For those who are interested in breeding horses, they are going to pay close attention to their pedigrees. The pedigree refers to the traits or history of the horse that confirms that it is a purebred. It revolves around the ancestry of the horse and creates the bloodline.
Generations of Decisions
The pedigree of a horse comes about as a result of generations of decisions. It is all based on what the owners decided upon when choosing the best mate for the horse. Often the choice was made based on the decisions that were taken by the previous breeders.
Reading the Pedigree
A purebred horse will have a pedigree chart that substantiates their bloodline. All the names of its ancestors will appear on this record, but more than just knowing this particular information is essential. The focus has to be put on the bloodline because this gives a lot of clues as to what type of performer or breeding stock the foal may turn out to be.
The Pedigree Chart
The pedigree chart for the horse is the family tree. A purebred horse will have a certificate of registration that identifies it. If this registration cannot be found, then chances are the horse is not a true purebred.
Information on the Certificate
There is a lot of valuable and interesting information that can be found on the certificate, which includes:
- The registration number that is unique to the horse
- Birthdate
- The colour
- The sex
- Specific markings
- Who bred the horse
- Who owns the horse
Then, in addition to this, there is information about the horse’s ancestors, both maternal and paternal. By reading the names in the family tree, it helps to identify those horses that have gained significant recognition throughout the years. This adds value to the horse for which the registration is applicable.