British Breeder Magazine May 2021

BRITISH
BREEDER
May 2021
The Brexit effect on foal
registrations –
what does it mean?
Futurity, Auction and
Equine Bridge
An introduction to DNA
Vet insight:
Ultrasound scanning
Breeder Spotlight:
Breen Equestrian
Feature: PSSM2 –
New studies into
muscle disease
BRITISH BREEDER| 1

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Formulated to support correct growth and help achieve genetic potential
Backed by unique hands-on practical knowledge and nutritional support
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2 | BRITISH BREEDER
EXPERTS IN STUD NUTRITION. For problem solving advice
Tel: +44 (0)1371 850247 (option 2) nutrition@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk

May Issue - Index
Welcome from the editor
Cover
RFW U-Got-The-Look (by U-Genius, out
of Wioletta), bred by Ruth Warrington.
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other than that in which it is published.
Welcome to the May issue.
This issue would not be complete
without paying tribute to Prince Philip,
Duke of Edinburgh. He was, without
doubt, a true horseman whose
achievements have been widely
reported, but he also understood the
need for progress in equestrian sport
and was influential as former president
of the FEI. His love of equestrian sport
lives on through the endeavours and
achievements of younger generations of
royals, and the horse world is the better
for it.
As we closed the magazine, we were
shocked to learn of the passing of Tim
Holderness-Roddam, a great supporter
of eventing and sport horse breeding
and a huge loss to the equestrian world.
We offer our sympathies to Jane, his
family and the team at West Kington
Stud.
As the country is relaxing from Covid
restrictions, many of our number are
engrossed in the important business of
delivering this year’s crop of new born
foals and planning the next generation
of sport horses. Our recent webinars on
Foaling the Mare, along with our
successful Virtual Stallion Event are a
great reference, especially for those less
Contents
4-6
8-11
12-14
16-17
18-29
32
34-35
37-39
43-45
46-47
48
50-51
53
54
56-57
Discipline and Breeding News
Obituries
Brexit News & National Equine Forum
Baileys British Breeding Futurity & Equine Bridge
Studbook News
Feature - Inside Nasta
Feature - Preparing For Foaling
Breeder Spotlight - Breen Equestrian
Feature - DNA: Testing in Breeding
Feature - PSSM2: Muscle disease
Product Feature - Stable Shield
Nutrition Feature - Spillers Feeds
Feature - Westgate Labs
Product News
Vet Feature - Ultrasound of the broodmare
experienced breeders, and the
webinars can all be watched again on
our website.
Having bred your beautiful youngster,
your next step will be to think about
entering this year’s Baileys Horse Feeds
British Breeding Futurity Evaluations.
With both physical venues and virtual
options available this year, it has never
been easier to get your youngsters
assessed by our panel of renowned
international evaluators and veterinary
and nutrition team. Full details of plans
for the British Breeding Futurity and
Equine Bridge 2021 are in this issue.
Dr Jonathan Pycock offers us more
advice on preparing your mare for
foaling in this issue, along with timely
advice on scanning your mare from
Rossdales. We also take a look behind
the scenes at Breen Equestrian in
our breeder profile. Dr Eva Broomer
explains the complexities of the current
situation regarding foal registrations
with European Studbooks. We also get
an introduction to DNA and explore the
current situation with the muscle disease
PSSM2.
We wish you well this breeding season,
and look forward to seeing you in
person before too long.
BRITISH BREEDER| 3

News
Leadership appointments at British Equestrian
British Equestrian has appointed Jim
Eyre as new Chief Executive to lead the
organisation, while Malcom Wharton
has been formally appointed Chairman
for a four year term.
Jim Eyre joins equestrian sport from the
elite world of rugby, where he spent
over five years with Premiership team
Harlequins FC, initially as Commercial
Operations Director before promotion to
Chief Operating Officer, a position he
held for three years. Responsible for a
large core staff and a key member of the
Senior Management Team, Jim oversaw
the operational delivery of all aspects of
the club’s stadium with significant
budgetary responsibility. He was
instrumental in successfully delivering
key projects including building the
Community Department, developing The
Harlequins Foundation, delivering an IT
and digital strategy, building the club’s
woman and girls programme to create a
pathway from grassroots to elite
international rugby, and diversification of
the venue to drive revenue.
Prior to joining Harlequins, Jim spent 25
years in the military, in a variety of roles
including Squadron Leader of the Blues
and Royals Mounted Squadron and
Commanding Officer of The Household
Cavalry Regiment. His current role is with
England Rugby as a Project Officer to
spearhead the sport’s COVID recovery
programme and help Premiership clubs
to comply with guidance and legislation
in order for the sport to continue.
Having grown up in Lambourn Valley,
equestrian pursuits featured heavily in
Jim’s youth and he was an avid Pony
Club member, taking part in a wide
variety of disciplines. He went on to join
the Army, where his horsemanship focus
changed considerably and
leadership skills flourished with
responsibility for various sized teams,
regularly in complex and high-pressure
operational environments.
“I am thrilled and honoured to have
been appointed as Chief Executive of
British Equestrian, and I look forward to
working with the BEF team and all the
member bodies to help grow
equestrianism and horse welfare in the
UK. It is clear that there are as many
challenges as there are opportunities,
and a key focus must be to help the
sector recover from COVID-19, as well
as to minimise the impact of Brexit.
Looking forward to the summer, with the
pandemic hopefully behind us and the
delayed Tokyo Games underway, it
should be a hugely exciting time for the
sport and industry.” Jim will formally start
his role on 6 April and Iain Graham,
who has been acting as Interim Chief
Executive since October 2019, will continue
to provide overarching support for
the World Class Programme. Iain
Jim Eyre, new Chief Executive
will work with Performance Director
Richard Waygood and his team to best
prepare our athletes to compete at the
Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games
alongside his role as CEO for British
Showjumping. Malcolm Wharton CBE
has been confirmed formally in the
position of Chairman of the British
Equestrian Board for a four-year term
with full support from UK Sport.
Malcolm, working closely with Iain, has
provided strong leadership and direction
for British Equestrian since he took over
the role on an interim basis in October
2019 and has managed the
organisation through the COVID crisis,
providing stability and playing an
essential part of securing our funding for
the Paris Olympic and Paralympic cycle.
FEI enhances horse
traceability in EHV-1
Return to Competition
measures
The FEI has added new modules to the
FEI HorseApp to monitor key mandatory
requirements in the Return To
Competition measures that allowed for a
safe resumption of international sport in
mainland Europe from 12 April.
Key areas covered by the Return to
Competition protocols, which were
launched on 30 March, include
advance PCR testing (for certain
designated events only), temperature
monitoring of horses as well as
enhanced Examination on Arrival
procedures. Stringent biosecurity
measures and mitigation plans, in line
with the FEI Veterinary Regulations, also
form part of the Return To Competition
measures.
The measures include a number of
temporary provisions that will remain in
place until 30 May 2021, providing a
science-based safety margin to allow
for monitoring of any further related
outbreaks. This date can be extended if
required.
The FEI Veterinary Epidemiology
Working Group had already agreed that
there was no current evidence indicating
that it would be unsafe to return to
international competition in mainland
Europe as planned from 12 April,
provided the mandated enhanced
preventive measures were implemented.
However, the Group will continue to
monitor the evolution of the outbreaks on
a daily basis.
“The recent EHV-1 outbreak has
underscored the importance of early
detection and prevention in disease
transmission,” FEI Veterinary Director
Göran Åkerströmsaid. “The FEI
HorseApp is a crucial tool to facilitate
the traceability of horses attending FEI
Events, as well as for data gathering to
allow for better risk assessment analysis
and informed decision-making. It is a
key element in ensuring a safe return to
competition and in minimising the impact
of a disease outbreak in the future.”
The FEI HorseApp is being used for
uploading negative PCR results for
designated events. In addition, the FEI
Veterinarian conducting the Examination
on Arrival will scan the horse’s microchip
with a reader connected via Bluetooth to
the FEI HorseApp, and also record the
horse’s temperature in the FEI HorseApp.
Under the Return To Competition
measures, it is also compulsory for all
horses to be officially checked out at the
Show Office using the FEI HorseApp.
This ensures traceability should a disease
outbreak occur.
4 | BRITISH BREEDER

News
British Equestrian
EHV-1 update
Following the successful implementation
of protocols for horses returning to the
UK who might potentially have been
impacted by the EHV-1 outbreak in
Europe, British Equestrian reported that
the disease risk in the UK was nearing
normal l evels in early April. However,
the recommendation on the use of a
revised health self-certification form for
UK equine gatherings remains in place
as an ongoing biosecurity measure to
help manage the risk.
British Equestrian’s Equine Infectious
Diseases Action Group (EIDAG) has
considered data on the prevalence of
EHV-1 diagnosis in UK over the last
three years and concluded that, while
EHV-1 remains a persistent and
ever-present threat, the mildly increased
disease risk level announced on 18
March is now dropping towards the
baseline number of cases seen in any
other year.
The process of monitoring and
laboratory testing, which was imposed
on horses that had been in direct contact
with EHV-1 outbreaks at competitions in
the Iberian peninsula and subsequently
across Europe, went extremely well.
Horses returning from these areas were
suspended from competition until they
had completed the protocols that
enabled them to compete in the UK.
As part of the measures put in place to
mitigate the risk of the current European
FEI Eventing
European
Championships for
2021 & 2023
allocated
Avenches in Switzerland will host this
year’s FEI Eventing European
Championship, with the 2023 edition
allocated to Haras du Pin (FRA).
Host venues for these two important
Championships and other key events
were made by the FEI Board by video
conference recently, with the full support
of the FEI Eventing Committee and the
European Equestrian Federation (EEF).
“We are pleased to have the Swiss
venue of Avenches hosting the 2021
Championships,” FEI Secretary
General Sabrina Ibáñez said.
“Following last year’s postponement of
the Tokyo Games, the FEI had originally
EHV outbreak reaching our equine
population, British Equestrian and its
member bodies introduced an equine
health self-certification form on 18
March under the advisement of the
EIDAG. The process was implemented
at short notice and was mandated for
all British Dressage, British Eventing and
British Showjumping competitions up to
12 April. Organisers, secretaries and
competitors readily embraced the
process and made it work so
successfully.
The EIDAG has recommended that the
EHV-1 risk level is dropping to a low/
normal level, but as an endemic disease
the risk it poses to the UK equine
population is continuous. While the
mandate to use the self-certification
forms has now ended, British Equestrian
and the EIDAG are recommending to
member bodies and their organisers
that a revised version of the form be
introduced as an ongoing biosecurity
measure to protect our equines and
mitigate the risk of spreading infectious
conditions. Forms can be downloaded
from the British Equestrian website.
EIDAG chair Celia Marr commented;
“Recent events have shown what can be
achieved when we work collectively to
implement effective biosecurity measures
such as self-certification. We actively
encourage all member bodies, event
organisers and horse owners to
continue to make use of a
self-certification process to ensure that
horses coming to gatherings are as
healthy as possible, in order to reduce
cancelled European Championships in
all three Olympic and Paralympic
disciplines so that the focus could remain
on the Games in 2021, but our
community encouraged us to review that
decision and we listened to those voices.
“After carefully reviewing three strong
bids, which also included Boekelo in
the Netherlands and Montelibretti in
Italy, the FEI Board voted to allocate this
year’s FEI Eventing European
Championship to Avenches.
“We are happy to be able to give our
community something to look forward to
during these difficult days as we tackle
the EHV-1 outbreak and work to put in
place protocols to get our horses and
athletes back to competing again.”
The 2021 edition of the FEI Eventing
European Championship will run from
23-26 September.
Haras du Pin (FRA) was named as host
risk of disease spread. Infectious disease
management is a collective responsibility
which everyone shares.”
The British Equestrian Veterinary
Association has also urged horse
owners, particularly returning
competitors, to do all they can to
prevent the spread of this fatal disease.
EHV-1 is a highly contagious virus that
spreads between horses that are in
close contact with one another. It can
spread on people or objects but is more
likely to spread horse to horse within the
stable environment, and particularly in
enclosed buildings such as American
barns with shared air spaces. It does not
spread over long distances in the air and
is unlikely to spread between different
buildings or yards without movement of
horses, people or objects.
EHV-1, capable of causing neurological
disease, was spreading at showjumping
events in Valencia in March. The
movement of horses away from these
events resulted in the spread of virus to
other premises in Europe and the Middle
East.
“The consequences of this outbreak have
been devastating and understandably,
there was anxiety that horses returning to
the UK may be carrying the virus and
infection may spread back in the UK,”
said David Rendle, Chair of BEVA’s
Health and Medicines Committee. “To
prevent this from happening, it is
essential that returning competitors
comply with the quarantine plans that
have been put in place by British
Showjumping”.
for the FEI Eventing European
Championship in 2023. The FEI Board
had originally allocated the 2021
Championship to the French venue and,
when there were discussions last year
about the possibility of rescheduling the
event away from the Olympic Games
period, the Haras du Pin organisers
were unfortunately unable to find an
alternative date in 2021. However, they
put forward a proposal to the FEI to host
the Championships in 2023 and this
was agreed by the FEI Board this week.
Dates for the Championship in 2023 are
yet be confirmed.
The FEI Board also allocated the FEI
Jumping Ponies Trophy Final 2021 to
Mechelen (BEL). An experienced
Organiser of the Longines FEI
Jumping World Cup Western
European League, the Belgian city will
hold the Trophy Final from 26-30
December. Kronenberg (NED) will host
the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth
Final 2021 from 23-26 September.
BRITISH BREEDER| 5

News
NEXGEN Series
announced for
2021
NEXGEN Champs return for 2021
The 2021 NEXGEN Young Horse Series
has announced an increased prize fund
of over £52,000 for 2021. In addition
there are several new qualifying
venues, all of which will be
live-streamed on clipmyhorse.tv, and a
showcase auction for horses who have
qualified for the Young Horse Series
final.
The NEXGEN Series provides talented
4 – 7 year old young horses of any
breed the chance to compete against
each other in their respective discipline,
enabling them to grow and progress to
the top levels of sport.
Now with 18 qualifying venues being
used around the UK, the series begins
on 27th May at Houghton
International Horse Trials and offers
pathways for performance horses in
dressage, eventing and
showjumping, culminating in the final
at the All England Jumping Course,
Hickstead on 23rd-25th
September 2021.
Proceeding the Young Horse Finals,
NEXGEN are offering selected horses
the chance to showcase in their
performance auction which will take
place on October 6 2021 at The
Loungfield in Nottinghamshire. The
NEXGEN auction will deliver a format
never seen before, giving potential
buyers the opportunity to see the horses
live in the competition arena.
Victoria Wright, Director of NEXGEN
said, “NEXGEN are pioneers for the
Sport Horse Breeding Industry,
providing UK breeders and young
horse producers with a reliable
showcasing platform to reach buyers
across the globe. Our aim is to
successfully connect the highest calibre
vendors and buyers together, whilst
ensuring that the stars of the future are
produced in the right environment to
achieve their full potential on the world
stage. Entries for the 2021 series are
now open via Equipe as are auction
applications.
For more information and to enter go
to www.nexgenhorses.com or for the
auction go to www.nexgenauction.com
Breeding the best
Breen Equestrian
opens state-ofthe-art
stud
Showjumping team Breen Equestrian has
expanded their business by launching a
luxurious new breeding facility close to
their base at Hickstead in West Sussex.
Pook Bourne Stud is a state-of-the-art
breeding premises with space to
accommodate up to 85 mares and
young horses. Nine stallions will stand at
the stud, including prolific showjumping
winners Golden Hawk, Can Ya
Makan and Clyde VA. The aim is to
breed around a dozen foals each year
under the Breen Equestrian prefix, while
A summerlong series of elite sport is
scheduled at Bolesworth for 2021.
Synonymous with world-class
showjumping and outstanding
equestrian facilities, Nina Barbour and
the team are bringing sport back to
Bolesworth with an extensive calendar
of dates including the Bolesworth
International Horse Show, now
confirmed to run on 7th-11th July.
In addition to the new dates, Bolesworth
are delighted to welcome title sponsors
Dodson & Horrell. Sam Horrell,
Managing Director of Dodson & Horrell
commented, “We are very pleased to
join Bolesworth International as their
new title sponsor to celebrate
showjumping and the dedication,
passion and talent of all the
competitors and their horses. Set against
the iconic backdrop of Bolesworth
Castle, the prestigious International
Arena will host headline classes
climaxing with the CSI*** Grand Prix
the stud will also cater to clients who
wish to send their mares to the stud with
the aim of breeding their own potential
superstars.
Breen Equestrian is run by Irish
international showjumper Shane Breen
and his wife Chloe, who already have a
superb reputation for breeding,
producing and selling top class sport
horses. Fellow showjumper Greg Le
Gear, a qualified AI technician, is the
Stud Manager at Pook Bourne Stud and
is in charge of the day-to-day running of
the breeding side of the business.
Shane Breen commented: “I’m very
proud and excited that Breen Equestrian
can offer some of the world’s best
stallions, as well as facilities that are
second to none.”
www.breenequestrian.com
ELITE SPORT RETURNS TO BOLESWORTH
on Sunday 11th July. The busy schedule,
all set to run under FEI rules will
include CSI3*, CSI1*, CSIAm, CSIP
and CSIYH classes, with the aim to
provide a platform for a huge range of
competitors and horses to compete.
The Bolesworth experience is highlighted
for many by the renowned Elite Auction.
On Friday, 9th July, a special collection
of Elite Yearlings will be auctioned live.
All lots will have close links to 1.60m
performers on the dam side with a
line-up that promise to include some of
the most famous equine names in
showjumping. There will also be three
affiliated training shows, on the 7th &
21st April, and the 5th May, and the
brand new Bolesworth National Horse
Show will take place from 20th – 23rd
May, presenting three days of
competition with classes up to 1.40m,
also incorporating Young Horse classes.
www.bolesworthinternational.com
6 | BRITISH BREEDER

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BRITISH BREEDER| 7

News - Obituries
TIM HOLDERNESS-RODDAM 1942-2021
It was with great sadness that we
learned of the sudden death of Tim
Holderness-Roddam on Thursday 15
April 2021, aged 78.
Tim was married to Equestrian Olympic
Gold Medallist and current British
Eventing President, Jane
Holderness-Roddam. Together they
owned and ran West Kington Farms and
Stud in Wiltshire, standing numerous
outstanding stallions and specialising in
breeding top competition horses. Tim’s
experience in agriculture and
international trading complimented
Jane’s equestrian activities and led to the
development of West Kington Stud,
Stallion Centre, Competition Yard and
Farm.
Tim was a passionate and
knowledgeable advocate of eventing for
many years. He gave his time freely to
support, advise and promote the sport,
including roles with British Eventing,
British Equestrian, The Horse Trials
Support Group and both Blenheim and
Burghley Horse Trials. In 2010 Tim was
presented with the British Equestrian
Federation Medal of Honour in
recognition of his outstanding
achievement and contribution to the
international equestrian world.
Tim was educated at Radley College,
followed by military service in the King’s
Royal Hussars. His successful 30-year
career at Tate & Lyle plc (UM Group)
culminated in the role of MD of the
United Molasses Group, where he was
responsible for the worldwide trading,
storage and distribution business.
Since retiring from the City in 2000,
Tim held a number of consultancy and
non-executive roles, including senior
consultant to Bristol Port Company,
which handles much of the import/
export trade for the west of England;
and a consultant to and former director
of Abercrombie & Kent, the luxury and
tailor-made travel business. Tim was
formerly a trustee of the pension fund of
Countrywide Farmers plc and Deputy
Chair of Friends of Conservation, an
international charity operating mainly in
Africa and the Indian sub-continent.
Tim’s equestrian roles include Chair of
the British Equestrian Federation Fund,
which he was involved with for nearly
20 years, Chair of Blenheim Palace
International Horse Trials, former Chair
of The Horse Trials Support Group
(HTSG), Director and former Chair of the
Finance Committee of British Eventing.
More recently he has been involved as a
Director of British Equestrian; a member
of the British Eventing Finance and
Commercial Committee; and a member
of the Burghley Horse Trials Committee.
Tim will be greatly missed in the
breeding and eventing community,
where he was a popular and much
respected colleague and friend.
Our thoughts and best wishes are with
his family and friends.
In Memory to Pat
Campbell
The British Horse Society former
Chairman, Pat Campbell, has passed
away. Pat was a true equestrian with an
unparalleled dedication to horses, and
her loss will be felt by all who knew her.
She was a recipient of Her Majesty The
Queen’s Award for Equestrianism and
was also a past President of The
National Pony Society and Ponies (UK)
and past Chairman of The
Dartmoor Pony Society as well as
having a longstanding link with the
Ashford Valley Branch of the Pony Club.
Pat’s dedication to ponies and
encouraging others to enjoy and respect
them was renowned.
Pat was also a gracious, lovely and
generous, knowledgeable personal
friend to many of us. As well as all the
organisations already mentioned, she
was also the chair of both the Central
Prefix Register and the BHS Horse and
Pony Breeds Committee (which was the
body from which the 826 Equine
Studbooks Association developed).
On behalf of both those organizations I
pass on our sincerest condolences and
thoughts to her family and a sincere and
grateful reflection on all the many good
acts she performed for the whole
equestrian world over the years.
A lady of principle and a great loss to
the equine world.
By Celia Clarke
8 | BRITISH BREEDER

News - Obituries
Prince Philip, Duke
of Edinburgh
1921–2021
The passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of
Edinburgh, peacefully at Windsor Castle
on Friday 9th April, is a great loss for
equestrian sport, but his legacy will live
on for many decades to come.
He was the longest serving FEI President
(1964-1986) and was succeeded in this
role by his daughter Princess Anne, the
Princess Royal, for the following eight
years.
Prince Philip was a highly accomplished
equestrian and some of his greatest
sporting achievements came in the sport
of Driving which he introduced as a new
discipline in the FEI and helped to
develop during his FEI Presidency. He
became a hugely successful
competitor himself, winning team gold at
the 1980 World Driving Championship
and bronze in 1978, 1982 and 1984.
He also placed sixth individually in
1982.
Prince Philip strongly supported the FEI
Jumping Nations Cup series, which
is now one of the crown jewels in the
Jumping calendar, and was hugely
supportive of the launch of the FEI
Jumping World Cup in the 1970s. He
was also instrumental in the creation of
the FEI World Equestrian Games,
having lobbied for such a competition
for many years before it was finally
staged for the first time in Stockholm
(SWE) in 1990.
President of the Royal Windsor Horse
Show since 1991, Prince Philip was
integral to the development of the show.
Regularly seen ringside, he never missed
the Pony Club Games Final and was the
creator of the Prince Philip Pony Club
Games which culminate at Horse of the
Year Show.
Despite racing being the Queen’s great
passion, her racing and bloodstock
adviser John Warren recalled Prince
Philip taking a fulsome interest in the
horses and breeding.
He said: “Prince Philip was a much
greater support to the Queen in her
racing endeavours than many people
realize. His Royal Highness followed
Her Majesty’s involvement as an owner
and breeder very closely, and willingly
accompanied the Queen to the Derby
and Royal Ascot every year.
“Whenever I visited Sandringham to
look at horses with the Queen, Prince
Philip always asked on our return how
the yearlings and foals were
developing.
He was also a man of impeccable
manners”.
An all-round horseman, he played polo
during his time in the Royal Navy in
the 1940s and became one of Britain’s
top-10 players. His passion for all things
equestrian was shared by the Queen
and passed on to their children,
particularly Prince Charles who was also
a keen polo player, and Princess Anne,
who claimed individual gold at the FEI
European Eventing Championships in
1971, and individual and team silver four
years later, before becoming the first
British Royal to compete at an
Olympic Games when she rode in
Montreal 1976.
Prince Philip’s grandchildren have also
inherited a love of horse sport. Zara
Tindall took the Eventing world title in
2006 and was a member of the British
silver medal at the London 2012
Olympic Games.
Born in Corfu, Greece and educated in
France, Germany and Great Britain, he
was just 18 years old when he joined the
Royal Navy in 1939. During World War
ll he served with the Mediterranean and
Pacific fleets, and by the time he left the
service in 1952 he had reached the rank
of Commander. At the age 26 years,
he married the then Princess Elizabeth
(Queen Elizabeth ll) in November 1947.
He lived a life of relentless royal duty,
immersing himself wholeheartedly in
national life, carving out a unique public
role and remaining the Queen’s ‘strength
and stay’ for 73 years. Prince Philip was
the longest serving consort in British
history and was only months away from
his 100th birthday in June.
FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “I first
met Prince Philip in London at the FEI
General Assembly in 2005, and again
at the FEI Eventing European
Championships in Blair Castle in 2015.
He was a man of incredible energy and
a great sense of humour and the FEI was
honoured to have him as our longest
serving President.
“His dedication to equestrian sports
cannot be underestimated and will never
be forgotten, especially in the Driving
community. He was born in the same
year the FEI was founded and sadly he
will not be with us to celebrate his own
and the FEI’s centenary this year. We will
celebrate his life and remember him as a
great ambassador of our sport.”
British Breeding extends its deepest
sympathy to the British Royal Family and
joins the entire equestrian community
in mourning the loss of this remarkable
man.
BRITISH BREEDER| 9

News - Obituries
Heartbreaker
At 32 years old, Heartbreaker
(Nimmerdor x Silvano) died, simply of
old age on 10 April.
He made his debut with Grant Wilson
while he was riding in Belgium for Louis
Lenaerts. Because it was thought that he
would not be favored by the KWPN at
the time, he was presented to and
accepted by the BWP. He nevertheless
moved to Holland and joined the Nijhof
team stables, where he performed under
the saddle of Peter Geerink at the highest
level.
After performing at the highest level,
Heartbreaker proved to be an
outstanding sire. He leaves behind
impressive offspring, with many stallion
sons who will continue to maintain his
legend. Heartbreaker was crowned
‘KWPN Horse of the Year’ in 2016.
He was already declared ‘Preferent’ in
2009 because of his successful offspring
in the international scene.
Heartbreaker himself was successful at
Grand Prix level and is placed number 12
on the 2016 WBFSH-ranking for jumping
sires.
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10 | BRITISH BREEDER
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Spring Paddocks QTR - BBFeb21

News - Obituries
Sir Shutterfly
Leading sire, Sir Shutterfly, has died
aged 19. One of the most reliable and
consistent sires of performance
horses available in the UK, Sir Shutterfly
featured strongly in both the eventing
and show jumping sections of the British
Breeding Virtual Stallion event, and his
loss will be felt throughout the breeding
community.
Sir Shutterfly, by Silvio I out of a Forrest
XX mare, was a full brother to Meredith
Michaels-Beerbaum’s legendary ride
Shutterfly. He qualified for Germany’s
Bundeschampionate for five-year-olds
and went on to compete to 1.50m in
showjumping, before moving to a career
as a breeding stallion.
Fairlight Stud owner Jo Sholls-Evan told
British Breeding why the loss of “Fly” will
be felt by the stud.
“Fly was a HUGE character as well as
being extremely beautiful to look at.
He always had a great sense of fun
about him and an immense love for life,
especially if it involved being ridden and
jumped. It was easy to forget he was a
stallion because he was so
straightforward to handle. He was
always a very kind chap and loved any
attention. Our young daughters were
completely safe with him in the stable,
even when they could only reach the top
of his legs! He would stand still whilst
they brushed him and then remain very
quiet when they wanted to sit on his back
after the novelty of grooming him had
worn off.
“My husband, Martin, would often take
him for a hack round the lanes where
we live because he was good fun to ride
and extremely reliable. Apart from his
awesome ability to produce very smart
foals, we were delighted to see his older
offspring doing really well in bigger
classes and on the international circuit
both in showjumping and eventing. We
have recently sold some of the older
youngsters we bred here to professional
riders, which has been very encouraging
for us as breeders.
“One of Fly’s other characteristics was
his endless energy, something which
makes the yard very quiet now he has
gone. We were devastated to lose him
and it’s not been easy to have to rethink
a whole year’s business planning in such
a short space of time but we are now
very much looking to the future with him
living on through his offspring and the
future is where we are focussing. The first
of our mares will be inseminated with
his frozen semen over the next couple
of weeks and his first mare of the year is
already in foal from one dose of frozen
semen.
“It was an absolute privilege to have
owned and cared for him and a dream
for us as breeders to have been able to
add something so important to British
Breeding.
BRITISH BREEDER| 11

News - Brexit
The Effect
of Brexit
on British
breeding
This spring, British breeders who used
to register their foals with non-UK
studbooks, such as the German
Oldenburg Society and the German
Hanoverians found out that as of 30
June 2021, they would no longer be
able to register their foals in the UK.
This has some harsh consequences for
breeders who will have already paid
hundreds of Euros in membership and
mare contributions for the year and
whose business model is based on
selling to the European market, and to
clients who wish to participate in the
German “Bundeschampionat”, which
only admits horses with German UELN’s.
While this means that Continental
studbooks lose out on an opportunity,
the obverse is also true for UK studbooks
who have previously been active in
EU member states, such as the Anglo
European Studbook, about half of
whose now 3000 foals per annum have
been registered in Europe. These foals
will now have to be registered with an
AES daughter society set up in the
Netherlands. We thought it might be
useful to give you an overview of the
relevant EU legislation, which, in order to
enable us to continue to trade with
Europe, was adopted by the UK
government.
Registering Foals: “Extension of
Breeding Territory”:
Historically, many European studbooks
had casual arrangements, by which they
would register foals across various EU
member states. This suited the
development of breeding, which is
becoming an increasingly globalised
industry. For the studbooks, it was
convenient to operate in this manner, for
cost reasons, as well as in view of the
WBFSH Studbook rankings. The larger
the studbook, the larger the chance of
doing well in those rankings, which
effectively penalised those studbooks
who instead opted to set up daughter
societies and split their breeding
population.
2013 saw the infamous Lasagne meat
scandal, and with it came a realisation
by the authorities that they had a serious
issue with food safety. It was not only an
issue that horse meat was found in
various processed meat products, but
that some of those horses may well
have been treated with medication that
rendered them entirely unsuitable, and in
fact dangerous, for human consumption.
To tackle this problem, a new Animal
Health Law was created, to tighten up
the identification and trade in all
animals, including horses. Part of the
Animal Health Law requirements was the
creation of National Equine Databases
(in the UK, this is the Central Equine
Database, the CED), in which all horses
in the country were to be registered in
order to provide traceability, promote
biosecurity and guarantee food chain
safety.
The mechanism by which horses in the
UK are recorded on the central database
is through the UK studbooks. This is either
done through their first registrations, or,
in the case of imports or foals registered
with foreign studbooks, through overstamping.
This process has not
always been working very well, as
owners and breeders saw this as an
unnecessary hassle, and above all an
additional cost to try and avoid.
In recognition of the importance of
horses being registered on the right
central equine database to ensure
biosecurity and traceability, the EU
tightened up the regulations of cross
border registrations, requiring every
studbook wishing to do so to notify their
competent authority, and then to work
with that authority in the relevant country
to ensure the recording of the foals on
their CED, a process called “extension of
breeding territory”.
While the EU made it very clear that this
option is only open to studbooks from EU
member states, thus excluding UK based
studbooks from being able to register
foals in Europe, Defra took the view that
EU studbooks could apply for an
“extension of breeding territory” into the
UK. Some have done so, and have, it
appears, been turned down.
12 | BRITISH BREEDER

News - Brexit
Receiving Semen from Europe: Third
Country und Third Country Studbook
Status
While extensions of breeding territories
to and from the UK are now curtailed,
the trade in horses, semen, embryos and
oocytes is governed by a separate part
of the legislation, the zootechnics
regulations, which were also adopted
into UK law as part of the Brexit
arrangements. To understand the impact
of the zootechnics legislation, we must
first consider the distinction drawn by
the legislation between “registered” and
“unregistered” animals.
“Unregistered” is a slightly misleading
term, as this does not refer to horses that
do not have a passport, but to horses
that are not covered by the zootechnics
arrangements. “Unregistered” horses
can still be imported into the UK and
exported from the UK to Europe, but they
are classified as non-breeding animals,
which fall into a different tax category,
leading to higher charges on imports
and exports. They also have a lower
health status, which means a lot of extra
paperwork when travelling and
competing these horses.
“Germinal Products” (i.e. semen,
oocytes, embryos) from “unregistered”
horses can no longer be traded. In
order to be classified as a “registered”
horse (or a germinal product from a
“registered” horse), the horse must be
registered with a breed society that has
been granted “Third Country Studbook”
recognition. In order for that to happen,
the country in which the studbook
is located needs to have been given
“Third Country” status. Following the
Brexit vote, Defra and the UK studbooks
were notified by the EU in November
2017 that it was necessary for the UK
and its breed societies to apply for this
status and demonstrate that they were
compliant with the EU animal health law
regulations. Just in time before the 01
January 2021 deadline, this status was
granted to the UK studbooks,
ensuring that we can continue to sell
semen and embryos, as well as
“registered” status horses into the EU.
In return, and as part of their process of
adopting the EU legislation, Defra wrote
to the competent authorities of the EU
member states in January 2021, advising
them that they now also have to apply
for third country status, and that their
breed societies need to apply for third
country studbooks status, which has to
be granted by 30 June 2021 in order
for the trade in “registered” horses and
their germinal products from the EU into
Britain to continue.
As the continuity of semen trade beyond
30 June is vital to our breeders, we have
contacted Defra to do whatever we
can to support the process. The World
Breeding Federation has contacted all
its members across Europe to explain
the process, and to offer support and
advice.
Defra assures us that they will deal with
all applications as quickly and efficiently
as possible, and everyone is hoping that
this process will go smoothly.
We must work
together to overcome
Brexit hurdles
conclude speakers
at NEF
All parts of the equine industry must
work together in efforts to remove the
hurdles impeding the transport of horses
and equestrian goods between Britain
and the European Union, according to
speakers at the 29th National Equine
Forum on 4 March 2021.
The changed arrangements since the UK
left the trading bloc on 1 January are
causing delays and increased costs that
threaten the domestic industry’s biggest
overseas market. But if these
problems continue, they may also
produce unacceptable equine welfare
issues and cause irreparable damage
to the future of UK equestrian sport, the
speakers suggested.
Three speakers, representing different
parts of the equine sector, described the
effects of the post Brexit arrangements
on their businesses. Claire Williams,
executive director of the British Equestrian
Trade Association, suggested that
the Trade and Cooperation Agreement
signed between the UK and EU at the
end of December 2020 was “not the
Christmas present that our people were
wishing for”.
Brexit: government, trade, transport,
events and welfare
The export trade in equine equipment,
feed etc is worth around £500,000 a
year with half of that revenue coming
from the EU. But the new arrangements
impose a massive increase in
bureaucracy for exports to Europe and
she feared that higher costs along with
the unreliability of deliveries may force
many customers to look elsewhere.
Henry Bullen is a director of Peden
Bloodstock which manages the
transport of sporting horses to events
across the globe. He said the UK’s
departure has produced a huge increase
in the paperwork needed to import and
export horses and there is often
confusion between different officials over
these requirements. Delays of several
hours while horses are held at the
dockside have become commonplace
– this situation is unsatisfactory now but
could imperil the welfare of the animals
later in the year when temperatures are
higher, he warned.
BRITISH BREEDER| 13

News
Simon Brooks-Ward, chief executive of
events organiser the HPower Group said
international sporting events provided
a shop window for the UK’s £8 billion
equine industry. If the problems already
described are not addressed, it is
unlikely that European competitors will
want to appear at UK events and
talented British riders may decide to
move their horses permanently abroad.
He urged the UK equine industry to
come together to campaign for more
seamless export arrangements and to
hire professional lobbyists to persuade
UK and EU ministers to treat the equine
sector as a political priority.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble, parliamentary
under secretary of state, Defra, insisted
that Brexit has provided opportunities
to improve welfare standards for all
domestic livestock. One key government
priority will be to end the trade in live
animals for slaughter abroad. The 2020
Agriculture Act, which he guided through
the House of Lords, included provisions
for safeguarding the future of Britain’s
native breeds.
Digital data collection
This year’s NEF also looked at the
increasing influence of digital data
collection and storage on all owners
of livestock. Britain has developed a
world leading system for recording data
on cattle, sheep and pigs, Simon Hall,
programme director of the Livestock
Information Programme told the meeting.
Equine Register (provider of the Central
Equine Database) has been assisting
with delivery of the Livestock Information
Programme. Equine Register’s chief
executive Stewart Everett explained the
benefits to horse owners of being able to
keep their information up to date through
the Digital Stable using its smartphone
app.
Continuing the work of the AHT
Since the last NEF meeting the equine
sector has lost one of its most valuable
and trusted sources of information on
animal disease with the closure of the
Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. In his
round up of the current activities of the
British Horse Council, its chairman David
Mountford said that his organisation was
working with various other equine
bodies in the UK and abroad to ensure
that the vital services provided by the
AHT would continue in some form. This
was particularly urgent in view of the
concerns about the rapid spread of
equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) in Europe.
The event’s patron HRH The Princess
Royal provided a summary of the day.
In her concluding remarks, The Princess
Royal noted the potential health and
welfare issues that might have arisen in
horses as a result of the efforts to contain
the human disease: “What has been
hugely encouraging from today was that
there is so much going on … and people
have understood what was needed
and tried to make sure that as far as the
animals are concerned, their lives have
continued pretty well unaltered.”
Special Covid-19 Sir Colin Spedding
award
The meeting closed with the
announcement of the winner of the
Special Covid-19 Sir Colin Spedding
award to Claire Williams for her tireless
efforts which helped equine merchants
to stay open and continue providing a
service during the pandemic.
A number of additional special awards
were made and British Breeding were
proud to be Highly Commended for their
outstanding effort during the Covid-19
pandemic.
ehorses seeks
instructors/horse
professionals
Europe’s leading horses for sale platform
is now launching in the UK at
www.ehorses.co.uk. ehorses is a
German-owned sales platform with a
huge reach.
According to their spokesperson ehorses
had over 41 million views during 2020,
with a horse sold every 20 minutes and
over 250 new ads going on the site
each day.
ehorses.co.uk is looking for yard owners
and other horse professionals who
regularly advertise, buy or help clients
to buy/ sell horses who would like free
Premium Plus membership of the site
(worth £470) for six months in return for
answering a couple of questionnaires
about their experience.
To apply for a free premium
seller account for six months visit
www.bit.ly/2OaZFh4
14 | BRITISH BREEDER

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BRITISH BREEDER| 15
Where the UK buys Cavalor

British Breeding - Futurity & Equine Bridge
Exciting Plans for the
Baileys British Breeding
Futurity 2021
For 2021, the Baileys
British Breeding Futurity
is set to return with a full
range of activities and
services, including virtual
and physical evaluations
and many extras to offer
a state-of-the-art series to
be proud of.
Virtual Evaluations Will Continue
Following their roaring success in 2020,
we are delighted to be able to continue
a virtual evaluations option as part of
our range of activities. Initially conceived
as a pragmatic solution to the Covid 19
Challenge, studbooks all over the world
have soon come to realise that virtual
evaluations offer significant possibilities
and advantages, making evaluations
accessible for breeders in remote
locations, and reducing the need to
travel foals and youngstock.
In fact, we also learned that video
footage can be a very interesting and
valuable tool for evaluations, as
assessors can slow footage down, pause
it, zoom in, and replay it. Using videos
and zoom conferencing has enabled
us to continue to offer one of the great
benefits of the Futurity, which is to have
British bred youngstock evaluated by a
panel of senior and highly experienced
and respected international evaluators.
Breeders found that the virtual futurity
enabled them to choose the best moment
for presentation, as foals and youngsters
can change from one day to the next.
Virtual Evaluations will again cost £55
per entry, £5 of which will go into our
special Breeders’ Prize Fund, awarded
to the top entries in each category at the
end of the season. They will start from
mid-July and will run until the middle of
August.
Virtual Evaluations in Loose Jumping
For safety reasons, we were unable to
offer virtual loose jumping evaluations of
videos taken at home last year. In order
to work around this problem, this year
we will be working with several
appropriate, well equipped indoor
venues around the country where you
can bring your youngster for a safe
video session. We will publish their
relevant contact details nearer to the
time and would encourage you to get in
touch.
Physical Evaluations Are Planned to
Return
As we are seeing a loosening of
lockdown restrictions, we are looking
forward to a return of physical
evaluations in our popular locations, as
long as it is legal and safe to do so.
Our plan is to offer physical evaluation
days on the following dates and at the
following venues:
23rd August 2021 – Richmond
Equestrian Centre, Richmond, Richmond
DL10 7PL
24th August 2021 – Home Farm,
Hothorpe, Teddingworth, LE17 6QX
25th August 2021 – Addington
Equestrian, Buckinghamshire, MK18 2JR
26th August 2021 – Glebe Farm,
Whitestone, Exeter, EX4 2HP
Physical evaluations cost £65 per entry,
including a £5 contribution to our
Breeders’ Prize Fund. Entries will be
restricted in numbers, so be sure to book
early to avoid disappointment.
Bookings will open on 1 July 2021
via our website.
Futurity Auction
Following its excellent reception last
year, we are again planning to organise
an online auction for the very best
Futurity entries. The auction will be
hosted again on the Clip My Horse
platform, and we are confident that we
will be able to build on our success in
2020, with a full plan of exciting
promotional activities to bring our
16 | BRITISH BREEDER

British Breeding - Futurity & Equine Bridge
wonderful British bred Futurity foals
and youngsters to the widest possible
audience.
Like last year, entries wanting to be
considered for auction selection have to
obtain an overall score of 8 or above
either in the virtual or in the physical
Futurity evaluation.
Different from last year, all auction
candidates must also attend a
photography and videography sessions
to produce high quality promotional
materials. These will be offered at the
physical Futurity evaluation venues and
open to candidates who have attended
and scored highly at either the virtual or
physical Futurity.
Equine Bridge
British bred youngsters aged 3-5 are
again invited to come forward for
evaluation for the Equine Bridge.
3-year-olds will be able to qualify loose,
4-year-olds will be able to qualify loose
or under saddle, and 5-year-olds will
have to qualify under saddle.
To qualify, they must achieve a score of
8.0 or above.
The evaluation will consist of a
veterinary evaluation, to be carried out
either virtually or at the physical
evaluation venues, and an evaluation of
gaits and conformation by the
international panel. For loose evaluation,
candidates are invited to submit videos
or attend one of the physical evaluation
venues. For ridden evaluation, we invite
videos taken at affiliated competitions
with British Dressage, British
Showjumping or British Eventing or the
NexGen Series.
Please ensure that the videos show
competition footage in walk, trot, canter,
as well as jump for eventers and
showjumpers.
All Bridge candidates who qualified
loose must have experience of
competing under saddle prior to coming
to the bridge, and need to have
completed a minimum of two
competitions, either at affiliated
competitions with British Dressage, British
Showjumping or British Eventing or the
NexGen Series.
The next Equine Bridge event is planned
as a two-day performance test at Home
Farm, on 25th – 26th October 2021.
The top scoring Bridge entries in each
discipline will be awarded with a £1000
bursary aimed at supporting the horse’s
or pony’s training and production for the
sport.
Training and Other Opportunities
As always, we extend a warm welcome
to everybody wishing to participate
in the Futurity to come and learn more
about young horse evaluations and lend
a hand. This year, we will be delighted
again to offer all British studbooks the
opportunity to carry out mare gradings
at our venues.
Young Breeders are welcome to come
and shadow our evaluators and become
involved in helping with the presentations
for our auction videos and photographs.
Together, we can continue to make
the Baileys British Breeding Futurity the
event we all love: a world class series,
organised by breeders, for breeders and
extending a warm welcome to everyone.
BRITISH BREEDER| 17

Studbook - News
Photo - HorsePower Creative
The Anglo European Studbook
Launch Select Studbook and
Premium Programme
As part of our continued investment in
people and technologies, we are proud
and delighted to launch our brand-new
AES Select Studbook and Premium
Programme aimed at providing an
exceptional service and recognition to
those breeders who go above and
beyond in aiming to breed the very
highest quality horses for the future.
The purpose of the select programme is
to lay a solid foundation for the future, as
the studbook continues to grow, and to
provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art
programme of evaluation to support our
breeders.
Who is eligible?
To participate in the Premium
Programme, horses and foals must be
entered in the AES Select Studbook.
Mares and Stallions can enter the
programme via grading, and foals can
enter the programme via registration.
This special section of the main studbook
is reserved for horses who have
full three generation pedigrees and are
by a stallion who is fully licensed by a
WBFSH member studbook. In addition,
outcrosses are permitted, for example to
full Thoroughbreds or Arabs. Please
contact the AES team in those cases.
DNA samples must be submitted for
pedigree verification.
To be registered into the AES Select
Studbook, foals need to be out of AES
graded mares, and submit DNA samples
for full parentage verification.
The programme is open foals born from
2021 and to older AES registered horses
who can apply for an upgrade.
How much does it cost?
The cost of entry into the select studbook
for foals in £70, which includes their
passport and full DNA test. The cost of
upgrading your already registered AES
horse or youngster into the select
studbook is £50.
How can I grade my mare with
the AES?
To be eligible for grading for the
purpose of her offspring to be entered
into the AES Select Studbook, your
mare needs to have main studbook, full
pedigree papers with the AES or another
WBFSH member studbook.
18 | BRITISH BREEDER

Studbook - News
Thoroughbred and Arab mares are also
eligible to enter the programme for the
purpose of adding blood into the
programme. To enquire about
outcrosses, please talk to our AES team
who will be able to advise you.
Your mare needs to be inspected on hard
and soft ground by our evaluation team.
On the hard, we assess conformation,
soundness and correctness, and on the
soft we assess walk, trot and canter, with
jump optional, if it is safe to do so and
does not conflict with the welfare of the
mare.
During ongoing Covid restrictions, we
will continue to offer virtual evaluations
for mares, and we are planning to offer
physical options later on in the season.
Virtual mare gradings cost £40 per
mare, physical mare gradings start at
£50 plus travel costs, which can be
shared.
What is the AES Select Premium
Programme?
The AES Select Premium Programme is
reserved for horses entered into the AES
Select Studbook. It offers special
recognition and rewards for its very best
and highest achieving foals and
horses. Not only will this provide
valuable feedback to breeders and
owners, this will also help to build
potential buyers’ confidence in our foals,
knowing that they and their mothers have
been through a thorough and
comprehensive evaluation programme
and achieved certain accolades.
To participate in the premium
programme, your foal or horse needs to
be entered in the select studbook. Please
ask your vet to take a DNA sample when
they microchip your foal and complete
the markings diagram.
Your foal or youngster needs to be
inspected on hard and soft ground by
our evaluators, undergoing the same
stages as a mare grading. Jump will only
be assessed in horses aged 2 or older.
The highest scoring candidates in the
different categories will be awarded one
or several of the following premiums:
The AES Select Type Premium
This Premium is awarded to foals and
horses who particularly impress with
exceptional conformation and
movement and have gained an average
mark of 8 or higher for this element of
their inspection.
The AES Select Health Premium
This Premium is awarded to foals and
horses whose soundness and
conformation has been evaluated by
a veterinarian, and who have gained
a mark of 8 or higher for this element
of their inspection. In addition, to gain
this premium, a DNA sample must be
submitted for a WFFS test, which will be
recorded on the AES Database.
There is an additional cost of applying
for the Health Premium, which is £50,
including the WFFS test.
The AES Select Performance
Premium
This Premium is available to the older
horses in the Select Studbook, and it
will be awarded based on national and
international performance records. If you
would like to check if your horse is
eligible, please submit their full
performance record for review.
The AES Select Legacy Premium
This Premium recognises the
achievements and contributions of horses
in breeding exceptional offspring. It is
awarded at the discretion of the
evaluation panel for achievements of a
horse’s offspring, including their
studbook evaluations, gradings, shows
and affiliated competitions.
How can my horse participate
in the Premium Programme?
As with the mare gradings, we will offer
a virtual option this year in response to
the covid situation. We are planning
physical inspection events, as soon as
we are permitted to hold public events
and travel across the UK.
Virtual foal and youngstock gradings
cost £40 per horse, physical foal and
youngstock gradings start at £50 plus
travel costs, which can be shared.
The AES also fully recognises the British
Breeding Futurity results, and the results,
including linear scores of the Futurity are
fully compatible with the Select
Studbook system, which means that
Futurity foals and youngsters require
no additional AES inspection, but their
mothers must still be presented.
To find out more, do not hesitate to get in
touch and email:-
eva@angloeuropeanstudbook.co.uk
or lucy@angloeuropeanstudbook.co.uk
We look forward to hearing from you!
BRITISH BREEDER| 19

Studbook - News
What is British
Rhineland?
British Rhineland Premium mare GF Sezuki
(Sezuan x Sherlock Holmes x Consul)
Photo - Kevin Sparrow
The Rhineland Studbook is a second
Studbook alongside the Hanoverian
Studbook.
The regulations of the Rhineland
Studbook differ from the Hanoverian
Studbook rules regarding the
requirements for mares and stallions. The
Rhineland Studbook is more liberal and
accepts mares and stallions from most
major Studbooks whereas the
Hanoverian Studbook, as one of the
world’s leading Studbooks, is more
selective. Therefore, cases will occur
where it will be possible to register foals
with the Rhineland Studbook which are
by stallions who are not approved for the
Hanoverian breeding programme.
These benefits are derived from the fact
that the Rhineland Studbook offers more
liberal breeding criteria in the inspection,
approval and licensing of breeding stock
than the Hanoverian Studbook does.
In addition, the Rhineland Studbook
accepts breeding stock from a wider
breeding population, recognizing most
WBFSH studbook/registry members,
provided certain pedigree and
performance requirements are met.
Hanoverian breeders will benefit from
having increased options in their stallion
choices, with the ability to use the
Rhineland Studbook to register foals
resulting from breeding to stallions not
licensed/approved for Hanoverian
breeding. In addition, breeders with
mares ineligible for approval by the
Hanoverian Studbook, due to pedigree
or inspection criteria, may now find those
mares eligible to be approved under
Rhineland Studbook criteria, with the
resulting offspring eligible for registration
with that studbook. Furthermore, since
Rhineland-registered stock may meet the
requirements for Hanoverian eligibility,
breeders will have the additional option
of registering future generations of such
stock with the Hanoverian Studbook.
The Studbook is named after the
Rhineland region, which is the very
southern part of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It
is on the very western part of Germany
in direct neighbourhood of the countries
Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
The biggest cities in the region are
Cologne, Duesseldorf and Aachen, site
of the world famous Aachen horse show.
Genetically the Rhenish riding horse has
been closely related to Hanover from the
beginning when the Studbook was
started in the 1950’s mainly using
Belissimo M
Trakehner, Westphalian (who again are
based on Hanoverian genes) and
Hanoverian bloodlines.
Famous stallions like Florestan and
Belissimo M were/are Rhineland riding
horses bred with a high percentage of
Hanoverian blood.
The Rhineland Studbook offers significant
benefits for current Hanoverian and
Rhineland breeders, as well as
opportunities for non-Hanoverian,
non-Rhineland and new breeders.
For more information please contact
the BHHS, www.hanoverian-gb.org.uk
bhhsuk@gmail.com
20 | BRITISH BREEDER

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BRITISH BREEDER| 21

Studbook - News
The National Pony Society (NPS)
celebrated the winners of the 2020
Derby House British Riding Pony
Performance Scheme at our AGM.
These awards celebrate the diversity
of the British Riding Pony. The scheme
was designed by Sacha Shaw to
identify and reward British Riding Ponies
competing in different spheres. Points
can be accumulated in your chosen
sport, with additional points for affiliated
competitions. This year’s winners were:
Claire Elliott’s Song of the Stars (Diptford
Star Attraction x Lyrical Air ) - Showing
Song of the Stars was sent to Claire
Elliott to be started under and, by
chance, he and Claire were reunited
when he was 15. The pair have enjoyed
a very happy and successful last few
years. Sensitive but very kind, Song
of the Stars re-ignited Claire’s interest
in showing with wins including Reserve
Champion PBA at Devon County and
Reserve Supreme at the AHS show at
Bicton in 2019, SSADL Champion at
Wiltshire and Champion at the VHS
Championship Shows in 2019 and
2020. The pair introduced themselves
to dressage in the last season, qualifying
for the BD Prelim and Novice finals.
Ridden by Australian team member
Kayla Moore at the NPS tri-nation team
challenge in 2019 Claire describes Song
of the Stars as “ a lovely person, enjoyed
by the whole family” and a win in the
Performance Scheme is a fitting swan
song for him.
Romanno Spotless (Stanley Grange
Regal Heights x Chiddock Spot On) –
Show jumping and Eventing
Ness’s dam Chiddock Spot On enjoyed
a stellar show hunter pony career
culminating in winning the 2001 HOYS
Supreme title. Deborah Walton-Smith
followed her career and then followed
her move to the Romanno Stud to
breed. After purchasing a filly foal by
Deanhills Royal Portrait in 2009 Debby
decided that one Romanno pony was
not enough, and asked Jennie Gilchrist
if she could purchase Spoty’s next filly
foal by Stanley Grange Regal Heights.
Knowing that many of the Chiddock
ponies had been top class workers,
Debby hoped that with careful training
Ness might become a useful event pony.
Last year Ness qualified for the NPS
Dressage Finals and also came 3rd in
the 100cm at Ascott-Under-Wychwood
Horse Trails – only her second outing at
that height. The aim for 2021 is to
compete more regularly at 100cm and
if all goes well, aim for some Novice BE
events towards the end of the season.
Currently being brought on by rider
Dibby Brown, Debby’s ultimate aim is
to find a talented young rider to partner
Ness on her journey towards becoming
an FEI team pony.
Talponciau Last Symphony (Borderland
Cello x Talponciau Jyst Heavenly) -
Dressage
Jo Baker’s Talponciau Last Symphony
beat last year’s winner, Rachel Bullock’s
Stanley Grange Overture, into second
place in the dressage section and was
also the overall points winner this year.
Due to the restricted competition season
in 2020, points were awarded for
accredited training for the first time, and
Last Symphony attended sessions with
Victoria Powell and Beth Hobbs and
qualified for the BD Regionals Freestyle
Novice and Freestyle Elementary. They
have also pushed on to medium at
unaffiliated level.
The scheme offers another platform
that can be used to showcase talents of
the British Riding Pony and the NPS is
keen to champion their versatility to a
wider audience. This year’s Performance
Scheme winners are all registered in
the main Stud Book but since the early
1990s the British Riding Pony Studbook
has had a special registration option
for ponies whose pedigree includes
sport horse, sport pony or warmblood
influence. These ponies may be
registered in the British Riding Pony
Sport Category as long as part of their
ancestry is registered in the British Riding
Pony Stud Book or Register or in the
main section of one of the Mountain and
Moorland stud books, the General Stud
Book, or the Arab or Anglo Arab Stud
Book. Ponies registered or over-stamped
into the Sport Category are able to
compete in both ridden and in hand
British Riding Pony championships run
by the NPS and many of these ponies
also compete successfully in sport. BRP
Sport Category ponies such as Pony
European Eventing Gold medallist
Catherston Nutsafe, CSI show jumper
Catherston Bobby Bright, 2015 Cuddy
Pony of the Year Kellythorpes Strikea-Pose
and British Breeding Futurity
Champion Larkhaven Half-a-Crown are
all examples of the quality and prowess
of ponies in the NPS Sport Category
studbook. The BRP Sport Category is an
exciting option for breeders wanting to
utilise performance blood into their pony
breeding programme.
NPS Premium Stallion Scheme 2021
The NPS Stud Book is pleased to be
launching a new premium scheme for
stallions in the 2021 season. The scheme
is free and accessible to any registered
and licensed BRP stallion owner and
is intended to recognise and reward
stallions consistently siring correct
progeny. To obtain a premium ranking,
a stallion will need to have sired 3
different animals who have won at a BRP
premium show in one season. To obtain
a Super Premium ranking, a stallion
will need to have obtained a premium
ranking for 3 years, not necessarily
concurrently. A Young Stallion Premium,
for stallions 8 years and under, siring 2
different animals who have won at a BRP
Premium Show in one season will also be
awarded.
22 | BRITISH BREEDER
Main photo Romanno Spotless - Jasmine Punter Photography | Dressage photo Talponciau Last Symphony

Studbook - News
Sport Horse Breeding
of Great Britiain
Whilst it seemed last winter would
never end we have finally come
through to spring and can now look
forward to longer days though at the
time of writing not seemingly warmer.
Hopefully as restrictions are eased, we
can all begin to prepare for getting
out and about again with our horses.
Throughout lockdown SHB(GB) office
staff have been occupied with passport
registrations and are now getting
busier with horse registrations for the
anticipated if belated showing season.
Fingers crossed that we can all get
through the summer without further
cancellations.
Mixology - Nick Gill Photography
The Thoroughbred has long been the
mainstay of The Society albeit demand
faltered as specialised sport horse
breeding became more widespread.
The good news for those looking to
add speed, refinement and quality to
heavier and native type mares is that the
Thoroughbred is back. Where it has been
possible and working within guidelines,
we have since the beginning of the year,
graded five Thoroughbred stallions and
recently added Mixology, Langaller
Kings Manna and Oasis Boy to the
studbook. The eight-year-old former
winning racehorse Mixology standing
at End House Stud near Clitheroe in
Lancashire, is another by the successful
sire Cape Cross (Green
Desert-Ahonoora). He is out of
Margarita by Marju, a full sister to the
Group 1 winner Soviet Song. As a
two-year-old Irish-bred Mixology joined
Mark Johnson’s Yorkshire yard winning
eight races and 18 places during his time
there before relocating to Italy where in
2019 he won the listed Coppa D’Oro di
Milano. Contact Trudy Goulding at End
House Stud www.endhousestud.co.uk
As his name suggests four-year-old
Langaller Kings Manna was bred by
The Langaller Stud in Devon where he
Langaller Kings Manna
stands. He is by the successful National
Hunt sire Arvico (Pistolet
Bleu-Baillamont) out of Kingston Black
by the well-known event sire Shaab.
www.langallerfarm.co.uk
The most recent to pass and the youngest
of the trio is the three-year-old Oasis
Boy who impressed judges with his style
over a fence. By Brazen Beau (AUS)
he is out of Midnight Fantasy by Oasis
Dream and is now standing at Jane
Townshend’d Classictop Stud in Sussex.
www.classictopstud.com
If you would like to grade a stallion with
SHB(GB) then please contact Marian in
the office.
ALL GO FOR SUMMER EVENTS
At the time of writing we are planning
and preparing for our summer
championship show which we hope
will be able to go ahead on July (7
& 8 July at Addington EC). There are
plenty of classes for all, mares and
youngstock in-hand as well as ridden
and working hunter classes all offering
great prizes and trophies to the winners
and champions. Download schedules
from the SHB(GB) website. We are also
setting out dates and venues for mare
grading and our popular conformation
clinics. We were unable to run any
last year so we look forward to being
able to go forward with these this year.
Conformation clinics present the ideal
opportunity to brush up on conformation
with listed judges in an informal
environment. Ideal for those hoping to
become judges. Please keep an eye on
the website and the Face Book page
for further dates and venues. If you are
willing to host either a mare grading
or organise a conformation clinic then
please contact the office.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
8th May Bicton Arena: SHB(GB) South
West is running an in-hand and ridden
showing clinic, followed by a ridden and
in-hand show. Jayne Ross will be taking
the clinic starting at 10am. For more
information keep an eye on the Face
Book page, SHB(GB) South West, or
email, southwestshbgb@gmail.com
Sunday 30th & Monday 31st May
SHB(GB) Southern Regional Show,
Brook Farm EC, Stapleford Abbotts,
Romford, Essex RM4 1EJ
Showing classes including RIHS
Hunter qualifiers, SEIB Your Horse Live
qualifiers, plus unaffiliated Novice,
Amateur & Home Produced classes
for Hacks, Cobs, Riding Horses, Show,
Show Hunter & Intermediate Ponies.
Part-bred Ara b and Coloured classes.
Mare grading available on the Sunday
www.katiejerram.co.uk
shbsouthernregionalshow@hotmail.com
SPORT HORSE BREEDING (GB)
SOUTH WEST
SHB(GB) Grading, Conformation
Clinic and Open Stud visit
Saturday May 15th Mare Grading
and Conformation Clinic
Sunday May 16th Open Day;
Stallion Viewing, Mares, foals and
cream teas. Open to all members
and non-members.
Times and charges on the website
MARE GRADING
Sunday May 30th, Brook Farm EC
Stapleford Abbotts, RM4 1EJ
Please download the SHB(GB) Mare
Grading Entry Form, available from the
website www.sporthorsegb.co.uk, under
“Downloads” and submit the completed
form, together with the entry fee of £65
to SHB(GB) office by 21st May 2021
Saturday May 15th Langaller Farm,
Bovey Tracey, Devon TQ13 9JP
Tuesday June 22nd West Kington Stud,
nr Chippenham, Wilts SN14 7JE
Saturday June 26th Millbry Hill Stud,
Great Ayton, North Yorks, TS9 6QD
For Mare Grading info & booking
forms visit theSHB(GB) website. For
any questions then please contact our
stud book manager Marian Eydmann
(marian@sporthorsegb.co.uk).
T: 01732 866277
E: info@sporthorsegb.co.uk
W: www.sporthorsegb.co.uk
BRITISH BREEDER| 23

Studbook - News
Ada Marson riding Tullibards Clover - Photo John Cole
The Sports Pony Studbook Society
Team Work
Makes the
Dream Work
Yes, it’s a cliché – but from the smallest
team of just the pony/horse and rider
to the wider team of family, trainer,
farrier, vet (hopefully not too often!)
and more, all need to work together to
bring sports pony breeders’ dreams to
reality. The SPSS team prides itself on
working to support all SPSS passported,
graded or overstamped equines from
issuing pedigree passports through to
celebrating their success – and we are
delighted that, even though at the time
of writing the 2021 competition season
has only just been able to start, we are
already seeing SPSS ponies and their
riders out competing and achieving.
We’ve spotted 6 year old SPSS
passported SOS Stevie Pink (by SOS
Kantje’s Unicolor out of a part-bred
Connemara) getting placed in British
Showjumping classes with Megan Trott
who is giving him valuable experience
and hopes to have some fun times with
him this year with the short term goal
of jumping him in a Newcomer second
round or a JC Royal International
Hickstead qualifier. Their plan is that
Megan will produce Stevie in her time
left in juniors for her sister Kaitlin to then
take him on for a couple of years.
Out eventing with good results at the top
pony level, we’ve seen SPSS registered
Irish-bred Tullibards Clover & Ada
Marson win one of the first Pony Trials,
SPSS passported Miss Winifred Wilde
(by Up With The Lark) & Emily Worsdale
place 8th in the same class and SPSS
passported Just Paddington (by SPSS
Elite Laban out of a Welsh Sec C
mare) & Ada Marson finish on their
dressage score. Also that weekend,
SPSS passported Buzz Lightyear (by
Romulus) & Maisy Spratt were 6th in the
other Pony Trial. We’re very excited to
see how the rest of the Pony Trials go for
these (and other) combinations as they
pursue their dreams of Pony Euros Team
selection.
Miss Winifred Wilde
Image by Qorum Photos
24 | BRITISH BREEDER

Studbook - News
Buzz Lightyear (in the April snow!)
Image Qorum Photos
In the dressage arena, we’re delighted
that SPSS passported & graded and past
Pony Euros GB Team Pony LE Chiffre has
a new rider, 14 year old Libby Hart, who
has a popular Facebook page (Libby
Hart Dressage) which we can all follow
their progress on – and we can also get
a parental view of the pony dressage
scene through her father’s “Skint
Dressage Daddy” page! LE Chiffre is
by SPSS Elite graded Caesar 171, who
celebrated his 32nd birthday recently
and, with another two of his other
British-bred progeny (SPSS graded Ella
& SPSS registered George Clooney B.S.)
having also been to the Pony Euros with
previous riders, maybe Caesar’s owners
(and LE Chiffre’s breeders), Bev and
Samantha Brown, will see their dream of
a team of Caesar’s progeny representing
GB at the Pony Euros become reality….
Meanwhile, we’re very much hoping that
the proven, European Silver and Gold
Medal winning, combination of SPSS
passported Midnight (by Hilkens Black
Delight out of Broomwich Cassandra)
maintain that form and get selected for
the delayed Tokyo Paralympics which
are now scheduled for late August.
2021 Grading & Evaluation
News
Planning is now well underway for a
blended approach to SPSS Gradings
& Evaluation in 2021. We have once
again “teamed up” with the British
Breeding Futurity, so will be running full
in-person stallion & mare gradings at
ALL the Futurity events in late August
SOS Stevie Pink - Photo Dan Trott
(COVID restrictions & God willing!).
In addition, we will once again offer
online Mare eGradings over the summer
and virtual Stallion eAssessment is an
option throughout this year to allow
stallion owners, pony breeders and
SPSS members even greater flexibility.
SPSS Youngstock Evaluations will be
conducted, as for the previous two years,
alongside the British Breeding Futurity
evaluation series, again with the option
of virtual or in person assessments.
So now all we need are fair winds and
following seas! Look out for date/
venue announcements very soon on our
Facebook page - Sports Pony Studbook
Society (SPSS) and website.
NEW Special Offer for 2021
To encourage sports pony breeders to
get FULLY DNA VERIFIED PASSPORTS
for their foals, we are now able to offer
these at the absolutely incredible price
of JUST £95 including all DNA testing,
provided that at least one parent is SPSS
graded and the passport application
arrives at the Studbook Office by 1st
November in year of birth.
Tel: 07703 566066
Email: sportsponies@gmail.com
www.sportpony.org.uk
BRITISH BREEDER| 25

Studbook - News
The Trakehners Breeders Fraternity are
pleased to announce their annual mare
and stallion grading will be held this
year on Tuesday 24th August at Solihull
Riding Centre in the West Midlands.
We are working in partnership with The
National Stallion Association (NASTA)
who will be running their Performance
Tests over the same days.
Entries will open shortly but in the
meantime we ask all owners who are
interested in sending their mare or
stallion forward for grading to contact
the Show Organiser Sacha Shaw on
show-organiser@trakehners.uk.com or
message the Trakehners UK FaceBook
page so we can start to plan for the
expected numbers.
As usual we will be inviting a judge
from the Trakehner Verband to join our
British judges in assessing the mares
and stallions that come forward.
Prominent riders in the UK continue
to discover the quality the Trakehner
horse can offer them as their partners
in sport. International Grand Prix rider
Sonnar Murray-Brown already has a
tremendous partnership with his Latimer
gelding Erlentanz TSF and has now
added three new Trakehners to his
string.
The 4 year old Samba by Millennium
, St.Pr.u.Pr.St. Herbstrot by All Inklusive
and the licensed stallion Sinatra by
Honoré du Soir have all arrived in
Gloucestershire and we are very
excited to follow their progress.
Although the competition season has
only just got underway within the last
week, Godington Stud have already
got some dressage wins under their
belts with licensed stallion Godington
Utah winning at Elementary and
Godington Ultimo at Novice.
www.trakehners.uk.com
Sonnar Murray-Brown und Erlentanz
Photo - www.jess-photography.co.uk
26 | BRITISH BREEDER

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BRITISH BREEDER| 27

Studbook - News
Endurance Riding – Lumahla Gold ridden by Mary
Chowne – Photo Eric Jones
Arabian Stallions at the famous Crabbet Arabian
Stud in Sussex – Photo Crabbet Archives
death adventures. They made a plan
after a few weeks of arriving in Syria.
Originally, they were going in search of
descendants of the Darley Arabian but
their plans changed and they decided to
bring back Arabian horses to preserve
the blood and start a stud at Crabbet
Park, Worth, Sussex, England. In 1887
this plan became reality as the first
Arabians arrived at last.
When the Blunt’s daughter, Lady
Wentworth took over the stud, it
flourished. Horses were sold all over the
world, including the Americas, Russia,
Australia and South Africa. The Blunts
also had a stud in Cairo called Sheikh
Obeyd. They were very fortunate to be
able to purchase many horses from Ali
Pasha Sherif which were highly sought
after. The horses were bred to be ridden
and conformation and endurance were
important criteria. If the horses did not
breed to standard, they were sold on.
So, the Arabian horse is found
world-wide with lines from Crabbet,
Egypt, Russia, Spain and Poland. The
Polish Government studs played a huge
part in the Arabian breed and were
renowned for fine moving and beautiful
mares. The Russian State Studs also had
a huge influence in performance horses.
Egyptian Arabians trace back to the
Egyptian Agricultural Stud. Interestingly
the EAO purchased many of the horses
from the Blunts Sheikh Obeyd stud.
Bio-diversity in the Arabian Horse
By Caroline Sussex
The Arabian horse has a unique origin
and history. Not only is it one of the
founding breeds of the Thoroughbred
but it has its own history steeped in the
Middle East. It was the horse used in
gazu raids between the tribes of the
desert and the Arabian was renowned
for its speed and agility together with
endurance. The Arabian Horse is the
horse of the Middle East and it is from
there that the breed was purchased and
is now world renowned. A few Arabians
were imported to the UK in the 1700’s
and 1800’s.
However, it was a chance journey to the
Middle East by Lady Anne and Wilfrid
Scawen Blunt that the history of the
Arabian really took shape.
The Blunts were an intrepid and colourful
couple. Wilfrid with his impetuous
character and good looks got involved
with politics and Lady Anne with her
amazing mind, grand-daughter of Byron
and gentle nature had many talents
including being able to speak fluent
Arabic. Their journeys into the desert in
the 1800’s were fraught with life and
The UK Arab Horse Society was
formed in 1918 and the first President
was Wilfrid Scawen Blunt. The Society
started their own stud book to register
the Arabian Horse as the GSB, who had
been registering Arabians, closed this
section of their stud book to any new
horses. However, descendants of the
original entries were maintained in the
GSB until 1966. The Arab Horse Society
promotes the cross breeding of Arabians
into light horse breeding. Many famous
horses and ponies carry Arabian blood
to name just a few: Tamarillo, Rex the
Robber and Pretty Polly (the feature
article in the 28th March edition of
Horse and Hound).
In 1970, a group of Arabian enthusiasts
from around the world, including some
from the UK held a historic meeting in
London. Here the World Arabian Horse
28 | BRITISH BREEDER

Studbook - News
Organisation (WAHO) was founded.
Today, there are 82 countries affiliated
to WAHO as registering Authority
Members, either in their own right or in
the care of a neighbouring studbook
authority. WAHO is responsible for
ensuring that standards acceptable
to all Registering Authority Members
are established and maintained in
the matters of regulations, methods of
registration and production of Stud
Books. The basic objectives of WAHO
are:
• To preserve, improve and maintain
the purity of the blood of horses of
the Arabian breed and to promote
public interest in the breeding of
Arabian horses;
• To promote and facilitate the
acquisition and distribution of the
knowledge in all Countries of the
history, care and treatment of horses
of the Arabian breed;
• To advise and co-ordinate the
policies and activities of Members
of the Organization;
• To co-operate with any person
or body of persons domiciled
throughout the world in an
endeavour to promote uniformity
in terminology, definitions and
procedures relative to the breed of
Arabian horses;
• To act in a consultative capacity
in discussion and negotiation with
International, National and other
authorities on matters concerning
horses of the Arabian breed.
At the historic 1970 meeting in London
Major Ian Hedley said something which
the Executive Committee of WAHO still
believe in to this day. He said the world
saw the Arabian horse in the beginning
as a war horse, but he hoped that it
would finally become an instrument of
peace and understanding.
All the members of WAHO Executive
have to be thanked for the tremendous
contribution they have made over the
years, as they worked together to turn
this hope into a reality, in the interest
of the Arabian horse. With its strong
commitment to protecting the integrity
of the world’s Arabian studbooks, to
education and to equine welfare issues
especially those which affect our breed,
WAHO’s achievements over the past
forty years have laid a solid foundation
on which to build for the future, as we
face the many challenges facing horse
breeders and owners everywhere,
and the scientific and communication
innovations that lie ahead.
WAHO Conferences are held around
the world bi-annually. Delegates and
Observers join together to listen to
exceptional talks and demonstrations.
They are able to see Arabian horses
in different countries and discuss and
debate issues affecting all Registries.
There is a Registrars meeting to kick
off the Conferences whilst Observers
may enjoy special guided tours of the
cities and areas before and after the
Conference Events.
The Arabian Mare, a true friend. Aliha and Emma
Maxwell – photo Sweet Photography
Following the very interesting webinars
from British Breeding, it seems that
worldwide organisations are now being
encouraged to help in the preservation
of breeds and to increase the gene pools
– for instance the Thoroughbreds and the
Cleveland Bays.
Perhaps Arabian breeders have
already more knowledge of what
can go wrong with science through
worldwide experience. There are
mandatory WAHO registration rules
which are written into every country’s
own registration rules together with some
recommendations which each country
can decide whether to adopt or not.
Votes are taken on whether to accept
these rules at the Conferences with each
country having 2 votes.
Prior to the use of AI, horses were sold
and transported around the world. AI
changed many things. First, popular
stallions were able to breed more
mares. Stallions of lower fertility were
also able to breed by AI. The number of
stallions available started to shrink and
the use of popular in hand show horses
focussed people’s attention around the
world, using similar popular bloodlines
in many countries. Before AI a distinct
difference of Arabian horse was found in
different countries depending on which
bloodlines were imported. Breeders
set up groups of horses, for instance,
Crabbet, Pure Egyptian, Polish and
Spanish.
Now most of these groups have bred
together so limiting outcrosses. The
result is a smaller, not larger gene pool.
The late Rosemary Archer, author and
breeder, constantly reminded people
that upsetting the equilibrium would
cause serious harm to the breed. Other
people also believe that the Arabian is
seen by many as a hot-blooded horse
which is not the case. Most Arabians
are the kindest, friendliest and smartest
horse there is. Once you have ridden
an Arabian, many are hooked for life.
They are your best friend and there for
you. As a family riding horse, they are
perfect, neither too big nor too small
and able to carry weight. So how do we
use this knowledge today? In the light of
the many interesting webinars that have
been held during lockdown, perhaps we
can learn a few things. The Arabian gene
pool is shrinking fast despite bloodlines
available in so many countries. In this
country, particularly, there are not many
people who are able to keep a stallion.
As a result, many good and talented
colts end up as geldings.
One scenario needs to be looked at.
Semen can be collected once a horse
is 3 years old. If people are able to
keep their colts entire until this age, then
these colts can be collected and their
semen frozen. This way more stallions
can be available and the gene pool
can be increased. I believe storing
frozen semen, is cheaper than owning a
stallion. The stallion can then be gelded
and take up a competition career. It is
more and more difficult getting help to
stand stallions at stud, having visiting
mares can be hard work especially with
vet’s visits and other issues. The cost of
sending a mare to an AI Centre is not so
high in comparison.
Sadly, it has been seen that accepting
new forms of science can start off as a
benefit to breeding but unfortunately
can then be abused. It has been seen
that AI and Embryo Transfer have two
downsides. With AI a stallion can
inseminate far more mares with one
collection and with embryo transfer in
some countries it is so normal that mares
are flushed numerous times and even
as maidens, and never have their own
foal. One Arabian registry in Europe
has 25% of its registered foals annually
by embryo transfer. We do not yet know
the full affect all this has on mares, but
some people are concerned about the
welfare of the donor mares. Science can
help but how far do we go?
With the new post Covid era beginning,
I believe the Arabian and its derivative
can give a rider the wonderful feeling of
freedom and fun. Whatever equestrian
sport you want to do, the Arabian can
compete in or riders can just enjoy this
beautiful country of ours riding a horse.
However, we need to secure the future of
this gracious breed or it may be lost and
it will also be on the critical list.
BRITISH BREEDER| 29

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30 | BRITISH BREEDER

Features - Nasta
Inside NaStA
by Victoria von Wachter
The National Stallion Association
(NaStA) was formed in 1981 to maintain
and improve stallion approval standards
when Ministry of Agriculture Stallion
Licensing was abolished by repealing
parts of the 1958 Horse Breeding Act.
The Association sets a minimum standard
of stallion vetting to which all its member
societies adhere, and since 1991 has
organised a Stallion Performance Test
open to all breeds. Since that time over
150 candidates - stallions, mares and
breeding geldings - from 20 breeds
have been forward for the Test
The system operates through a process
of qualification at home during the
spring and summer with candidates only
being allowed forward for the Final
Days in August having completed three
qualification certificates indicating a
sufficient standard in dressage, show
jumping and XC jumping. Qualification
certificates are endorsed by BHSIs or
any rider/competitor with senior level
international experience.
The Final Days run over two days to
allow younger horses to conserve
energy; they are not equivalent to a ODE
– they are more demanding comprising
eight phases consisting of assessment of:
• Flat work
• Judge’s ridden work
• Free jumping
• Show jumping
• Paces
• Cross Country
• Gallop
• Ending with veterinary inspections
Full detail of the phases can be found on
the NaStA website.
The marking system is comprehensive
and creates a final result designated
Class 3 (70 – 99) Class 2 (100 – 119)
Class 1 (120 – 139) and Class 1Elite
(140+) from a total possible mark of
200.
The test is primarily intended for young
stallions so handicaps are made for
horses over 5 years old. Having said this
the list is full of older stallions who have
performed extremely well even with
the score reductions. Further analyses
of the scores produce indices for
dressage, jumping and rideability. These
are extremely useful for mare owners
seeking stallions particularly talented in
a particular area.
BRITISH BREEDER| 31

Features - Nasta
This year we move to a new venue at Solihull Riding Club
which we hope will prove to be as long term as our previous
excellent site, Milton Keynes. This year our assessors will be
Martyne Galland (BD List 3), Pauline Ricketts (BS) and Tom
Rowlands (CCI). Our VS as always will be Jane Nixon.
On preparation it is very important to note that you cannot
drag your stallion out of the field, find an obliging International
to sign off your qualification certificates a couple of weeks
before the Final Days and then turn up and expect to do well.
Final Days are not a competition that can be entered again –
candidates only get one ‘go’ at it.
With Britain having left the EU our domestic Performance
Test is of growing importance and we hope that numbers will
continue to increase.
We look forward to welcoming participants and spectators
on 24 and 25 August at Solihull Riding Club. Keep an eye
on our FB page for more specific detail of timings. Interested
owners should visit the NaStA website to learn more about the
test. Telephone assistance is also available from the NaStA
Secretary or the Performance Test Director on
telephone 01869 277562.
The 2021 Performance Test Qualification window
is now open. Final Days set for 24/25 August at
Solihull Riding Club, Bentley Heath, Solihull B93 8QE.
All breeds of horse and pony stallions and mares
and – since 2016 – breeding geldings are eligible.
Entries close 1 August.
Stallion Owners – let your young stallion join the
ranks of such stars as Catherston Decipher,
Godington Hannibal and All That Jazz.
If you want to promote your young stallion as a
competition sire then the NASTA Performance Test
is a must. Also useful for the older stallion who
has not had a chance to compete.
For full details call 01869 277562 or see
32 | BRITISH BREEDER

Studbook - News
BRITISH BREEDER| 33

Features - Foaling the Mare
Preparation
for foaling
By Dr Jonathan Pycock
BVetMed PhD DESM MRCVS
Following on from the popular
webinars held recently in association
with Twemlows Stud, Dr Jonathan
Pycock shares his notes on preparing
for foaling to provide breeders with
some guidance and to hopefully
ensure the foaling goes as smoothly as
possible.
Mares should be well cared for during
pregnancy to ensure the birth of a
normal, healthy foal. This includes:
(1) Adequate but not excessive
feeding
(2) Proper parasite control.
(3) Vaccinating the mare 1 month
before foaling to ensure that
her colostrum has the necessary
antibodies. Vaccination of the
pregnant mare has the dual purpose of
protecting the dam and also the foal.
(4) Moving the mare into the
environment where she is going to
foal 6 weeks before she is due, so
that the mare can get used to her new
environment and the handling
procedures. It will also ensure that her
colostrum will contain the protective
antibodies against infections there.
Ideally mares should foal in special
housing called a foaling box. The
foaling box should be at least 4 x
4m for an average 500-kg mare
and be well-ventilated but free from
draughts. Bedding should be dust-free,
preferably comprising plenty of highquality
straw.
Monitoring the mare for
foaling
A mare should be observed closely
late in pregnancy. Physical changes
indicating impending delivery include:
(1) Development of the udder or
mammary gland. There is an increase
in the size of the mammary gland in
the last month of pregnancy and this is
particularly noticeable in the 2 weeks
before birth. Once this increase is
noted, the mare should be moved to a
foaling box where she can be watched
easily during the night.
(2) Relaxation of the pelvic ligaments.
(3) Lengthening of the vulva.
(4) Just before foaling the udder
typically becomes very swollen and
there is a waxy secretion noticeable on
the teat ends. This is known as ‘waxing’
and is usually a sign that foaling will
be within 1–4 days. Sometimes milk
can run from the udder ahead of
foaling and lose the colostrum.
Such foals can be at risk from not
getting enough colostrum and must be
given extra care in the first few days
after foaling.
34 | BRITISH BREEDER

The best approach to managing a
foaling mare is to watch her very closely
but without disturbing her. Having an
experienced attendant watching the
mare and assisting if necessary is the
best way of reducing the risk of problems
at foaling. However, mares vary
tremendously in the signs of impending
foaling that they actually show, hence it
is possible to waste much time waiting
for a mare to foal. To avoid this, options
include:
(1) Measuring the electrolyte
concentrations in prefoaling udder
secretions using kits that are available
commercially. These kits measure
electrolyte levels in a sample of udder
secretion. When the amount of calcium in
the milk increases above a certain level,
over 95% of mares will foal within 72h.
(2) Foaling alarm systems, such as a
small transmitter lightly stitched to the
mare’s vulva. When she pushes the
fetal membranes through the vulva
at the beginning of foaling, a pin in
the transmitter is pushed out. This then
sets an alarm off, which activates the
attendant’s pager. The disadvantage is
that the alarm only alerts you once the
mare starts to deliver, so you need to be
nearby.
(3) Foaling alarm systems that strap
around the whole mare and sound an
alarm if or when she sweats during
delivery. The disadvantage of this is that
if the mare does not sweat it does not go
off. Closed-circuit TV is also commonly
used. Because parturition is very rapid
in mares, it is important to monitor them
very closely.
Nursing/management checks
before foaling - It is important to
check if the vulva has been stitched
(Caslick’s operation). If she has been
‘stitched’ it is important to ‘open’ the
vulva before foaling. It is not enough
just to remove the stitches that were put
in when the mare was ‘Caslicked’, and
in any case these should have been
removed 2 weeks after the procedure.
The stitched area must be cut open
before the foal emerges. If this is not
done, at best the tissue of that area will
tear and bruise severely, making future
repair difficult; at worst, the foal will
suffocate. It is also an important hygiene
measure to wash and dry the mare’s
udder.
Parturition
Parturition is the term used to describe
the expul-sion of the fetus (and its
membranes) from the uterus through the
maternal passages by natural forces.
The most important initiating factor for
parturition is the maturation of the fetal
hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis.
The production of cortisol from the fetal
adrenal gland may be the ultimate
trigger of the process of parturition.
This increase in cortisol indicates the
foal’s ‘readiness for birth’. Oxytocin is
the hormone produced by the dam and
plays a key role in all stages of labour.
In the mare oxytocin release can be
blocked by external stimuli, which allows
the mare, at least temporarily, to resist
the fetal signals for birth, e.g. if she is
disturbed. The act of parturition is a
continuous process but it is customary
to divide it into three stages, as in other
species.
First Stage - This lasts for 1–4h
and begins with the onset of uterine
contractions. The changes are not visible
externally but they prepare the birth
canal and fetus for expulsion. During this
stage the muscles of the uterus begin to
contract and push the fetus against the
cervix. This helps the cervix to dilate. The
foal begins to move of its own accord,
rotating itself and extending the front legs
and head. The increasing myometrial
activity, together with spontaneous fetal
movements, will result in rotation of the
cranial part of the fetal body into a
dorsosacral position. The front legs and
head are extended. These processes
usually result in discomfort in the mare
and the following signs:
• Becoming restless and exhibiting
colic-like signs (looking at flanks, tail
switching, frequently getting up and
down).
• Exhibiting patchy sweating (flanks,
neck, behind elbows).
• Yawning.
• When the cervix is fully dilated
the allantoic membrane ruptures
and several litres of allantoic fluid
escape from the genital tract. This
is popularly called ‘the waters
breaking’ and indicates the end of
the first stage.
As the mare approaches the end of the
first stage of labour her tail should be
bandaged and her vulval area cleaned
and dried. Mares do not normally strain
during the first stage of parturition.
Second Stage - The onset of the
second stage occurs abruptly and
commences with the onset of forcible
abdominal straining and/or the
appearance of the amnion. These
two features usually occur almost
Features - Foaling the Mare
simultaneously. During stage two, actual
delivery of the foal takes place. The
mare usually lies down and goes into
lateral recumbency until the foal is born.
The outer red membrane ruptures and
the amnion (transparent bluish-white
membrane) is quickly visible at the vulva
and fluid and a fetal foot should be
visible. Straining occurs regularly and
both front feet should soon appear. As
the amnion emerges at the vulva, one
foreleg is in front of the other by some
10cm. Shortly the nose should appear
also. The greatest effort is associated
with delivering the head, with the
passage of the chest and hips usually
occurring relatively easily. As the head
and shoulders pass through the pelvis,
the amnion should rupture. If necessary,
the mare can be assisted by gentle
pulling on the foal’s front legs.
The foal has a relatively long umbilical
cord, which is still intact after delivery.
When possible, the cord should be
left intact for a few minutes to help
the circulation of the newborn foal.
Care should be taken not to disturb
the mare at this stage or she may rise
and rupture the cord. The cord usually
ruptures at a predetermined place
due to movements of the mare and/
or foal several minutes (up to 15min)
after birth. Once the umbilical cord has
ruptured, the stump should be checked
for haemorrhage and disinfected with
dilute chlorhexidine. This disinfection of
the navel needs to be repeated several
times during the first few days of life. If
the mare is still lying down, the foal can
be moved towards the mare’s head to try
to reduce the chance of the foal being
stood on when the mare attempts to get
up. All disturbances should be kept to a
minimum during this stage. The second
stage of labour usually occurs at night;
the average duration is about 15min and
normally it should not exceed 1h.
Third stage - This involves passage
of the fetal membranes, often termed
‘delivery of the afterbirth’, and
usually occurs within 1h on average
and should not take more than 2h.
Continuing myometrial activity plays
an important role during this process.
There is controversy with respect to the
time interval for placental expulsion.
Recognition of the precise time at which
the process has become pathological if
the membranes have not been passed
is difficult.The placenta initially should
be tied up so that it hangs just above
the hocks. This should avoid it being
stepped on before it is passed. If the
placenta is not passed within 3h, the vet
should be contacted. The uterus contracts
very quickly after foaling and this
process carries on for several days until
the uterus is almost as small as it was
before the mare became pregnant. This
process of becoming smaller is known as
‘involution’.
BRITISH BREEDER| 35

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• Competitive vet packages
• Mares boarded at the hospital
• Subfertility investigations of mares and stallions
• Semen collection, analysing and processing
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36 | BRITISH BREEDER
www.sussexequinehospital.co.uk

Breeder Spotlight - Breen Equestrian
Shane Breen & Can Ya Makan
Photo Nigel Goddard
Breen Equestrian
By Victoria Goff
Talk about getting off to a good start.
Back when showjumper Shane Breen
was based in his native County
Tipperary, he invested in some
broodmares with his cousin John Griffin,
and one of the first foals he bred was
Cos I Can (Olympic Lux x Carel View
Lass). “He ended up being a wonderful
horse to me,” says Shane. “By eight he
was jumping in five-star Grands Prix,
and at 10 he jumped double clear at
Hickstead to win the Nations Cup.”
Shane’s passion for sport horse breeding
has only increased in the two decades
then, and he has recently expanded
his business with the opening of Pook
Bourne Stud, sited just across the A23
from his Hickstead base. Originally just
green fields, Shane and his wife Chloe
have spent the winter having it
transformed into a state-of-the-art
breeding facility, including stabling for
up to 85 horses, a 50x25m barn with
eight large youngstock pens, and a
purpose-built AI lab. Starting the place
from a blank canvas has allowed them to
design it specifically for the stud’s needs,
and the finishing touches are being put
in place just as the busiest period of the
season gets underway.
Shane married Chloe (nee Bunn) in
2007, and together they have built Breen
Equestrian into a huge showjumping
operation. They have continued to
develop the breeding side of the
business both here in the UK and in
Shane’s native Ireland, with some mares
based with John Griffin and others kept
with one of Shane’s friends and owners,
Konstantin Pysarenko in the Ukraine. In
total, they’re aiming for around 30 foals
each year, with around half of those due
to be born at Pook Bourne Stud.
Originally the breeding side of the
business was run at Hickstead
alongside the competition yard, but with
the sheer number of horses it made sense
to separate the two. It has had benefits
for the stallions, says Shane, who
understand they have a job to do at
each site. “Keeping it separate means
the stallions can be based at Hickstead
for work, but go over to Pook Bourne
Stud for collection. They have different
grooms for each job, so the person who
handles them during their collection is
not the person who looks after them
at shows. They go in a two-horse truck
to the stud, but go to shows in a large
horsebox so they can identify when
they’re travelling for business or
pleasure! It makes it much easier for
myself to ride them, and for the grooms
to look after them.”
Breen Equestrian has become renowned
for turning out top class riders as well
as horses, with many top showjumpers
including David Simpson, Michael Duffy
and Jack Ryan working for the team
before setting up on their own. Another
alumnus is Greg Le Gear, who worked
for them as a rider before changing
focus and taking on the role of Stud
Manager. “Greg looks after the
breeding side of the business, he was
always very interested in breeding and
AI, so it’s worked out really well,” says
Shane. “He does an excellent job and
has a good understanding of the
stallions and how to market them. He
rode some of our top stallions as
youngsters, so he knows them inside
out.”
BRITISH BREEDER| 37

Breeder Spotlight - Breen Equestrian
Mares at Breen’s new Pook Bourne Stud
Photo Ellie Birch/Boots and Hooves Photography
Greg is a qualified AI technician and
does the on-site collection, working
alongside vet Ed Lyall from the Sussex
Equine Hospital, which has a specialist
reproductive team; while Stallion
AI Services handle the storage and
distribution of the frozen semen. Le
Gear also helps Shane and Chloe with
choosing which mare will go to which
stallion. “It’s a fascinating process,
seeing the resulting youngstock in the
field, noticing their characteristics come
out,” adds Shane.
He hopes the rise of technology in
breeding, plus easier access to the
best stallions, is going to lead to further
improvement in British breeding.
“Currently there isn’t as much breeding
here compared to Ireland, even though
there’s lot of good mares in the UK.
But I think this is changing – these
days it’s easy to do embryo transfer,
there are some great stallions on the
market and frozen semen is available
worldwide, which gives people a greater
opportunity to use the best stallions.”
Pook Bourne Stud currently stands 10
sires, of whom the flagship stallion is
the prolific Grand Prix winner Golden
Hawk (Vigo D Arsouilles x Ta Belle Van
Sombeke). The three-part brother to the
aptly-named 2012 Olympic star London,
38 | BRITISH BREEDER
Shane Breen & Golden Hawk - Photo by Nigel Goddard

Breeder Spotlight - Breen Equestrian
“He is an absolute
pleasure to ride and
look after, with a
great temperament.
He throws a lovely
type with great
attitude, great
balance and lovely
characters”
Says Shane
Z7 Can Ya Makan (Canturo x Aroma) is
another stallion familiar to anyone who
follows Shane’s career in the ring, with
wins at five-star level and victories in
both the Hamburg and Hickstead Derby
Trials, showing his scope and versatility.
The 11-year-old Clyde VA (Caretino II x
Valentina VA) is a rising star in the ring,
having already clocked up a win in the
Olympia Masters. “We have started
using him as a stallion more from this
year so his offspring are few on the
ground but are very nice,” Shane adds.
The grey Colmar (Colestus x Piritta) is
a grandson of Cornet Obolensky, and
has a lot of his traits. “He has a beautiful
technique, he’s scopey and very careful.
His progeny have a lot of blood and
tend to be great movers, so lots of
eventers have taken a shine to Colmar.”
The younger sires include Cuick Star
Kervec, Z7 Regal Don, BE Reverent, Z7
Dubai Castlefield and KWPN champion
Lucky Luck, while stalwart Z7 Accorad
3 is still going strong at the age of 20.
Shane is fortunate to have a strong
line-up of proven competition stallions,
but he also spends a lot of time
considering which mares to use.
“Someone who was influential to me at
the start was Don Hadden, who has bred
a lot of top racehorses, show horses and
showjumpers, as well as pedigree cattle.
His philosophy was you need to look
back through several generations of a
family, on both sides. So now I not only
consider the mare’s breeding, but also
her mother’s and grand-dam’s. If I have
a top competition mare, I might use her
sister or half-sister – she could produce
really good foals even if she hasn’t been
particularly successful in the ring. We’ll
take embryos from the top mares who
are out competing at Grand Prix levels,
and perhaps take an embryo from some
of their three- to four-year-old daughters
who are showing potential too. We’re
lucky that we have some superb
broodmares who have competed at
Clyde VA - Photo Ahmedd Photography
Shane Breen & Golden Hawk
1.60m Grand Prix level, and aside from
a few rising stars all of our broodmare
herd have competed at 1.40m level and
above.
I would always put more emphasis on
the mare, as I think they bring that little
bit more to the table,”
he adds.
Like every breeder, Shane wants to
produce future medal winners – and
with his current crop of young horses, he
might be on track to achieving that goal.
www.breenequestrian.com
“I have some young ones
who, if they get produced the
right way, have every chance
of reaching the top,” he says.
“But equally as a breeder I
love it when people tell me
they’re delighted with the
foal their mare has produced,
or when a young horse
I’ve sold has a successful
competition career and has
made someone really happy.
That excites me just as much.”
BRITISH BREEDER| 39

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01664 454 929
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Stallions | Breeding | Research

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42 | BRITISH BREEDER
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Feature Article - DNA
DNA-Testing in Breeding
Unlocking the Potential
In recent years, DNA profiling has
become an increasingly integral part of
equine breeding, as many studbooks
now require testing for parentage
verification as part of their registration
process. However, parentage
verification is only a very small part of
what DNA testing has to offer, and a
fresh look at opportunities is needed
to unlock its considerable potential for
supporting equine health and welfare,
and for improving breeding decisions for
the future.
How does it work?
Parentage Verification using STR Markers
The genetic code of an individual equine
is a unique combination of genetic
information from the dam and the sire.
There are certain parts of the equine
genome that are highly variable, and
that can therefore be used as “genetic
markers”. The way they are put together
is characteristic for the individual equine.
For the purpose of parentage testing,
information on this relatively low number
of genetic markers is therefore enough to
either confirm or reject a supposed dam
and sire for a given horse. These are
known as Microsatellite markers, also
often referred to as STRs (short tandem
repeats), and are a specific type of large
genetic marker currently used for routine
parentage testing. Because of high
variation (many possible appearances
or different alleles) and accordingly
high information content of each single
marker, approximately twenty STRs or
even fewer are usually enough to check
whether or not an indicated parentage
of an individual can be confirmed.
These types of tests are what most
studbooks in the UK are using at the
moment, usually with a profile of 17
markers. However, while this type of
STR allele data can reliably be used for
parentage testing, that it all such a test
can deliver.
SNP Testing and Genomics
It might be useful to think of an
individual horse or pony’s genetic profile
as a book, in which the STR’s are the
chapter headings. If you want to drill
down to read the words and sentences
that make up these chapters, you need
a more detailed kind of testing, using
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
These are the smallest possible type
of genetic markers, looking at single
positions in the genome. This allows SNP
allele data to be used for a much wider
range of purposes, as tests can provide
information on large numbers of SNPs -
in the order of thousands to
ten-thousands – which provides us with
a much more detailed understanding of
an equine’s genetic make-up. We can
then start to analyse this data and
compare it to the physical equines in
front of us (what we call their “
phenotype”) to identify patterns, spot
potential problems, but also identify
genes that are linked to attributes we
actively desire in our horses and ponies.
What is the Potential?
Disease Control and Genetic
Conditions
Diagnostic testing for known genetic
conditions has been part of equine
breeding for a long time. It is
particularly useful in detecting recessive
genetic mutations, which can be carried
without expressing themselves physically,
unless one – unwittingly – crosses two
BRITISH BREEDER| 43

Feature Article - DNA
carriers, which brings a 25% chance of
breeding an affected foal. These tests
look for a specific single gene that is
responsible for the problem. Recently,
Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome
(WFFS) has received much attention
in the press. It is caused by a mutation
in the gene responsible for collagen
biosynthesis. WFFS causes lesions and
malformations of the skin in neonatal
foals, who are unable to survive. To find
this mutation, testing needs to drill down
to SNP level. It will not show up in the
STR parentage tests currently performed
as part of equine passporting.
While diagnostic tests are reliable in
testing for an individual disease, by
telling us if a horse or pony is or is not a
carrier of a particular mutation, it is quite
cumbersome, and expensive, to have to
run individual additional tests for each
possibly relevant genetic mutation that
could affect our breeding programmes.
SNP profiles – depending on their
design – can, on the other hand, show
tens of thousands of pieces of
information at once, thus providing
parentage verification and all this
additional information in one test.
The potential of SNP profiles goes
further. Not only can they be used for
showing up known conditions, but they
could also help us identify further
correlations between genetics and
known problems that can affect a breed
in future by allowing us to identify
patterns between the occurrence of the
problem and commonalities and
differences in SNP profiles of affected
and not affected animals.
Experienced breeders already know,
for example, that laminitis and EMS
seem to be running in particular families,
with some ponies affected, when others
develop no issues, with the same
management. Studies are already
underway to help us identify which
genes may be responsible for a
predisposition for this problem, but much
more work, and much more SNP data,
is needed. The potential for welfare
improvement is obvious: if we know
that a pony is genetically more likely to
contract laminitis, we can prevent the
problem occurring through management.
One word of caution: While the potential
of this is very exciting, we need to be
very careful about how we use the
information it provides. For a start, in
diseases like laminitis, the genetic
component is always going to be only
one of a range of factors. There is a
danger that owners and keepers would
think themselves “safe” from laminitis if
their pony tested free from the genetic
component, and as a result take their eye
off the ball. Secondly, we may
experience unintended consequences,
such as a narrowing of the gene pool, if
certain, otherwise valuable lines, are less
likely to be used due to an
association with laminitis. Quite often,
problems occur because we unwittingly
selected for them over the centuries,
because they were also associated with
desirable attributes.
What this tells us that while DNA testing
and genomic selections can be powerful
tools in battling disease and improving
welfare, we need to use them
responsibly and ensure breeders and
owners are well informed about their
potential, but also about their limitations.
Selection for Desirable Attributes
While the benefit of screening against
potential diseases and conditions is
obvious, we can also think about
Genetic Analysis in terms of
specifically selecting for positive
attributes. This can be achieved by
comparing our physical observations of
equines (their “phenotypes”) with their
SNP profiles, and again by looking for
patterns and correlations.
In horseracing this has famously already
been achieved in the identification of the
“speed gene” Myostatin. Admittedly,
racing is a sport in which success can
easily attributed to quite a narrow range
of factors (speed, distance), whereas
other equestrian sports have a more
complex range of requirements.
44 | BRITISH BREEDER

Feature Article - DNA
Nevertheless, the potential for breeders
looking for specific attributes from a
mating is considerable by adding more
predictability.
In this country especially, we are still in
the very early stages of unlocking the
potential of genomic selection in
breeding. To start with, breeding
programmes driven by genomics need
a large amount of data, not only in the
form of detailed SNP profiles, but also
in the form of reliable data on physical
attributes that these profiles can be
related to. In horseracing, this is
relatively simple. Racehorses perform
already at a very young age, the
measurements of performance are very
easy to standardise and therefore
compare (speed over set distances), and
it is a very large sport with thousands of
animals, providing a large volume of
data relatively quickly. In showing,
driving, leisure or in the Olympic
Disciplines, the story is a bit more
complicated.
The number of successful equines in
some of these areas is far smaller than
in racing. For reliable studies of genetic
correlations, however, we need as much
data as possible. Secondly, in some
disciplines it can take a long time for
equines to reach the top of their sport,
slowing down potential studies quite
significantly.
Thirdly, performance data is perhaps not
as reliable as it seems. Environmental
factors no doubt play a hugely important
role, and increasingly, so the older the
horse or pony is. Sometimes
performance is down to sheer luck, in
terms of a horse or pony finding the
right owner or rider at the right time.
Performance data might not always
be objective. While in horseracing and
showjumping, the goal is very easily
defined, in others, such as showing, or
dressage, the human eye and subjective
likes and dislikes may be more important
and more difficult to quantify objectively.
But, above all, our equestrian sports and
activities are complex, and rely on the
interplay of a wide range of attributes.
Just as it is important to “drill down”
in terms of SNP profiling, perhaps we
equally need to look more specifically at
individual, specific traits that as
experienced breeders we know to be
associated with the performance
attributes we want.
In the right hands, and
with the right systems
and infrastructure to
support, however, the
potential of SNP
profiling is very
exciting, and far
exceeds the current,
rather limited,
approaches focusing
merely on parentage
verification.
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Feature Article - PSSM2
PSSM2 - Muscle
disease may
explain ‘difficult’
behaviour
Have you ever owned or ridden a
warmblood horse that turned “difficult”
or “sour”, perhaps so much so, that he
or she became practically unrideable?
Perhaps you even had a diagnosis that
the horse had “tied up”, but apart from
that, no x-rays, flexion tests, nerve blocks
or other investigations revealed any
obvious issues that would explain the
behaviour?
Chances are, your horse was not being
“difficult”. He or she was in severe pain,
caused by a condition now labelled
PSSM2 (PolySaccharide Storage
Myopathy). PSSM2 has caused some
controversy in recent months, following
heartbreaking social media posts by the
rider Sofie Pedersen whose story about
her mare TwinHors Don’a Ballerina (by
Blue Hors Don Olymbrio) was
promptly picked up by the Danish
Magazine Ridehesten.
The condition typically shows up
between the ages of 7-10, with horses
showing no signs of any issues prior
to that and often enjoying a successful
start to their ridden career up to that
point. There is no cure, although careful
management can alleviate some of the
symptoms to a degree.
Recent reporting suggests that PSSM2
is not only a genetic condition that can
be identified by DNA test, but that it
is a semi-dominant trait, which means
that even if you cross a carrier with a
non-carrier, the offspring will carry the
gene and has a strong chance of being
affected later on in life.
The stakes are, of course, high: IF PSSM2
is caused by a semi-dominant genetic
trait identifiable by DNA test, then the
obvious conclusion is that all breeding
stock needs to be tested, and carriers
need to be eliminated from our breeding
programmes.
However, it is not yet proven that the
DNA test is really a reliable means of
identifying the condition, and an article
by a research group led by Dr
Steaphanie Valberg of Michigan
University published in BEVA’s Equine
Veterinary Journal in September 2020
concludes that the current DNA tests
‘cannot [be] recommend[ed] […] for
selection and breeding, prepurchase
examination or diagnosis of a
myopathy.’
The Background and Diagnosis
In the 1990s, Dr Valberg identified the
muscle disease PSSM1 and the
associated gene. Horses with PSSM1
suffer from an abnormal amount of
glycogen build up in the muscle tissue,
leading to severe laminitis. PSSM1
cannot be cured, but controlled by a low
sugar diet, and can be passed on to the
next generation via the discovered gene.
During Dr Valberg’s study, there were
also horses with similar symptoms
and abnormal sugar accumulation in
the muscles, which did not carry the
abnormal PSSM1 gene. To designate
and distinguish this group from horses
with PSSM1, the umbrella term PSSM2
was introduced. Symptoms attributed to
PSSM2 are: poor muscle build or even
muscle atrophy, drifting gait, difficulty
with canter, unclear lameness,
acidification, high muscle tension,
laminitis and an overload of the liver.
PSSM2 therefore appears to encompass
multiple conditions and variants, all
related to the breakdown of muscle
tissue.
Up to now, the most reliable diagnosis
of the condition has been available via
muscle biopsy, used to determine sugar
accumulation in the muscle tissue.
However, as multiple biological
processes are involved in the diseases
that fall under PSSM2, the outward
manifestations of PSSM2 are the result
of various diseases. Not all horses with
PSSM-like symptoms show glycogen
accumulation in their muscle biopsies.
Those who do not are more likely to have
a condition called Myofibrillar
myopathy (MFM). Its symptoms are
similar to PSSM2, but MFM is not related
to sugar metabolism and does not lead
to visible glycogen overload.
A Genetic Condition?
The potential advantages of diagnosis
via DNA test would be not only that they
are a lot cheaper and less invasive than
muscle biopsies. They would also be
able to pick up the condition much
earlier, before it became symptomatic,
and could inform pre-purchase
veterinary exams, and even assist in
eliminating the disease through
screening of broodmares and stallions.
The US based company EquiSeq
developed hair tests for gene mutations
in recent years that they say represent
different variants of PSSM2. Tests are
46 | BRITISH BREEDER

Feature Article - PSSM2
available for the variants P2, P3, P4 and
Px, which occur in riding horse breeds,
and for P8 (Arabian thoroughbreds) and
K1 (Icelanders). The German Generatio
has the rights for these tests in Europe.
However, questions still loom large
about the reliability of these tests. Dr
Valberg’s small scale study in Equine
Veterinary Journal found no
relationship between muscle biopsies
showing glycogen accumulation and the
various mutations found.
The challenge remains that PSSM2 is
a multifactorial disorder, with several
genes involved and management also
playing a role in the expression of the
genes. To determine reliably which piece
of DNA is responsible, further
investigations are necessary.
A Genetic Condition?
The University of Minnesota has started
a long-term study into muscle diseases
in horses, aided by videos, photos and
questionnaires about management and
ration, as well as DNA tests. The plan
is to examine 3,000 samples using the
PSSM2 variants identified by EquiSeq,
as well as looking for the known DNA
markers for PSSM1 and the muscle
diseases HYPP, MH, IMM and GBED.
The research also aims to identify the
best diet and exercise regime for
affected horses.
Entrants may also submit videos and hair
of an unsuspected control horse, of the
same breed, approximately the same
age and kept at the same location. In this
way, the researchers hope to be able to
say more about the relationship between
the genetic variants of PSSM2 and
the symptoms. Kendall Blanchard who
leads the research project recently told
the Dutch publication De Paardenkrant:
“When it is said on the wrong grounds
that certain genes cause a disease and
commercial tests are sold that have not
been sufficiently validated, this can have
major consequences. It can lead to
misdiagnoses and prognoses, incorrect
treatment and management of sick animals
and poor breeding decisions. […]
Adjusting management early can make
a big difference in muscle myopathies. In
any case, have your horse tested on the
validated variants. Muscle diseases are
extremely limiting and painful for most
horses.”
At the end of March, the International
Association of Future Horse Breeding
(IAFH) announced that several German
studbooks are going to collaborate
with the commercial Generatio GmbH
to allow for a large-scale study. The
studbooks are making their genome data
available to test a large
population of riding horses and
determine how often the mutations occur
in the general population.
Generatio representative Melissa Cox
told De Paardenkrant: “We work with
horse owners and veterinarians to keep
an eye on horses that have certain
variants, but do not show any symptoms.
The differences between individual
horses are very large. Some become
very ill, while others show little or no
symptoms. We want to know how horses
that perform at top sport level, but do
carry one of the mutations, are
managed. It seems that sometimes it
goes well for a long time with a high
protein diet and very regular training, but
that these horses suddenly start showing
symptoms after retirement or after an
injury that changes nutrition and
exercise. Vets tell us that correctly built
horses appear to be less sensitive,
probably because a good conformation
requires less muscle. What you should
keep in mind is that mild symptoms such
as difficulties in muscle development or
a lot of tension, are not always seen, or
are dismissed as temperament issues.”
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BRITISH BREEDER| 47

News - Product feature
Spring
Cleaning?
confident that you are taking all possible steps to ensure you
don’t introduce disease, or allow it to spread within your yard.
Good biosecurity practices on your part also contribute to the
protection of the equine population as a whole, helping to
prevent outbreaks of disease such as EHV.
Spring is well and truly here and if you haven’t started already,
now is the time to drag out those rubber mats, dust off the
jet-wash and fish out the paint brushes.
It’s fairly standard practice to give the yard a decent clean and
a fresh lick of paint once a year, but there are a couple of easy
steps you can take to maximise those spring cleans:
• Look at the ceiling. Perhaps you occasionally tackle
the cobwebs, but mould (Aspergillus) tends to grow
in damp areas and can often be found on the
ceiling. Extend your jet-washing to the ceiling and
your horses will thank you for it – Aspergillus can
be directly linked to Equine Asthma and poor
performance.
• In between jet-washing and painting, disinfect the
whole yard (walls, floors, mats, stable bars,
drinkers, etc). Using a sprayer, this is a quick step
and ensures you’ve eliminated any harmful
micro-organisms from the environment before you
paint.
AD-breeding-stableshield-90x134-FINAL-V1.pdf 1 26/03/21 12:35
• Use antibacterial paint. This is becoming more
common practice, as it provides an active barrier
against the growth or spread of micro-organisms,
therefore helping to protect horses where they
spend the most of their time.
Let’s talk about biosecurity
Whether you have a professional yard or a small
home-breeding set-up, a thorough spring-clean is a great start,
but sensible year-round biosecurity practices can help minimise
the risk of diseases such as Ringworm, Strangles and Influenza,
not to mention the ever-present threat of EHV.
Home Environment: Biosecurity should start with regular
disinfection, particularly before and after foaling or when
moving horses to new stables. Some paints can withstand
jet-washing and this is an effective preventative measure, as
even where anti-bacterial paint has been used, dirt on walls
can harbour pathogens.
New Arrivals: Check all vaccinations are up to date, test for
strangles and obtain a faecal egg count prior to arrival. Whilst
not always possible, new horses should ideally be isolated for a
minimum of two weeks.
Travelling: Avoid shared troughs and grazing areas where
possible and if you do need to share tack or equipment, ensure
you disinfect thoroughly. You can also use a sprayer to disinfect
the inside of your lorry upon your return and it’s good practice
to disinfect any saddle pads, boots or rugs that have been
off-site by adding disinfectant to your washes.
Whilst these measures may seem overwhelming or extreme
initially, they will soon become routine and you can be
48 | BRITISH BREEDER

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BRITISH BREEDER| 49

Nutrition Feature - Spillers Feeds
The aim for any breeder is
to maintain healthy, fertile
breeding stock that go on to
produce sound and healthy
off-spring. Although body
condition is just one element
of good health, it is one that
requires close attention and
importantly, one that you can
directly influence.
What is ‘ideal’ condition?
The how and why of
keeping mares, stallions
and youngstock in tip top
condition.
What may be considered as an
‘ideal’ bodyweight varies between
individuals and is affected by multiple
factors including breed, height,
muscle development and in the case
of broodmares, the stage of gestation.
In fact, over 60% of feotal growth
occurs during the third trimester,
during which the mare’s bodyweight
will increase by approximately
10-15%. However the horse’s
bodyweight alone, much like our
own, is just a number and therefore
body condition score (BCS: an
assessment of external fat
coverage) is equally, if not
more important than weight.
Mares and stallions should ideally
be maintained at a BCS of 5-6/9.
Why is body condition
important?
Excess weight gain presents a number
of health risks for any adult horse
including increased joint strain and
respiratory stress, heat intolerance
and an increased risk of laminitis
and insulin dysregulation. Obesity
can also lead to reduced fertility and
exacerbate age related decreases in
immunity referred to as
‘inflamm-aging’. Foals born to
obese mares may show an
increase in low grade
inflammation, reduced insulin
sensitivity and be at an
increased risk of
developing osteochondrosis
as yearlings. Excess mammary
fat and a subsequent reduction in
milk production may lead to reduced
growth rates in foals and/ or
increases in compensatory growth
post weaning.
50 | BRITISH BREEDER

Nutrition Feature - Spillers Feeds
Whilst much attention is paid to obesity,
it is important to remember that excess
weight loss is not without health
implications either. Body condition is the
variable most likely to affect the mare’s
fertility. Mares with a BCS of

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52 | BRITISH BREEDER

Feature Article - Westgate Labs
Why Proactive Parasite Control
for Foals Is Important
Claire Shand, Reg Animal Medicines Advisor Westgate Labs.
A horse’s immune health plays a big part in their ability to resist
parasite infection - much of this is developed at an early age.
Horses who haven’t had good worming support during their first
year of life often go on to have more parasite problems than
those that have proactive help. Foals should be wormed
regularly from 8 weeks old, incorporating treatment with
fenbendazole and pyrantel where necessary to cover the
potential ascarid infection that youngsters are particularly prone
to. Worm for encysted redworm in the winter and EquiSal
tapeworm test once weaned. From a year old they can move
to a targeted programme, carrying out worm egg counts every
eight weeks initially. Without this we set a horse up for potential
problems. Meet Dales Pony Fern who arrived as a weanling at
11 months old with no known worming history. She
clearly demonstrates a low level of immunity and as a yearling
struggled to overcome a persistent redworm infection. Without
regular testing and veterinary support her outcome may not
have been so favourable.
Fern; A Young Horse With a Challenging
Redworm Problem
Fern arrived with a medium redworm count of 1000 eggs per
gram that were successfully treated with a 5 day fenbendazole
(Panacur). It was only after this that the first of the real problems
began! We’ve documented her test results and treatments over
this time in the table right. Fern was turned out on to previously
grazed pasture and almost immediately her worm egg counts
began to rise again as her immune system was challenged by
small redworm present here.
Westgate Laboratories
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worm egg count every 8-12 weeks; EquiSal test every 6 months
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info@westgatelabs.co.uk | www.westgatelabs.co.uk
Test date Result Wormer Comments
20/04/2018 1000 epg Fenbendazole
5 day
Arrived as a poor
looking weanling
having had no
worming treatment.
17/05/2018 50 epg Fern had a worm
count when tested
but this responded
to the Panacur – she
didn’t come with
resistant worms
21/05/2018 100 epg
01/06/2018 200 epg Ivermectin
11/07/2018 700 epg Moxidectin
30/08/2018 1700 epg Panacur 5 day The worm egg
count rose steeply
over the next three
months despite
treatment!
13/09/2018 200 epg Double dose
pyrantel as Mod/
high
EquiSal result
25/09/2018

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The absorption of antibodies
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it will no longer be able to absorb
antibodies via the colostrum.
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For more information, visit www.westgatelabs.co.uk
Postal worm egg count company Westgate Labs have launched a new range
of environmentally friendly packaging with their unique compostable retail
packs. The innovation has contributed to a reduction in their waste to landfill
of around 75% over the last three years.
The innovative design of their new lab testing kits transforms the
biodegradable product pouches into a return envelope to send the
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Visit www.tricklenet.co.uk/forage-calculator
In the effort to educate horse owners and battle the
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Built with guidance from Louisa Taylor BVM BVS
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BRITISH BREEDER| 55

Feature Article - Rossdales
Ultrasound of the
broodmare: what is
your vet looking for?
By Camilla Scott BVetMed,
CertAVP(ESM), DACT, MRCVS RCVS
Recognised Specialist in Veterinary
Reproduction (Equine), Rossdales
Veterinary Surgeons
The major indication for transrectal
ultrasound examination of your
broodmare is for monitoring follicular
development during oestrus to
determine the optimum time for breeding
and subsequent pregnancy diagnosis.
However, ultrasound also provides rapid
and accurate diagnosis of many other
conditions in the mare.
Growth and development of
ovarian follicles
In conjunction with palpation, ultrasound
examination of the ovaries to track
follicular growth and development is
vital to determine the best time to breed
for maximal fertility. Follicles will
typically increase in diameter by 3-5mm
per day, reaching maximal diameter 1 to
2 days prior to ovulation (release of the
oocyte/egg for subsequent fertilisation).
The size of an ovulatory follicle will vary
depending on the mare’s breed and
age, the time of year and the number of
dominant follicles present, but ranges
between 30-50mm. In the hours before
ovulation, the dominant follicle changes
from a regular spherical structure to an
irregular shape and becomes softer with
a thickened wall. More recently, the use
of colour-doppler ultrasound can
determine blood flow and perfusion
changes in the maturing follicle, giving us
further information to help predict
ovulation. These ultrasound
characteristics of the dominant follicle in
the hours prior to ovulation are
particularly critical when lining mares
up for frozen semen breeding, to ensure
insemination is performed within 6 hours
of ovulation to maximize the chances of
conception.
A percentage of follicles will not ovulate
appropriately but instead fill with blood.
These follicles are termed hemorrhagic
anovulatory follicles and are reported
to occur in 5-20% of cycles in the early
and late breeding season respectively.
Ultrasound characteristics of these
follicles initially include an excessive
amount of free-floating bright white
particles in the follicular fluid and then
progresses as blood clots and fibrin
strands develop, giving the anovulatory
follicle a cobweb like appearance.
Figure 1: Ultrasound examination of a
mare lining up for breeding with a large
dominant follicle.
Figure 2: Ultrasonographic image of a
dominant follicle with an irregular shape
and thick wall prior to ovulation.
Figure 3: Ultrasonographic image of a
hemorrhagic anovulatory follicle filled
with blood clots and fibrin strands.
Is the degree of uterine
oedema appropriate?
Uterine edema is a normal response to
hormone (oestradiol) secretion when
a mare is in season and will gradually
increase in line with development of the
dominant follicle. Mares in oestrus will
display a characteristic ‘sliced orange’
or ‘spoke wheel’ appearance on
cross-sectional ultrasound
examination of the uterus. Scoring
systems have been developed to monitor
the degree of uterine edema, typically
ranging from 0 (typical of mares not in
season) to 3 (peak uterine edema seen
during oestrus). Estradiol secretion and
maximal uterine edema usually peak 1
to 2 days prior to ovulation, with a
subsequent decrease in estradiol
reflected by a synchronous decrease in
uterine edema on ultrasound
examination, both of which help guide
timings for administration of an ovulation
induction agent and an appropriate time
for breeding.
Excessive or inappropriate uterine
edema patterns may indicate an
underlying inflammatory or infectious
process. Mares with excessive uterine
edema prior to breeding are at risk of
subsequent intrauterine fluid
accumulation and are likely to require
further treatment such as uterine lavage
and drugs to aid uterine clearance, such
as oxytocin.
Figure 4: Ultrasonographic image of
a cross-section of the uterus depicting
mild uterine edema (note characteristic
appearance similar to a sliced orange
segment), consistent with a mare in early
estrus.
Inadequate uterine drainage
There are numerous potential causes for
inappropriate intrauterine fluid
accumulation in the mare. Risk factors
include older multiparous mares with
poor perineal conformation, older
maiden mares with failure of cervical
dilation, mares with an inadequate
immune response and the use of frozen
semen insemination. It is normal for all
mares to have a degree of inflammation
following breeding, but this transient
endometritis should resolve within 24h in
resistant mares, so any fluid beyond 36h
is abnormal and needs attention.
Ultrasound evaluation of uterine fluid
accumulation in the problem mare is
incredibly useful for both diagnosis and
monitoring response to treatment.
Figure 5: Ultrasonographic image of
abnormal fluid accumulation within the
uterus.
56 | BRITISH BREEDER

Corpus Luteum
Following collapse of the dominant
follicle and release of the oocyte/egg, a
corpus luteum (CL) forms. The CL secretes
progesterone, the dominant hormone of
dioestrus (14 day period when the mare
is not in season). If the mare becomes
pregnant, progesterone secretion from
the primary and secondary CLs will
prevent the mare coming back into
season and maintain the pregnancy until
placental takeover at around 100-120
days of gestation. Ultrasound
examination provides visual and
objective evaluation of both the structural
and functional aspects of development
of the CL from maturation to regression.
Evaluating and ageing the CL gives us
essential information regarding the stage
of the mare’s cycle, and more recently
has been used for selection of recipient
mares for embryo transfer both of fresh
and ICSI produced embryos, when
knowing the exact age of the CL/
number of days post ovulation is
essential for a successful transfer.
Figure 6: Ultrasonographic image of an
ovary depicting two corpus luteum (CLs)
following double ovulation.
Uterine cysts
Whilst the majority of uterine cysts are
insignificant findings in older mares,
their presence in the uterus may signify
underlying issues. In addition, large or
numerous cysts or those located at the
base of the uterine horns may physically
inhibit embryo mobility and fixation,
resulting in failure of maternal
recognition of pregnancy and early
embryonic loss. Noting the size, number
and location of cysts on ultrasound
examination will help determine their
potential significance; furthermore,
mapping of cysts will also prevent any
confusion over subsequent pregnancy
diagnosis.
Figure 7: Ultrasonographic image of a
uterine cyst - note the irregular outline
and fluid-filled centre.
Early pregnancy diagnosis
Ultrasound examination is pivotal for
pregnancy diagnosis in mares. The
equine embryo enters the uterus on day
5.5-6 post ovulation and can be
detected via ultrasound examination
from as early as 10 days post ovulation.
Since, however, at this stage the
embryonic vesicle measures only
between 3-5mm, most first pregnancy
scans are performed at 14 days post
Feature Article - Rossdales
ovulation, at which stage the embryonic
vesicle typically measures between
16-20 mm, making it much easier to
identify. Due to the unique equine
embryonic capsule, the pregnancy will
be perfectly spherical at this stage and
ultrasonically generated specular
reflections (bright white spots on the
upper and lower surface of the embryo;
see image) help differentiate embryos
from uterine cysts or fluid, which are
rarely perfectly spherical. Since mares
are not able to carry twin pregnancies
successfully to term, the diagnosis of twin
pregnancies and subsequent reduction
to a singleton pregnancy is performed
most successfully at this early pregnancy
scan, between 14-16 days post
ovulation. Further pregnancy
examinations are performed at regular
intervals to monitor growth and
development of the embryo/foetus. By
day 21 the embryo proper can be
visualised and at 28 days an embryonic
heartbeat will be detectable. From 40
days onwards, the pregnancy enters the
foetal stage of development (the term
embryo is used until day 39), at a 42
day scan the start of the umbilical cord
formation and the beginning of foetal
activity can be detected. For those of
you wanting to determine the gender of
your foal, this can be reliably performed
by transrectal ultrasound examination
between 58-70 days post ovulation.
Ultrasound detection of the genital
tubercle, the precursor to the penis in the
male and clitoris in the female is either
detected under the tail in the case of a
filly foal or behind the umbilicus with a
colt foal.
www.rossdales.com
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Contact our BEVA approved team of dedicated stud vets to discuss your requirements
on 01638 663150, or practice@rossdales.com
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www.rossdales.com
BRITISH BREEDER| 57

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BRITISH BREEDER| 59

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