A mare's gaits are evaluated both in-hand and, if proper facilities are available, at liberty. Impulsion must clearly emanate from the hindquarters, traveling through a relaxed back swinging in rhythm with the gait. Movements should be big, yet light and springy. Photo of De Rishi TF (Don Schufro-Rubina/Rubinstein I) owned by Kristen Slater and bred by Anne Howard.
To enter the breeding program, mares and eligible stallions must be inspected for approval as breeding stock. Registered mares three years of age or older must be inspected and entered into a section of the studbook before their foals can be registered. No mare can be inspected without the original registration papers.
[Exception: If the commission chooses to inspect a mare pending original papers, the foal cannot be branded until the original papers are received by the AHS Office.]
Hanoverian mares registered by the AHS or with the German Hanoverian Society (HV) or its daughter societies in Australia, Great Britain or New Zealand, are eligible for inspection. [Exception: Certificate of Pedigree horses are not eligible for inspection.]
Non-Hanoverian F1 warmblood mares with an acceptable sire and a Thoroughbred dam and with registration papers issued by a breed society or registry whose breeding program the AHS accepts are eligible for AHS inspection. Such an F1 mare is scored under the same criteria that would have been required of her Thoroughbred dam: she must achieve an overall seven (7) on inspection including a seven (7) for impulsion/elasticity (the trot) for entry into the AHS Studbook. These mares have the possibility to advance to the Main Studbook upon completing the Mare Performance Test (MPT) with the following result: she must either score an overall seven (7) or achieve a score of eight (8) in one of the three MPT categories (riding, gaits, jumping) and at least a six (6) in the other two categories.
More information regarding Thoroughbred, Arabian and Anglo-Arab mare inspection requirements is available on this site by clicking on the following link: Thoroughbred and Arabian Mare Requirements.
Femininity and Typiness – Mares a distinctly feminine expression. A horse’s type must correspond to the Society’s breeding goal.
Conformation – The main part of the body from the chest to the buttocks should fit into a rectangular (not square) frame with all parts harmoniously integrated. Also desired is a noble head with expressive eyes sitting on a well proportioned and well put on neck; withers that are pronounced and extending far back; sloping shoulders with the angle between scapula and humerus large and open; a long, broad forearm on a correspondingly short cannon bone; and straight legs. Also preferred is a strong, but not tight back that is well padded in the area of the kidney; a long, well sprung hind rib; and a broad, slightly sloping croup. Careful attention is paid to the hindquarters--their angulation, proportion, and joint formation. The hocks must be broad, clear, and well defined; the pasterns of all four legs must be of proper slope and length; and the hooves should be well shaped, strong, and sound.
Gaits – Movement as seen from the front and the rear must be straight with no paddling, winging, or crossing over.
Impulsion and Elasticity – Impulsion must clearly emanate from the hindquarters, traveling through a relaxed back swinging in rhythm with the gait. Movements should be big, yet light and springy.
Walk – The walk must be ground covering, relaxed, and regular. Strides must be even, and footfalls must be correct in their sequence--not lateral or pacing. Freedom of shoulders and haunches and a supple back must be evident.
Overall Impression & Development – As to size, sound judgment should prevail. Horses should be neither excessively large nor too small. In all cases, height should be in proportion to the overall build. Harmony is more important than size. A horse’s development must be commensurate with its age. This score is a summary, but not an arithmetic sum, of the foregoing elements.
| Head | Conformation |
| Neck | Typiness, Femininity |
| Saddle Position | Corectness of Gaits |
| Frame | Impulsion, Elasticity |
| Foreleg | Walk |
| Hindleg | Overall Impression, Development |
| Conformation Subtotal_______ (Divide Conformation Subtotal by 6 and enter the resulting number as the conformation score. If any category score is 4 or less, the subtotal becomes that score.) |
Total Score________ Final Score________ |
To be designated as a Premiume Mare, the mare must be in the Main Studbook and be out of a Main Studbook mare. She must score an absolute overall seven (7) upon inspection with no rounding up of marks. A scoring modification approved in 2009 allows a mare that meets the other requirements for Premium eligibility, but does not score an overall 7.0 on inspection (42 points), to have her free jumping score added to the overall inspection score and the resulting total divided by 7 (instead of 6). She must also pass the Mare Performance Test (MPT) with the following result: she must either score an overall seven (7) or achieve a score of eight (8) in one of the three MPT categories (riding, gaits, jumping) and at least a six (6) in the other two categories. In addition, to obtain Premium Mare status, the mare must produce at least one AHS-registered foal. As of 2008, there is no longer a specified time limit within which a mare must produce a foal in order to gain the Premium Mare title. NOTE: for Arab/TB/anglo-arab mares, they need to recive a 7 for hindleg, forleg and impulsion/elasticity. Mares inspected via video inspection ARE NOT eligible for premium status.
A three-year-old or older Hanoverian mare or a non-Hanoverian warmblood mare with acceptable registration papers will be entered in the AHS Studbook if she:
A copy of the registration papers of every mare enrolled for inspection must be submitted with the enrollment form. Entries that lack this documentation may be delayed. The owner of any non-Hanoverian warmblood mare enrolled for an AHS inspection must have previously submitted a copy of the mare’s registration papers to the AHS office for pre-approval. Owners of such mares will be promptly advised as to their mare’s inspection eligibility with AHS. Registered Thoroughbred, Arabian, and Anglo-Arabian mares are automatically eligible, but their owners must provide a COPY of their mare’s registration papers when enrolling.
For those mares that pass inspection and/or the MPT, certificates and stickers, stamped and signed by the AHS, will be sent with instructions for the owners to affix to the original papers. The certificates will have the breakdown of scores.
Mares are usually inspected only once. However, a mare may be reinspected upon the owner’s application to the AHS Office.
