Foal Registration

Foals are presented at AHS inspections for registration and branding, and to enable the inspection commission to evaluate the offspring of AHS stallions. Outreach branding and mail-in registration options are also available for foals unable to attend a scheduled inspection.

Paperwork

In order for a foal to be presented, it must be pre-entered in the inspection through the Central Office – meaning inspection Enrollment Forms and the appropriate fees must be received by the Central Office prior to the inspection. A comprehensive fee of $185 covers the $125 registration fee and the $60 charge for DNA typing. Mare dues must be paid for the year of conception and the year of foaling when registering a foal. Also, when using a foreign sire (approved stallions standing outside the United States that are not Elite Stallions), a $150 foreign sire fee will apply.

Once the Enrollment Form and fees have been received, a Registration Application will be e-mailed or mailed from the Central Office. Among the information needed to complete the application is the foal’s name, date of birth, color, markings, sex, the signature of the recorded owner of the dam, and the registration numbers of the sire and dam. A minimum of four photographs clearly showing the foal’s markings (shots of each side plus views from the front and the rear) must also be submitted. All foals should be registered by the end of their yearling year.

In agreement with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), AHS registered foals will automatically become USEF life recorded as part of the regular AHS registration fee, provided all paperwork is submitted by December 31 of the year of birth. The AHS is pleased to offer this added value to our membership at no additional cost. This partnership between the AHS and USEF will allow both organizations access to accurate data for both pedigree and performance. The AHS will provide USEF with full breeding data on each foal and, in return, the USEF will provide the AHS with a USEF life recording number for each foal that will be noted on AHS registration papers. In addition, the owner will also receive a life recording certificate from the USEF.

DNA Typing Kit

The parentage of all foals registered with the AHS must be verified by DNA typing. A DNA kit will be sent from the Central Office once the foal’s comprehensive registration fee and the appropriate paperwork have been received. It will contain instructions for obtaining a hair sample from the foal that includes the roots. If the dam has not been DNA typed, then a hair sample will need to be submitted from her as well. Parentage verification through DNA typing must be performed before a foal’s AHS registration papers are issued.

Foal Microchips

Effective 2017, the AHS Board voted that all registrations (AHS, ARS, and Certificate of Pedigree horses) now require microchipping as part of their registration process.  The AHS office sends a microchip and microchip certificate with each registration kit.  The owner has their vet inject the microchip and sign the microchip certificate.  The certificate must be returned to the AHS office with the rest of the registration requirements.  The certificate must be received prior to papers being issued.  AHS microchips are USEF compliant and we can search our database by microchip numbers.  We are pleased to include microchips as part of our registration as it will be an additional method for horse verification.

Inspection Day Paperwork

Upon the office’s receipt of the enrollment form and appropriate fees, the actual foal registration application will be e-mailed or mailed to you along with other relevant material. Plan to e-mail or mail the completed application directly to the AHS office as it is no longer a requirement to have this documentation at the inspection site. (In the case of early-born foals, some foal owners may have already submitted the completed registration application to the central office. A proof of the foal’s papers will be sent by AHS to the inspection site). The original (white) Stallion Certificate of Service must also be on file at the AHS office for registration to proceed. AHS will require the original Abfohlmeldung for foals conceived in Germany and subsequently imported en utero. Registration fees must be paid prior to inspection day. The foal should be presented at the dam’s side. When this is not possible, a photograph showing the dam and foal together should be given to the inspectors.

Presenting the Foal at Inspection

The foal is presented in hand for an evaluation of its conformation and is shown free at the side of the dam for an assessment of its gaits. When showing a foal, it is important to keep the mare positioned to the outside so that the inspectors have a clear, unobstructed view of the foal. Take care to regulate the mare’s speed to best show the foal’s trot movement. Recognizing that foals are presented at various stages of age and development, the AHS does not officially grade them during inspections.

Studbook Placement

Once the paperwork has been completed, the appropriate fees and photographs showing the foal’s markings have been received by the Central Office, and the foal has been parentage verified through DNA analysis, its registration papers will be issued and mailed. All fillies, colts and gelded weanlings are entered into the Registry. Final studbook placements are made when the mares and stallions are presented for inspection at three years of age or older.