Holsteiner Mares

MARES
Mare Inspection
If you want to breed your 3-year-old or older mare, she must be registered in the Holsteiner Verband stud book.
Holsteiner Verband Studbook and Registration system
If you want to breed your 3-year-old or older mare, she must be entered into the Holsteiner Verband studbook.
Upon inspection for registration mares are presented in hand and at liberty and will receive marks on type, topline, front legs, hind legs, walk, trot, and canter.
Depending on the scores and certain pedigree requirements, mares may be awarded special designations (premium status).
Studbook and Registration System (B6 of the statutes)
Awards for Mares (B21 of the Statutes)
Mare inspection dates
The Schleswig-Holstein mare inspections are held in May. For members in the extended breeding area, shared mare inspections and foal registration and inspection sites are held from June to September.
Please fill in and submit the Application studbook registration to enter your mare for an inspection site.
All mares to be inspected for studbook registration must be entered in writing!
Verband Mare Show:
Qualifier for members outside Schleswig-Holstein:
3-and 4-year-old mares aiming to qualify for the Verband mare show and State premium awards held at Elmshorn must be presented at the qualifying outside members inspection site at Elmshorn. This should be stated on the application form as well!
Links
How can a mare be registered?
What are the options for mare registration?
Holsteiner Guide
MARES
Mare Shows
Three- and four-year-olds that meet the criteria in terms of breeding and have received a minimum score of 52 points at the breeding districts’ mare inspections qualify for the Verband mare show held at Elmshorn in June.
The 2022 VERBAND MARE SHOW will be held on June 12, 2022!

Results of the final rings in the breeding districts
- Ostholstein-Bordesholm-Plön (24.05.2022)
- Nordfriesland (23.05.2022)
- Schleswig-Flensburg (23.05.2022)
- Segeberg (19.05.2022)
- Stormarn-Lauenburg (19.05.2022)
- Rendsburg-Eckernförde (17.05.2022)
- Dithmarschen (17.05.2022)
- Auswärtige Mitglieder (16.05.2022)
- Steinburg (10.05.2021)
- Pinneberg (10.05.2021)
MARES
Mare Performance Test
The mare test can be taken as a station and field test as well as via the show sport.
The basic gaits, rideability and free jumping are evaluated. The mare's willingness to perform is also assessed in the station test. The successfully passed mare test is, among other things, the basis for the award of the state premium.

Information about the mare performance test
Mares may undergo performance testing on station or in the field.
The basic gaits, rideability and free jumping are judged. When undergoing on-station testing, the mares’ willingness to perform will be judged, as well. Successful mare performance testing is one of the requirement to be eligible for the State Premium designation.
Station Test
The station test involves 14-day training and a final test. In addition to evaluating basic gaits, rideability and free jumping, it also encompasses interior traits, subsumed under the mark for “willingness to perform and handling”.
The station test’s advantage is that the mares are trained and tested under standardized conditions over a two week period.
Field Test
The one-day field tests are held on the association's ground in Elmshorn.
The one-day field test is organized and conducted by the respective breeding associations (Holsteiner Verband and Pferdestammbuch Schleswig-Holstein).
The field test starts with the free jumping in a jump chute (indoor arena), followed by a presentation under the own rider in groups up to four mares to evaluate basic gaits and rideability. Finally, the mare’s rideability is judged yet again by a test rider.
Holsteiner mares performance tested in Schleswig-Holstein (station or field test) sired by a young stallion (1st or 2nd covering season) or a Thoroughbred stallion will receive about 500 euros in financial support. Mare owners with a Holsteiner Verband membership will be contacted by the breeding department after the last field test.
Links
How does a station test work?
How does a field test work?
Results
Registration and dates
The registration for the station test and the field test are done at the Holsteiner Verband in Kiel.
Station Test
Dates:
17. April 2023 Elmshorn (Final Exam)
02. May 2023 Elmshorn (Final Exam)
Registration:
In spring 2023 the station tests for 3- and 4-year-old Holsteiner mares will be carried out in Elmshorn. The mares will be kept at the station for 2 weeks. On the delivery day the mares have to be ridden in front of the test director by their own rider.
The fees for the entire station test amount to approx. 700 € per mare. This includes all costs (accommodation and care of the mares, riding and examination fees).
For the months of April / May 2023, two rounds of station tests are being planned. The exact dates will be fixed after receipt of the registrations and the owners of the mares will be informed.
We ask the breeders to register their mares for the station test 2023. Any Holsteiner mare (born in 2019 and 2020) may be entered. Should you be interested in having your mare undergo performance testing - which is rather important from the breeder’s point of view - you may enter the mare in question by submitting the entry form to the Holsteiner Verband, Abteilung Zucht, Steenbeker Weg 151, 24106 Kiel.
Registration deadline is 30 January 2023. Please adhere to this deadline, as we need to have an overview of the mares entered for performance testing as soon as possible. You will be issued with more information upon registration.
Entry Form - Mare Performance Test - Station Test 2023
Field Test
Dates:
19. April 2023 Elmshorn
10. May 2023 Elmshorn
21. June 2023 Elmshorn
Registration:
Holsteiner mares performance tested in Schleswig-Holstein (station or field test) sired by a young stallion (1st or 2nd covering season) or a Thoroughbred stallion will receive about 500 euros in financial support. Mare owners with a Holsteiner Verband membership will be contacted by the breeding department after the last field test (21.06.2023).
The entry form for the field test in Schleswig-Holstein can be found in the March-issue of PFERD+SPORT. Registration can also be made online via the association's homepage.
Guideline for the preparation of young mares for participation in mare performance tests
Adjustments in weighting the mare performance test criteria
To promote the breeding of Holsteiner dressage horses, and for a more performance-related assessment of dressage oriented mares, the dressage committee suggested adjusting the way the evaluated mare performance test criteria are weighted.
These suggestions have been implemented, so that the final test score is now calculated by weighting the criteria differently for jumping and dressage oriented mares.
Weighting the mare performance test criteria
Please state the mare’s orientation (jumping or dressage) on the field test entry form. The final test score will be calculated accordingly.
In case no information is provided, the mare will be considered as jumping oriented.
