Are you aware that our Endurance Horse Registration Amnesty was never closed?
The Endurance Amnesty applies to any Open Endurance horse that is competing, or has competed in Endurance rides, and it allows owners to register their Endurance Horse with The Arabian Horse Society of Australia Ltd for the minimum registration fee in their category. In order for the Amnesty to be applied, the AHSA requires the following:
- a copy of the horses Open Endurance Yellow (not Novice Blue) Logbook,
- a correctly completed and signed Registration Application,
- a correctly completed and signed Service Certificate (where applicable),
- any/all correctly completed and signed Transfer of Registration Forms and
- DNA (and Genetic Testing) testing required as applicable.
Please be reminded that the owner and breeder will also require current AHSA Ltd membership (where applicable).
If someone has a broodmare or stallion they are breeding endurance horses from and they can prove this, although it doesn’t actually come under this amnesty, the Board of the AHSA would consider it under any other Amnesty currently in place.
If you have any horses that might fit in this category, talk to the staff in the AHSA office and they will be happy to help you with the registration of your endurance Arabian.
Why Should I Register My Endurance Arabian?
Registration of endurance horses with AHSA creates:
- Accountability for breeders (proof of claimed breeding to be correct)
- Recognition to breeders
- Recognition of bloodlines
- Informed breeding of future endurance horses
- Traceability of horses by previous owners/breeders.
- Validation of horse details and breeding to prospective buyers, including DNA testing for genetic disorders which, if not known, could lead to dead foals.
We all know that it is relatively expensive to register horses and that there is a bit of record keeping and paperwork involved. Nowadays we have the necessary DNA testing and there are requirements for testing horses for genetic maladies as well. These days you must be a member of the AHSA too. Add to that the fact that there can be difficulties with getting all of the required information from stallion or mare owners, or previous owners of the horse itself, if you are not the breeder, and it is enough to turn a lot of people off.
The importance of being able to accurately define the purity of bloodlines and traceability of a horse can be of the utmost importance. The complete history of the horse can be more readily and more accurately traced if the horse is AHSA registered; not only the bloodlines and breeders, but previous owners and places where the horse has lived can be determined through its registration and ownership details.
With increasing FEI regulations, and more and more international focus, having an AHSA registered horse may make international sales a lot easier if you are interested in exporting.
Australia, and the world, are sadly losing the records and bloodlines of a great many Arabian horses as they go overseas without any confirmed breeding details. Some horses with great potential get lost in the sheer numbers and lack of definite identification and breeding history.
Bloodlines are important in any sphere of equine competition, and endurance is no exception. It is a well-known fact that certain bloodlines carry very desirable traits and qualities that we would like to preserve, nurture and propagate. Things like soundness, correct conformation, temperament, trainability, speed, stamina, versatility, bravery, and that indefinable will to keep going and give all for the rider. We have been told that we have a “Treasure Trove” of bloodlines in Australia.
If we want to breed these qualities on, or have these traits in the horses we own, we need to have the complete history of the horse and its breeding. The information for all registered horses is all there at your fingertips.
Conversely, if there is a bloodline, trait or condition that you want to stay away from in your breeding or horse ownership, an accurate pedigree over several generations can be of great assistance.
If you are breeding to or from AHSA registered Arabians, the foals would be eligible for the various Futurities. While you are waiting for your future endurance horse to grow up, he could be winning a sometimes substantial amount of the prize pool in these Futurities. It is also a great way to get the youngster out and about and used to the hustle and bustle of the show scene so that when he goes out to his first few rides he will be more settled and accepting of vet checks and all the other goings on.
When your horse’s endurance career draws to a close, what will their next chapter be? A mare might move on to a valuable role as a broodmare, and a registered pedigree can significantly increase her worth. Others may transition into new pursuits—pony club, dressage, showing, or simply as much-loved pleasure horses. By registering your Arabian with the AHSA, you’re giving future owners the ability to trace their breeding, history, and previous achievements—ensuring your horse’s story is preserved.
Written by Yvonne Downes.
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