What do the premiums mean

At the keurings your horse will be judged and given a premium. The premiums are not how they rank in the class that you are in but they are the ranking or placing in the overall heard. There are 1^st premiums, 2^nd, 3^rd, no premium. If they are entered into the studbook then they receive a premium. If they are not invited into the studbook, so stay in the foal book. They will not receive a premium and not invited will be recorded on their papers. Some reasons for not getting promoted from the foal book to the Studbook are: Height, soundness issues, deformity, genetic condition, too much white, any other color than black. If your horse doesn't meet the height requirements http://sableranch.net/height.html they will not be considered for advancement out of the foal book. If they are unsound or have more than a 50 cent piece white star on their forehead it is not advised to attend the keuring because they will not advance. Not having the correct markings, color and height does not mean that you have a bad horse it just means that they will not advance at the keurings. They will still be able to compete in other aspects of shows or be fantastic pleasure mounts. The Keuring is not the only reason to buy a Friesian but if you are planning on going to a keuring you should be aware of some of the aspects that will restrict the horse from advancement before you invest in the entry fees and training to get there.

I have put together a very informative web page  on Premiums that cover the explanation of the premiums and the different titles that the KFPS/FHANA gives out. The titles covered are Sport, Prestatie, Preferent, Sport dam, Star, Kroon, Model ect.  Click here to view the page http://sableranch.net/premiums.html

How to read your linear score sheet

At your horses first keuring over the age of 3 they will not only be judged for a premium (See Premiums blog entry), they will also get a linear score sheet. This sheet breaks down the characteristics of your horse and gives it a numerical value. This is a very helpful tool in helping you pick a stallion breed to your mare to improve on some of the offspring qualities.

I have put together a very informative page on my web page that shows you how to read your linear score sheet. Just click here to view that page and other helpful pages.

http://sableranch.net/linearscoreexpl.html

White keuring bridles

If you are going to an FPS/FHANA Keuring you should know the traditional presentation of the breed. Traditionally you will show all horses 2 and older in a white leather headstall with a bit. This headstall is the brow band style with a throatlatch. There is no noseband on this bridle. Instead of reins you will have a lead attached to the bit. You can use a chain or clip to the bit but it’s usually a chain on the end of your lead. So prep your young horses to have that chain hit their chin and slide across the bit before they get to the show. You should also get your young horses used to the bit that they are going to use. They make traditional gold bits with horse shoe shapes on either side, but that is not a requirement. Any clean snaffle bit that fits your horse is appropriate. If you horse is very hard to handle and stop and the best bit for them is a curb bit then that can be an option. Ideally you will want your horse to go in some sort of a snaffle that doesn’t have a chain under it. Just remember the stud chain on the end of the lead will run through the bit and act as a curb chain.

We sell White Keuring Headstalls and Leads at http://sableranch.net/whitetack.html . We have white bridles with padded browbands, crystal browbands, Rolled leather bridles and matching leads. All of the white bridles that we sell have been used in keruings and are acceptable for keurings.

Once in a while you will see people show their horse in a black bridle. This is not against any rules. It is not traditional but you will not be asked to leave if you have a horse that wears a black bridle. It should still not have a noseband, and it should have a browband and throatlatch.

If you are showing in IFSHA the rules say traditional. That would mean white, but there are many people that show in black bridles. Not all judges are familiar with what is traditional for Friesians because they may not even have their Friesian Card for judging. Check with the Rules Official at your local show to see what they expect you to wear. It’s always safe to wear white, but if you prefer black (most people do) then consult the Rules Official. They ultimately control the rules of the show and If the judge doesn’t know then they ask the Rules Official. But Traditional is White.

Babies Babies Babies!!! - Timing your baby

Spring is just around the corner! Babies on the way, babies just arriving, planning for new babies. There is SOOOOO much to think about. Let us help you with some thoughts.

Timing your baby

Are you showing your foal in the FHANA Keuring? Are you focusing on IFSHA shows? Are you worried about weather? Is your mare open (not pregnant) in foal? What kind of timing do you have to consider for YOUR foal.......

Gestation for a horse is 11 months. Friesians have been known to have foals about 2 weeks early so don't set the date on your calendar in pen. All of our calculations are going to be based on a general 11 months to keep things simple.

If you are planning on showing your FPS Friesian foal at it's foal Keuring, it is best to have your foal be 3-4 months old. Historically the USA Keurings are in September/October. You will want to be thinking about breeding in April and May. If you know your mare takes a few cycles to conceive you should account for that by starting a little earlier.

The reason 3-4 months is ideal is because the foal must show with it's Dam at the keuring. A 1-2 month old foal is very small and doesn't show off their movement as well because they are still "wobbly". If your foal is starting to naturally wean itself you will find that they just run around the arena without paying attention to it's Dam. If your foal is not 3-4 months you can still show at the Keuring, the judges have seen all ages and sizes and will give their best opinion that day. But if you are planning, and your mare doesn't already have a foal on the way, and the foal Keuring is important, April is the start to your breeding season.

If you are focusing on IFSHA shows then you will be thinking along the lines of show season starting in the Spring. Do you want your foal to show early in the season in halter classes? Do you want your mare to be showing not the foal? The general idea is to have your foals born as close to January or February (breeding season starting in Dec. Jan) so that the foals are larger for their age. The weather in your area may not accommodate winter deliveries and you will probably have to have your horse on lights to get them jump started on heat cycles in the winter. If you want your mare available for show season you might want to consider having the mare either give birth in January so that the foal can be weaned at 4 months (April) and you can still have most of the show season without a foal tagging along. Or you can have the foal born late in the year so that the mare can show all season then have the foal and enjoy being a mom all winter. IFSHA World/National Championships are usually the end of October so if the foal is planned to be born in late November or December then the mare can still show.

Planning when it’s best for your foal to be born is a very important part of breeding. If your mare is open (not pregnant) then just sit down with your schedule and the calendar and figure out what is best for you and your foal. Remember to plan around 11 month gestation and 4-6 months of nursing.