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. Entries that are not accompanied by the appropriate fees will not be processed.

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, beginning with the foal crop of 2009, will automatically become USEF life recorded as part of the regular $185.00 AHS registration fee. 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 typing 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.

Inspection Day Paperwork

At the inspection site, in order for a foal to be registered and branded, the owner must present a copy of the mare’s registration papers, the foal registration application, and the stallion service certificate if it’s not already on file. 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.