Holsteiners: You might as well jump :-)

I never would have guessed that I'd title an article after a David Lee Roth song, but it's appropriate for an article on Hosteiners. Holsteiners compete in all disciplines, but their niche is jumping. Take a look at this amazing jumper, Diarado.

This video was posted to the Chronicle of the Horse bulletin board to demonstrate jumping talent. Diarado is being hailed as a near perfect jumper. In a recent article in the AHHA publication Holsteiner, a Dutch writer described Diarado was as "more than just complete -- he's overcomplete." I have a feeling something was lost in translation!

Overview
The Holsteiner registry is the smallest, and some say the oldest, warmblood registry. They account for only 6% of European warmbloods. Holsteiners are all around athletes, but the registry is dedicated to producing spectacular jumpers. They may not exactly dominate the sport, but Holsteiners are extremely well represented in international show jumping.

What is unique about this registry?
Even setting aside the focus on jumping, this registry seems to have a very clear vision of the type of horse it wants to produce. I found a German document that indicated that Holsteiners should have an "athlethic long-shaped and expressive riding horse" with movement that shows the "typical knee action of the Holsteiner horse." A blog post by Tom Reed of Morningside Stud gives a great insider's view (sprinkled with informed opinion) of the Holsteiner registry and breeding program. Here are some highlights from the article...

• Holsteiner breeders deeply emphasize the influence of the motherline, and they assign numbers to the marelines. The numbers are called the "Stamm" (stem?) which identifies the mare line, and when you see Holsteiner stallion ads the Stamm number is often referenced. Reed maintains that the primacy of the motherline -- matriarchical system accounts for the success of the Holsteiner program.
• Holsteiners can be found in almost any discipline, but the Holsteiner registry's primary goal is producing show jumpers. This is not to say they don't rise to the top levels of dressage and eventing (they do, in impressive numbers). In a time when it's trendy to specialize in dressage or jumping, the Holsteiner registry offers evidence that it's possible to breed horses that do both. Cor de la Bryere is known for siring jumpers, but he also produced World Cup dressage champion Corlandus.
  
• Holsteiners have a small gene pool, and most Holsteiners carry Cor de la Bryere, Capitol I, or Landgraf I bloodlines. While introducing new blood is important to diversify the genetic possibilities, the Hosteiner registry maintains a tight control over the type and quality of outcrosses permitted.

Photo: Melissa Ward

Holsteiner inspections: The experience
Like most other registries, Holsteiners hold inspections, usually in the fall. Mares and stallions are inspected, and the format for these evaluations is similar to other registries (conformation, movement, jumping). Mares are placed in a provisional or main mare book, while stallions may be receive a temporary breeding permit (they must complete a performance test within 3 years). Foals are also inspected. The foals who participate receive a score for conformation/type and a separate score for movement. The sum of these two scores may be used to award merit foal status (12-14 points) and premium foal status (points). Foals are named according to a letter assigned for that year by the AHHA. In 2009, all foals names will begin with the letter "B."



RESOURCES

Holsteiner Horse 2007 Breeders Guide

American Holsteiner Horse Association

Holsteiner Impulsion magazine

Holsteiner horses explored from Equestrian Mag