Mare Inspection

The Mare Inspection process begins in advance of the inspection day, when the breeder fills out an Inspection Reservation Form, pays a $100 deposit, and sends in a copy of mare’s registration papers. This information is entered into the database. Mares with performance careers may earn a Pradikat Sport – please submit Performance Results for review when sending in the mare’s pedigree. On inspection day, the paperwork is reviewed, original mare papers are inspected. and remaining payment is collected. Next, depending on the host site's schedule, mares, then mares with foals will be presented, with mares being shown in the bridle and foals beside their dams on a leadline. After the evaluation of conformation, measurement, and drawing of markings, mares and foals (turned loose without the halter) will be presented at walk in a straight line toward and away from the judge, and then on the triangle. Finally, trot and canter will also be judged at liberty, for mares and foals, as long as there is no safety or health precaution against doing so.

Mare Book I:

  • Mares must fulfill the pedigree requirements (4 Generation pedigree main section eligible breeds)
  • Reach an overall score of 6.0 and no individual score below 5.0

Mare Book II:

  • Mares that are not eligible for MB1 but both parents are in the main section
  • Also offspring of Pre Mare Book (PMB) mares if the PMB ancestors have been crossed for three generations with horses from the main section and the mare reaches an overall score of 6.0

Pre Mare Book:

  • mares that are not eligible for the main section but represent the warmblood type and reach an overall score of 5.0 and no individual score below 4.0

Mares must be at least three years of age to be inspected into a Mare Book. To be eligible for the Main Mare Book, a mare must have an average score of 6.0 or above, with no single score lower than 5.0. She must also meet Pedigree Requirements. Mares entered into Pre-Mare Book must have an average score of at least 5.0, with no single score lower than 4.0. Mares who are eligible by pedigree for Mare Book I and who earn a score of 7.2 or above overall will be awarded Verbands Premium. Mares who earn Premium and also complete a Mare Performance Test are eligible for Elite Status. At inspection, Scores ranging from 1-10 will be given in the following categories:

Mares will be given seven scores on inspection day:

  1. Breed & Sex Type
  2. Quality of Conformation
  3. Correctness
  4. Walk
  5. Trot
  6. Canter
  7. Overall Impression.
Mares may earn Verband Premium status at their inspection if they are eligible for Mare Book I by pedigree, and reach an overall score of 7.2 or above. Mares with significant performance careers may earn Pradikat Sport status – sport results should be submitted to the registry for evaluation. Mare Performance Tests may be offered at certain locations, and Westfalen also accepts the results of other approved registry Mare Performance tests. Mares may earn Elite status with the combination of Verband Premium award from inspection, a successful MPT, and the production of one foal. Mares presented at official Inspection Sites (not private inspections) will also be eligible for Site Champion ribbon and award.

For the Westfalen Warmblood books, Warmblood mares from other eligible breeding organizations (i.e. Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Oldenburg, Trakehner, KWPN, Belgian WB, etc.) as well as Thoroughbreds and Arabian/Shagya/Anglo-Arabians are eligible for the main section books. Warmbloods from American Warmblood, International Sporthorse/Oldenburg NA, and AES are eligible on a case-by-case basis depending on pedigree. For German Riding Ponies, eligible breeds include German Riding Ponies and other European Riding Ponies, Welsh Section A, B, C & D, Connemara, New Forest Pony, Anglo-Arabian, Arabian, Arabian Partbred, Warmblood & Thoroughbred. Haflinger is a purebred book limited to Haflinger breed only with no crossbreds permitted, and Knabstrupper book allows for Knabstrupper, Warmbloods, Anglo Arabians and Thoroughbreds as well, with some limitations on color. Mares who have lost their papers or are of unknown breeding may be eligible for the Pre-Mare books if they are of sport type (i.e. not draft or stock horse type) and earn eligible scores for the Pre-Mare Book.

Westfalen Warmblood Eligible Breeds (link to WB Breed Eligibility)

German Riding Pony Eligible Breeds (link to Pony Breed Eligibility)

Sign Up Your Mare for Westfalen Inspection