Revision news! What does it all mean anyway?

We've had a whirlwind year or so here lately. While I've done well to keep up with our FB page, this blog has been quiet too long! Earlier this month, we presented two of our mares for Revision with ANNCE. They both passed so their offspring are now eligible for inscription (registration) in Spain's studbook which is run by ANNCE. Their website with more info here......http://www.lgancce.com. Sounds simple enough but in reality has been anything but simple.

When I decided many years ago to discover my dream horse, it was clear that it was to be a PRE, Pura Raza Epanola. The reasons why aren't important here & if you know much about them are obvious enough! I found a good deal of information on breeder's web pages as well as the sites for IALHA & The Foundation for the Pure Spanish Horse.

So there was the PRE, who at that time was run by the Spanish Government group Cria Caballar; Lusitano or PSL the horse of Portugal; and the cross of the two that while considered a cross in other countries, in this country (USA) can be registered as "Purebred" by IALHA. IALHA's site here.... http://www.ialha.org. IALHA also registeres PRE's & PSL's as "Andalusians" designating 'S" by those of PRE ancestry & 'P" by those of Lusitano ancestry. Offspring of any horse registered by IALHA as 'S', 'P', or the cross of the two are eligable to be registered as well down the line of generations irregardless of those horses having duel registration as PRE or PSL. There are many fine horses in our country who had a PRE, PSL or SP (Spanish Portuguese) ancestor that have Purebred IALHA papers but are not eligible for papers from the "mother countries". It's my personal opinion that the quality of a horse should not be judged by their papers but by their quality. That said, as a breeder it's important to be clear about your goals, the organizations you will support & make decisions so your horses are the best representatives of their given breed.

Back to my decision to find my  own dream PRE.The PRE foal must be the offspring of two PRE parents who have been revised or presented for breeding approval & passed that inspection. That foal must have the appropriate paperwork for the initial registration (inscription) to be completed which includes a breeding & birth certificate that is provided by the stallion owner. If the dam of the foal is not yours, the mare owner will also have to complete a portion of the breeding and birth certificate. A bill of sale is also required. If you have those documents, you can go forward with getting your foal inscribed. This includes paperwork that must be completed by a Vet who has been approved, blood DNA testing & placing a microchip. After that is done & submitted, one might hope to get your Carta or document proving registration of your PRE foal. If you are interested in breeding that individual, they must be presented for breeding approval after age three. More paperwork & fees are involved of course. Then you must either host or attend a host site for your horse to be presented to a Vet from Spain who will take measurements & watch movement. If the horse passes, they will place a sticker on your horse's carta showing the horse is now revised or approved for breeding.

When I purchased my own 1st PRE, it was a time of upheaval as far as getting just about any document from Spain. If you look back historically although, it seems like change & upheaval has been the one constant in our country with this issue. But at that time, revisions were not being held, many people who had presented & paid for their horses to be revised has not gotten documents or documents were lost, quite a mess. Once I got a stallion report, I then began to pursue getting my filly inscribed. I believe the organization at that time was Fab-Pre followed closely by the Foundation for the Pure Spanish horse. I won't share all the details but will share that I had to submit her paperwork four times before it actually made it to Spain. Thankfully only having to pay once since I had my receipt.

It was during my own annoying experience with PRE inscription that the Foundation for the Pure Spanish horse split from Spain (the stud book now being handled by ANNCE). They started their own registry service for PRE horses. The choice to use that title has made what was already complicated almost beyond understanding for many new people drawn to the breed. There are four registries that register PRE horses at this time in this country.

One might ask, what is a real PRE? There are different opinions but most finally agree that it is designation by Spain, who at this time is run by ANCCE. It is not easy to get PRE (ANCCE) papers (no matter what anyone tells you!). One should do their research to be sure you know exactly what your getting as far as registries & that the horse you are purchasing has all the necessary paperwork in hand for the registry of your interest.

Personally, if you are shopping for a partner & riding horse, my suggestion would be to shop for quality. If you are wanting to participate in breed shows, IALHA papers are needed. They register crosses & are, in my experience, easy & polite to work with if even when there are blips in the process. If interested in breeding, decide up front what your are breeding for. Be absolutely transparent about your stock & their offspring as far as registries. Make getting the desired registry papers in hand before breeding a priority. If using outside stallions, make sure they have the appropriate registration & that the stallion owner understands what they need to provide to you for you foal's future.

If breeding for PRE's, it's nice if you live in an area where revisions are typically held. Obviously picking up & moving to CA, TX or FL is not an option for everyone. So be prepared to either host revision at your home which involves covering the Vet's travel expenses if the minimum number of horses are not presented (less than 15 at this time) or travel to a revision site at very short notice. I attempted to present my 1st filly twice before getting it accomplished. The 1st time, we were going to host & cover costs but only received a weeks notice & were going to be out of town the date they wanted to come. The 2nd time, had planned to travel (10 hour trip) but literally had 4 days notice then at the last minute they moved it up a day! The mare unfortunately got a minor injury so we were not able to make the trip. Finally I moved my mares to a site that had offered to host so they would be there "if & when" it did happen. It's been complicated but I now feel involved enough with the registry organizations & have learned so much through those frustrations that I think I've got it figured out......until it changes again that is!

All this said, the horses are magic & obviously ignite a passion in people to inspire such chaos. I've had a positive but challenging experience with ANCCE. IALHA has many benefits and does best when our breeder's lend them support. I've not registered a horse with the Foundation for the Pure Spanish horse (PRE Mundial) or the Heritage groups. The bottom line really is the horse & what you want out of your own experience with them. Each of mine are literal treasures to me, papers or no. But I must admit that having my PRE Revised mares is a wonderful thing that I don't take for granted.