces are in place if she does end up getting injured or something else down the line.

So, my questions are....

I'm not really sure which registry (or registries) to go for approval in? Do I just try for approval in the registry where I like the stallions best? Is there more prestige associated with one than the other? Is it based on the mare's type?

This mare is going to be a big tank with a huge hip and shoulder, just nice type and well balanced. About 16.3hh, maybe a hair over. Super refined head and smart eye, good temperament- HUGE mover, lovely jump. Would want to breed for a bit more bone, but that's more or less a given when you are breeding TBs to WB stallions for the most part. I will not breed her until she is at least somewhat proven as a sport horse (Training level eventing++, or equivalent if she ends up preferring a different discipline)

Please don't criticize me for "not knowing enough to be breeding". I'm just starting my research, and am not planning on breeding anything for years down the road if ever.

Thanks!

Hi
I'll put in my two cents here. I think it's a great idea to get your TB approved as a warmblood. Of course I'm going to encourage you to do Danish Warmblood. But if you look at the number of Danish horses in the Olympics you'll see that for such a small registry there is a very high number of top athletes. DV accepts stallions that are not approved DV if they finished in the top 10% in their testing so there isn't really a problem finding stallions. The bad news is that you just missed the inspection; it was last week. But it gives you two years to get her prepared for the next go around. Feel free to PM me for information about Danish Warmblood and other registries. Don't worry about just starting out. We all started somewhere. I will not post any opinions about other registries here.

Regards,
Erica

Oldenburg seems to be popular and so does RPSI. Lots of stallions are under these registries.

I would find out which registries have inspections local to you and go from there. I took my TB to AHS and have been very pleased with their customer service. They have a reputation for being tough on TBs, but my mare was given full credit for her quality.

I would stick with one of the larger registries. If you should ever need to sell her as a broodmare, a small registry would likely limit your market as many breeders prefer to stick with one or two.

I also prefer having the option to register my foals by mail should I be unable to attend a convenient inspection. AHS, KWPN, and AHHA are highly regarded and give you that option.

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Originally Posted by tuckawayfarm

I would find out which registries have inspections local to you and go from there.

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This. Most are done for the year so you have some time. You can also present her to more than one. One of my mares is approved in two registries.

End of the day....pick the inspection nearest you! And while it is a good idea to get her inspected before she get's hurt....I would wait until you get her going and competing a bit first.

I absolutely agree--if you are starting from no registry bias, then I would figure out the logistics of which registries have inspections by you. If you have a couple nice choices nearby then do your research from there to see which registration meets your goals, would be good for your mare, and has the stallions you like.

There are a couple registries I basically cannot get to logistically/reasonably. Maybe you are in a better location though.

I have aTB mare as well and was in the same situation. I went with Oldenburg NA because there were a lot of nice stallions from a variety of backgrounds. Thay also had very accessible inspections. She went through as premium. I agree to start with something close to you. You can also go watch some inspections. I have learned a lot from watching. And, it's great that you can go through more than one inspection, so you are not limited to making just one choice. Good luck!

Also, you can go online to each registery and see what their tests are and their requirements. I did that and it helped

Well, in addition to logistics, I would start looking at stallions. Narrow it down to a couple of stallions that you think will improve the mare, contact their owners, discuss the mare, and go from there. If you have no registry bias, then you can start with the association that your "top 3" are approved with. Also, that way you may find that you have a stallion owner who is willing to help you "lean the ropes" as well.

Just my $.02

Thank you to everyone for explaining everything to me! I think the fog is beginning to rise. I'm sure I'll have more questions along the way...

Don't waste your money on a registry until you have selected a stallion in a particular registry--that is where you will have to go to get foal papers anyway. Some registries are Europe based and some are US based. May make a difference to you. Some cater more to the dressage side of things, and a few to the jumping side. Some registries are picky about admitting TB mares and others are more open.
Excellent advice above however on picking a stallion or two or three and then letting those stallion owners help you get more info. It is a big world out there in breeding land.

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Originally Posted by feather river

Don't waste your money on a registry until you have selected a stallion in a particular registry--that is where you will have to go to get foal papers anyway. Some registries are Europe based and some are US based. May make a difference to you. Some cater more to the dressage side of things, and a few to the jumping side. Some registries are picky about admitting TB mares and others are more open.
Excellent advice above however on picking a stallion or two or three and then letting those stallion owners help you get more info. It is a big world out there in breeding land.

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I think it is better to be prepared, even if you may change your mind later. Accidents happen. Better to have an approval somewhere as a "plan B."

If I had not made up my mind about a particular stallion or stud book, I would probably lean towards GOV, Old-NA or RPSI, based on geography since they seem to have the most varied stallion rosters- a little of something for everyone, with quite a bit of overlap.

If you decide you want to present to something a little more specific, such as AHS, AHHA, ATA, sBs, etc down the road, it will just be an added bonus.

I got "teased" a bit about hauling my mare around at 3 for stud book approvals, with no immediate plans to breed. Last year she suffered a devastating injury. She's pasture sound but her trot would definitely get marked down at an inspection now. Thank God she's already approved AHHA and BWP. She never would have made t into AHHA after her injury since foundation mares have to score premium.... She still looks fantastic but the trot would take quite a hit now, possibly excluding her from earning premium status

Just my .02¢ worth (for free)