Confused about standard ways of expressing horse related information?

Some of my customers have been, too.

Here's some random things that have confused people. Feel free to add things YOU find confusing, or contribute things others have been confused by.

When people speak imprecisely, confusion results.

€ Pinto is a color term. Horses with that color are registered with the Pinto Horse Association of America (PtHA), American Paint Horse Association (APHA), and as Pintabians, among others. Horses correctly called Paint are of either QH or TB ancestry and registered with APHA. To qualify as a Pintabian, a horse is supposed to be 99% Arabian, yet still be tobiano, and be registered with that association. Pintos can be either, both, or neither. Pinto is tobiano, overo, sabino, parti-color, frame, splash, etc. color. It does not have to be registered with ANY association. It is a color term designating the presence of some other color and white on a horse's body. It describes coats that are two tone, but NOT snowflake, blanket, leopard, etc. which are Appaloosa patterns.

€ Colt refers to a foal that is a male. Filly refers to one that is female. When a local man called his female foal a filly colt, I'm not sure if he thought it would grow up to be a hermaphrodite, a lesbian, or needed a sex change operation.

€ Half Arabians are NOT registered with AHRA (the Arabian Horse Registry of America.) AHRA ONLY records purebreds, and animals must now be blood typed to be eligible, and will soon have to be DNA tested instead.

€ Purebred Arabians are NOT registered with IAHA (International Arabian Horse Association). Only horses with one purebred parent registered with AHRA and one parent not AHRA registered with AHRA are eligible as Half-Arabians. This association also registries the AHRA/TB cross, under slightly different rules, but the thoroughbred side must also be duly registered.

The confusion probably comes because IAHA was developed to PROMOTE the purebred Arabian. They are the ones who publish International Arabian Horse, approve horse shows, and are responsible for many other promotional activities.

€ Height is measured in HANDS. Each hand is four inches. Thus, a horse may be 15.3, BUT not 15.4, which would be 16 hands, and CERTAINLY not 15.5, as a recent ad I saw stated! Hopefully, it was just a typo.

€ An * is used to denote horses which were imported prior to June 1, 1983. In practice, people still are in the habit of plunking them in... I'm not sure what the rational for the change was, other than it was confusing when things get global, as horses are switching countries, returning, being moved all over, and what is imported to the US was the only thing getting the asterisk.

€ When writing out the bloodlines instead of putting them in a pedigree chart, it is customary in English to list the sire (father) first, then use an x to represent the fact that they were bred, and then give the dam (mother). On pedigree charts, the sire and his ancestors are given ON TOP.

In other countries, other systems may be the vogue, so when dealing with pedigrees from other countries, a bit of common sense must be applied. If you are confused, ask the source supplying the pedigree which way the names are.

And just what do all those funny letters before the registration number mean, anyway?

€ GSB on English pedigrees stands for the General Stud Book of England. It lists multiple breeds of horses, not just purebred Arabians. This also varies from country to country, so ASK if you are not sure.

AHS is the Arab Horse Society of England, not to be confused with the AHSA, Arab Horse Society of Australia, the original home of Simeon Shah.

€ Not confused yet? then try EAO, which is the Egyptian Agricultural Organization and was responsible for recording the Egyptian purebred Arabians.

€ RAS did the same thing, but earlier in Egypt's history. Also seen is EAOPB, Egyptian Agricultural Organization Private Breeders' Section.

€ PASB is the Polish Arabian Stud Book.

€ RASB is the Russian Arabian Stud Book.

€ GASB is the German Arabian Stud Book, but GRSB was the West German Stud Book -- Marbach.

€ IASB is the Israeli Arabian Stud Book, while DAHS is the Danish Arabian Horse Society, NSB is the Netherlands Arabian Stud Book, and SWSB is the Swedish Arabian Stud Book. This list could be extended indefinitely.

If something appears in your horse's pedigree that is not listed, just add an entry in the Ara/Pinto Market Newsletter message board, and eventually, your contribution should end up here.

€ MSB is the Moroccan Arabian Stud Book, not to be confused with the MSHA, Moroccan Spotted Horse Association, which registered Pinto horses for a while, and did not have to have any Arabian blood at all.

€ JC is Jockey Club, and records TB (Thoroughbreds). When TB's are crossed with Arabians, the result is called Anglo-Arabians, and their A designation is AA.

OTHER INFORMATION SITES FOR TB's:

Thoroughbred Reference Library: This is a link list with a brief description of sites which are near priceless in content that are owned by dedicated people who care about the thoroughbred. We are in debt to Liz Ross for the creation of this: enjoy!
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/eross/TRL.htm

The Distaff Portrait Library is comprised of conformation plates of many top TB distaffers of bygone years. These are remarkable photos.
http://www.pedigroup.com/mares/mares1.htm

Anyone wanting to add more detail. clarifications, or corrections on any of these entries, just put your message on the A/PMN message board or e-mail me.

€ Half-Arabian numbers are preceded by an A number, which represents the REGISTERED number of crosses to a purebred Arabian, NOT the total amount of Arabian blood a horse carries in its pedigree.

For instance, a 1A has one registered Arabian parent, and the rest are NOT AHRA registered. However, they MAY BE IAHA registered, and of a high percentage of Arabian blood, but since they are NOT registered with AHRA, that blood is ignored in the A number system, even though it may have a tremendous impact for a breeder.

There is a great difference in the consistency one would expect from a horse who may be rated 1A, but is 90+% Arabian by pedigree, as opposed to one who is 1A, but only 50% Arabian in bloodline.

Obviously, a breeder can expect, and generally get, more consistent Arabian type from the 90+% individual, and will get more contribution from the non-Arabian side of the pedigree from the 50% individual. Which is better depends on the goals and eye of the breeder. Both can compete on an equal footing in the IAHA sponsored Half-Arabian classes, as long as their papers are in order.

€ HOMOZYGOUS refers to a condition in which a horse has BOTH genes (the one it got from its sire and the one it got from its mother) matching. Traits that can be homozygous and can now be TESTED for are BLACK, Tobiano, and chestnut.

Be sure that if you are breeding to or buying a "homozygous" horse that you SEE the actual test results. (You do see the registration papers before hand, right?) Unfortunately, much misleading information is passed on by the lips that the paperwork just does not justify. If you are paying for a registered animal, check it out to be sure that it is so.

One of my acquaintances sold a chestnut tobiano colt who was sired by a tobiano and out of a purebred Arabian mare. The new owner wanted him tested for "homozygous"ness. Homozygous WHAT? If one parent is a purebred, it is NOT a tobiano, even if it is a Pinto. If the colt is chestnut, even if both parents had been black, the colt would NOT be. Since he is chestnut, and the only way to get a chestnut is to get a chestnut gene from both parents, of course the colt is homozygous for chestnut. Your eyeballs can attest to that fact. There is no point in conducting a test to be sure of it!

Even a horse who is tested homozygous for black will not always have black offspring. They will always have the black gene, but if the bay pattern gene is also present, the foal will be bay. Should a dilutant gene also be present, the foal could be gruella, or buckskin. If a gray gene is present, the foal will eventually turn gray, no matter what color it is born.