BREED STANDARDS The Holsteiner Horse .

•  General Impression: A large framed well balanced horse, displaying a bold and noble bearing. The mares should show refinement and femininity: the stallions boldness and masculinity, at the same time displaying an impeccable temperament. The general impression should be one of refinement, balance, agility, suppleness and alert intelligence.

•  Size: A Holsteiner mare must measure a minimum of 15.2 HH and a Holsteiner Stallion 16 HH to be eligible for registration. The measurement is taken from the highest point of the wither.

•  Teeth: Excessive overshot or undershot, or parrot-mouth will cause disqualification.

•  Eyes: Large, alert, kind and expressive, well set to the side of the head.
Throat Latch : Clean and well defined, allowing ample room for flexion at the poll.

•  Neck: Sufficiently high set, blending smoothly and cleanly into the withers with good length of rein.

•  Shoulder: Long sloping and well angulated allowing for a free swinging stride and alert head/neck carriage; well muscled forearm.

•  Frame: Large framed, deep bodied, well muscled, long boned, balanced and well proportioned. Wither should be well defined with a short back and strong flat connection into the loins. The horse should appear to be short along the top line with a lengthy underline.

•  Hind Quarters: Long well muscled hip, thigh and gaskin, the highest point of the croup to be the same height from the ground as the withers; tail set neither excessively high or low, but smoothly rounding off the rump.

•  Legs: Large boned, with the length in proportion to the body, set straight and parallel when viewed from the front and back; straight, true and squarely set when viewed from the side with hooves pointing directly ahead; strong cannons; pasterns sloping approximately 45 degrees and blending smoothly with no change of angle from hooves to the ground.

•  Hooves: To be strong, of a rounded and compact shape and sufficiently large enough for the size of the horse. the heels should be wide without being flat.

•  Gait: Smooth and fluid with large mechanics, good suspension and naturally free moving. The horse should display suppleness with rounded action and a strong push from the hocks.

•  Colour: Solid colours only are acceptable. Bay, black, brown, chestnut or grey.

•  Temperament: Good temperament is of the utmost importance, curious, alert, intelligent and friendly .

44 B The Society will work within the 2008 breeding directive from the Verbrand:

“ Breeding Concept from the Verband der Züchter des Holsteiner Pferdes e. V. for foreign Horse Associations

The German Holsteiner Verband (Verband der Z ü chter des Holsteiner Pferdes e. V.) accepts the breeding of Holsteiner horses from autonomous associations in foreign countries.

The great tradition and the particular quality traits of the Holsteiner horse breed shall always be in the front of the breeding work. Basically the Holsteiner Verband can adopt that foreign associations accept various bloodlines up to a limited extend. However, the Holsteiner Verband expects that every foreign breeder is ambitious to increase the Holsteiner blood proportion of their breeding products. An important requirement of the Holsteiner Verband is that no Paints, Quaterhorses or similar breeds that do not fit into the sport horse type will be entered into the studbooks.

Foreign associations are only allowed to call a horse as a "Holsteiner" and to keep it in its main studbooks (Holsteiner Stud Book see Clause 46 below):

• if the horse carries at least 50 % Holsteiner blood.

• if the modified Holsteiner seal/brand (described below) with the letters of the respective country on either side is or will be used.

• if the sire of the horse or the foal is approved and licensed in the foreign association and himself has at least 50 % Holsteiner blood.

The foreign association may continue using an approved stallion, which until now was accepted in its breed.

Furthermore the foreign association is only allowed to accept thoroughbred blood or mares with other bloodlines if with this pairing the offspring attain the required 50 % of Holsteiner blood.”