I have a 4yr old Hanoverian stallion that I got as a weanling in hopes of an upper level eventing/dressage mount along with being a breeding stallion. So far he has earned the rights to keep the cherries so I would love some insight from stallion owners of what I need to do next for licensing? I’m a bit lost and there are so many registries. He is registered Hanoverian. I did two “test” mares last year, both thoroughbreds, that he successfully covered first try for both. First is a filly and absolutely amazing and correct. Second one should have been here by now but hostage negotiations are slow. I’m aiming to take all 5 to a Westfalen inspection this fall. Also planning to take my stallion to do the N.A. Stallion Test in the fall. What words of advice and guidance can you all offer me? This is new territory for me and want to learn all I can! I want to set him up for success and do things correctly. I’m not looking to go for quantity on breedings to him but quality and setting the foals up for success registry wise.
What part of the country are you located in? I have some contacts that I can PM you that can give you the run down.
Congratulations on your filly and good luck for a smooth foaling for your second foal!
A lot of this will depend a bit on which registries you’re looking at. I know you mention Westfalen, but I wasn’t sure if you are considering other registries as well, so some of these thoughts may be more or less useful. The big thing to keep in mind is that each registry has its own deadlines, pedigree rules, veterinary protocols, and performance standards. For example, I believe KWPN-NA requires a declaration of intent and submission of the stallion’s pedigree by May 1st, regardless of when the Keuring is scheduled. Others have more flexible dates.
These are some things I’d consider when choosing which to present him to:
1. Paperwork Deadlines
- When is the declaration of intent due?
- When must pedigree documents be submitted?
- Does the timeline allow you enough time to gather the required documentation?
2. Pedigree Requirements
- How many generations must be certified (4? 5?)?
- Do they require the dam, granddam, and great-granddam to be in the main studbook?
- Are certain breeds or registries excluded?
- Must the pedigree be free of “unrecognized” breeds for a certain number of generations?
3. Veterinary and Health Requirements
- Do x-rays need to be submitted before or after the inspection?
- What specific x-rays are required (usually 16–22 views)?
- Must they be read by a specific vet, panel, or practice?
- Which additional tests are needed (e.g., semen evaluation, endoscopy)?
- Are there age-based health or fertility standards?
- What are the rules regarding FFS carrier status? Have you confirmed he is not a carrier?
4. Performance Requirements
- What are the minimum performance standards pre- and post-inspection? (For example, KWPN-NA requires stallions age 4+ to be actively competing at recognized shows)
- What are the ongoing competition or testing requirements for approved stallions?
- Do you have a realistic plan to meet these expectations, now and in the future? Some people get caught off guard when they realize how quickly these stallions need to be moving up the levels and how many results they need.
I’d get him tested for FFS if you haven’t already and I’d personally do the x-rays in advance as well. I’d rather know before going through the expense and process whether there was likely to be an issue than go through it all only to find out you’ve got a chip in a stifle or something.
I’d also do some reasearch on where you’ll be able to get him collected in the future. Depending where you are in the country, this isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Figure out if he’ll be able to stay in training while he is there and if he’ll have turnout, etc. Unfortunately, that isn’t always possible at all facilities. If he is standing publicly and you are offering fresh semen, you’ll want to make sure you have a plan for when someone calls up and says he needs to be collected tomorrow (or today) because hte mare is ready. All of this is going to impact his training and competition schedule and needs to be considered when you’re planning how to meet performance requirements. If you are planning on offering frozen, you might want to consider a test.
Other things to consider:
- Costs: do a realistic spreadsheet of what it is going to cost to do all the x-rays and testing, get him inspected, pay the registries fees and any annual licensing fees, cost to ship him to the inspections, cost to get him collected, cost of the performance test, cost of competing to keep up with the performance requirements, etc. Also consider if he’ll need to be with a professional (if he isn’t already) who can compete him at the level(s) he needs to meet the performance requirements if you’re going that route. There may be a lot of amateurs that can ride at PSG/1.40m/CCI3*/3’9 Performance Hunters but doing it on a 7 or 8 year old breeding stallion who is moving up to those levels himself and doing it with enough success to get all his qualifying scores may require a professional program so you’ll want to keep that kind of budget in mind.
- Market relevance: which registries are most attractive to mare owners that would be most likely to be interested in your stallion? I think registries that have the most flexible options for foals out of Thoroughbred mares are an attractive option to many mare owners in North America, especially those breeding eventers.
A couple of other thoughts on picking where to present your stallion, if you are considering different options:
- Which breed standards does your stallion best fit?
- How many young US-bred/based young stallions does the registry typically approve? Have a look on their websites and see what’s listed on their stallion directory. Some are going to be really tough for a young stallion that doesn’t already have very impressive sport results, even if he is a very nice horse. Others are a bit friendlier.
I do think there is an element of strategy to choosing where to take your stallion that can be overlooked, although it may be less important in the US where there just aren’t the same number of stallions being presented every year. For example, though, because it makes an interesting story even if it is not helpful as advice: Henk Nijhof found Heartbreaker as a young horse and really liked his jump. However, Heartbreaker was not very big, not a great mover, and there were already lots of sons of Nimmerdor licensed by the KWPN at the time so he sent him to Belgium to present him to the BWP instead. Sure enough, BWP approved him and he wasn’t presented to the KWPN until he was 9 or 10 and had already had a lot of international success with Peter Geerink.
And, for a bit of fun, I think this article is worth reading for anyone who is considering wading into getting a stallion licensed. https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2022/10/salon-de-refuses-the-stallions-that-almost-werent/ It certainly is not for the faint of heart! I think it is great when there are people who are interested in having and standing a stallion here in the US though and I wish you and your stallion the best of luck!
ETA: we all love to see foal pictures so please join the 2025 Foal Watch thread and share photos of your babies, if you’re comfortable doing so!
