ARTICLES
The Spanish Horse Registration Explained
Summary of the Spanish System
In Spain the Pure Spanish Horse is known as Pura Raza Espanola or P.R.E. These P.R.E horses are recorded in the official Spanish Stud book and must under go revision (similar to classification) before they can be used for breeding. Only horses that have been issued with a Spanish passport and whose parents have been approved for breeding are classed as P.R.E.
Below is an extract taken directly from the Spanish ANCCE official site and outlines the Pure Spanish Horse.
Important data about the purebreds Spanish horse
1. Name: Purebreds Spanish Horse.
It is also known by its initials (P.R.E.). Other names such as Andalusian or Iberian horse do not represent this horse. These should generally be regarded along with the cross-breds that lack the quality controls and purity, as well as of the official documentation of the Spanish Stud Book.
Those known as Carthusian horses are a family (or line) within the Purebred Spanish Horse breed.
2. Official documentation for Purebred Spanish Horses.
There is a single pre stud book for the entire world. There is only a single Registration Book which is authorized, internationally, to produce the official documentation for Purebred Spanish Horses. This is the one and only guarantee for breed purity and which applies the internationally accepted controls for the race: DNA confirmation of the paternity, completed graphic description and microchiped at weaning, evaluation as breeding stock as a 3 year-old, assignment of a registration code in the Stud Book, etc.
The passport produced by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and ANCCE is the only documentation that guarantees that the animal is a Purebred Spanish Horse and it fulfils all the requirements for the identification of equines as established by the European Union.
3. Colors of the Purebred Spanish Horses.
According to the breed description in the PRE Stud Book, all colors are permitted except piebald or skewbald.
4. Artificial insemination
This is currently only permitted in the case of qualified breeding stock.
5. Aptitude/Approval for breeding
Three classes of breeding stock exist within the Purebred Spanish Horse selection scheme:
a) Basic breeding stock
It is necessary to request the evaluation from the organization which administers the Stud Book, ANCCE. Purebred Spanish Horses undergo this evaluation, during which it is decided if they are suitable for breeding, as of the age of three, and the requirements are:
- Stallions must measure more than 1.52 m. at the withers and1.50 m. in the case of mares.
- There must be no sign of a fallen or broken crest, or a Ewe neck.
- They must be neither monorchide nor cryptorchide.
- They must remain true to the breed pattern.
As of that moment, their descendants will be registered in the Stud Book. If they do not pass this evaluation, they retain their original registration papers; they continue to be considered as Purebred Spanish Horses, but lack the right of having their progeny registered.
If a horse’s registration papers have not been stamped and signed to prove that said horse is approved as breeding stock, it means that said horse has not yet passed its evaluation legitimizing its use for breeding purposes within the breed’s legal selection scheme.
Any horse that does not pass this evaluation may be presented a second time, if the owner should so desire.
b) Qualified breeding stock
Having passed the basic approval, the breeders can present their animals for an additional evaluation, at one of the Tribunals for Qualified Breeding Stock (TQB) in which their conformation and natural paces are analysed.
Requirements in order to pass the evaluation as qualified:
- The stallions should measure more than 1.55 m. at the withers and 1.53 m. for the mares.
- They must gain an average of over 70 points, with no judge awarding them less than 5 points for any of their conformation.
- They must undergo an X-ray examination, which must discard any possibility of osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis and various bony problems.
- Stallions must undergo an examination of their reproductive apparatus, which must discard any defects that would affect their reproduction or which could be hereditary, such as monorchide, cryptorchide, inguinal or scrotal and other hernias, as well as a semen count, to verify their fertility. Mares must have given birth at least once or be in foal, and have undergone a scan of their reproductive apparatus, to discards any congenital anomalies or transmittable defects.
- Any stallion that passes this evaluation may use artificial insemination on a limited number of mares per year (the covering certificates being limited), and any animal that passes it may then go on to the next level of quality in the selection scheme.
c) The selection scheme for the Purebred Spanish Horse is currently, and has been for several years, in operation. ANCCE is a direct collaborator with the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture. Fruit of the selection scheme, two new figures have arisen within the reproduction of the PRE, having passed a series of tests and having proven the ability to transmit characteristics to their descendants; which are:
- Young Recommended Breeding Stock
- Elite Breeding Stock
To view the ANCCE website click onto this link
http://www.ancce.es
To view the Spanish Stud book click onto this link.
www.librogenealogico.com
The Spanish Horse in Australia
Summary
There are 4 categories of horses in Australia. They are:
- Pure Spanish Horse known as Pura Raza Espanola or P.R.E – holders of a Spanish passport. Officially recognized as the only ‘true’ purebred after the ANCCE meeting in July 2007.
- Pure Spanish Andalusians – do not hold a Spanish passport and thus not considered a purebred in Spain.
- Australian Andalusians
- Partbred Andalusians
Since 1997, ACPRE-Australia. Inc. was the sole association responsible for the P.R.E in Australia. When the stud book was handed from the Military to ANCCE on 1 January 2007, ACPRE-Australia Inc. submitted a protocol to continue to be the association responsible.
However, in March 2007 the Andalusian Horse Association of Australia (AHAA) submitted an application to ANCCE to take over from ACPRE-Australia Inc. to be the sole association responsible for the P.R.E in Australia. In order for the AHAA to be eligible, the Federal Council of the AHAA formed a new breed association in March 2007 called Pura Raza Espanola Association of Australasia (PREAA). As a result, ANCCE was legally required to select one association only and all paperwork relating to the P.R.E horse in Australia was placed on hold.
In July 2007, two representatives from ANCCE attended a meeting in Melbourne to speak to breeders, owners and the two associations. At this meeting they informed all attendees that ANCCE would work with both associations until a decision was made who would be the sole representative. This would allow all paperwork to resume and a revision to be held later in the year. At this meeting it was made very clear that no open revision would be held and that a Pure Spanish horse (P.R.E) was one that had been issued with a Spanish passport and whose parents have been approved for breeding; all others were classed as crossbreds.
On the 5 May 2008, without warning and without waiting for a decision from ANCCE, the Directors of ACPRE-Australia Inc. resigned and the association officially closed. This resulted in PREAA being the sole association representing the P.R.E in Australia.
Pura Raza Espanola Association of Australasia (PREAA)
PREAA is the sole representing body for the Pure Spanish Horse (P.R.E) with Spain. PREAA is only responsible for the P.R.E. horse and works directly to ANCCE. All Spanish paperwork is submitted through PREAA. PREAA liaises with Spain for the revision and inscription process.
For a horse to remain ‘current’ all paperwork must be completed accurately and submitted on time. As a result, all coverings and foals from P.R.E horses whose owners have elected to not continue to submit the required paperwork are not eligible for inscription or revision until the paperwork has been updated. It is essential that prospective buyers and breeders check with PREAA to see if the horse they are considering is current.
Some P.R.E owners elect not to register their horses with the AHAA (the Australian Stud book). This is not a practice supported by Black Horse Manor and we strongly recommend that potential buyers of P.R.E horses ensure that the horse they are considering buying, or using at stud, is registered with both ANCCE and AHAA.
More information on PREAA can be found on the following website – www.preaa.com.au
Andalusian Horse Association of Australia (AHAA)
When the first Spanish Horses were imported to Australia, they were introduced to the Australian market as ‘Andalusians’ thus this is the name the majority of the Australian public knows the breed as.
In 1970’s the AHAA was formulated. This association was dedicated to holding the Australian Stud Book for Pure Spanish Andalusian and Partbred Andalusian horses. Today they continue to look after the Australian Stud Book.
Membership to the AHAA is compulsory to show or breed.
The AHAA studbook includes the following classes of horses:
Pure Spanish Horses (P.R.E)
The P.R.E is accepted into the AHAA Stud book. This registration is completely separate to the Spanish process thus AHAA is an additional registration. These horses must be DNA’d and microchipped as per the Australian regulations.
It is essential that P.R.E mares/stallions are registered with the AHAA in order for derivatives and non-P.R.E progeny to be registered and shown. All P.R.E horses at Black Horse Manor are dual registered with the AHAA and ANCCE.
Pure Spanish Andalusians
Non-P.R.E horses are known as Pure Spanish Andalusians. These horses are ‘Pure Spanish Horses’ in a sense, but are not in the Spanish Stud book, do not hold a Spanish passport and do not take part in the revision (classification) system. They are however recorded as purebreds in the Australian stud book held by the AHAA. These horses can not be called P.R.E, even if they trace directly back to imported horses. A large number of these horses were eligible to take part in the Spanish system but unfortunately their owners did not present them to the open revisions and in 2004 the Spanish stud book was closed.
Pure Spanish Andalusians are DNA’d and microchipped as per the Australian regulations.
Both P.R.E and Non- P.R.E horses can be used to produce Pure Spanish Andalusians and Partbreds.
Partbred Studbook
Unlike many other breed registries in Australia, the 1st and 2nd crosses do not have special names. They are just referred to as 1st cross, 2nd cross, or Partbred Andalusians.
The AHAA also has an Identification registry which is for all horses that can prove they have 25% Andalusian blood.
Australian Andalusian Studbooks
The partbreds are further divided into another AHAA studbook for all crosses including and above third cross (3x) horses. The horses are known as Australian Andalusians. The Australian Andalusian can be used in breeding up programs for Australian Andalusians, which means that stallions can remain entire.
No matter how many times an Australian is bred back to a Pure Spanish Andalusian or P.R.E it can never be a purebred Spanish horse. These horses often resemble Pure Spanish Horses to such an extent that there is no way to know they are not purebred until you look at their breeding. These horses are valuable to Australia as they provide a pool of horses that satisfy a lower price bracket market to the Pure Spanish Andalusian and P.R.E.
Examples of Australian Andalusians
Left: Rangemore Pearl – 3rd cross. Rangemore Pearl is the mother of BHM Black Thunder and BHM Black Minx. Both are by the P.R.E stallion. Esplendido. Right: BHM Black Thunder - 4th cross.
Left: BHM Black Minx - 4th cross. BHM Black Minx is the dam of Midnight Susi. Her sire is the imported P.R.E stallion, Galero XIV. Right: Midnight Susie – 5th cross.
