The Westfalen Inspection Tour has been suspended for the 2020 season. In consideration of travel difficulties and health concerns due to Covid-19, the Westfalen Office will allow Mail-In registrations at a reduced fee for 2020. . Sign up Now for 2020 Mail-In Registration. Mail-in Registrations completed in a Foal's year of birth will include microchip and USEF Lifetime Number. Registration is offered at a reduced cost for this year, and optional video evaluations are also being accepted. 2020 foals may be branded on next year’s tour at no additional cost. Inspection sites can arrange a virtual inspection day in order to video foals if they like - and we’ll be offering a fall online auction or sales event featuring these 2020 foals that are for sale. Foal video is optional. Mares can be entered into the appropriate book for this year by pedigree, and inspected in full on next year’s tour. Any inspection deposit already paid will be applied directly to your foal registration costs, and microchips and registration forms will be mailed to you. Foals not registered through the mail in 2020 may be registered and branded on the 2021 inspection tour, but this registration will not include the USEF Lifetime #. 2020 Foal passports will be mailed to the owner of record of the foal as soon as all paperwork, DNA and Microchip verification is complete. Contact the North American office at registration@westfalenverband.com for more information and to request paperwork.
Westfalen inspections, or keurings, are held in the late summer and early fall of each year at open host sites or private farm inspections throughout North America. Inspections are judged by qualified representatives of the German parent registry, the Westfälisches Pferdestammbuch e.V. The same judges inspect German and North American foals to ensure consistency, resulting in fair and ethical keurings. The Westfalen Verband NA follows the same rules and regulations as our parent organization in Germany. As in Europe, foals are given a registration number at birth. This number follows the foal's show results, location, and breeding records, if applicable. Microchipping and DNA testing is required for registration. Registration information and microchip numbers are automatically sent to USEF for foals registered in their year of birth (see above for information on foals who have missed their inspection), so that USEF may issue a complimentary USEF Lifetime # for each foal. There is a deadline for our organization to send in foal registration information to USEF, so some horses registered Westfalen may not have qualified for a complimentary USEF # with registration due to the registration being completed after the year of birth - be sure to contact the registry or USEF when buying a Westfalen horse to confirm that the horse does have a USEF Lifetime #.
The registration process begins in advance of the inspection day, when the breeder fills out an Inspection Reservation Form, pays a $100 deposit, and sends in a copy of the foal's breeding certificate and for new mares, a copy of her registration papers. This information is entered into the database and the foal's life number is generated. Foals need not be named at this time, but if a name is sent in, Westfalen naming rules follow the first letter of the sire’s name for both colts and fillies.
First on inspection day, paperwork and payments are reviewed, original mare papers are inspected, and an order of go is presented. Next, stallions are presented if present, then single mares and mares with foals will be presented, with mares being shown in the bridle and foals beside their dams on a leadline. After the evaluation of conformation and measurement, mares and foals (foals then turned loose without the halter) will be presented at walk in a straight line toward and away from the judge, and then on the triangle. Finally, trot and canter will also be judged with both mare and foal at liberty. Foals will be given five scores: 1). Breed & Sex Type 2). Conformation & Development 3). Correctness 4). Swing and Elasticity in Movement (coefficient of 2) 5). Overall Impression. The foal's total score will be the arithmetic median, with one point behind the decimal. Premiums will be awarded as follows: Foal Premium for overall scores of 8.0 and above at the judge's discretion.
After all horses have been physically inspected, the permanent identification process begins back at the stabling area, with inspectors drawing the horses’ markings, microchipping and checking existing microchips, pulling hair for DNA and branding if requested and eligible. Foals with injuries or other limitations may still be registered without the scoring process. Such foals will receive commentary on conformation and type but are exempt from being shown at liberty. They will proceed to the same Permanent Identification process as all other foals/young horses presented for registration.
Foals will be given five scores on inspection day:
- Breed & Sex Type
- Conformation & Development
- Correctness
- Swing and Elasticity in Movement
- Overall Impression.
The following is a general guide to what kind of passport your foal or young horse is eligible for:
Foal Registration Papers
Abstammungsnachweis-Full pink papers
- Sire must be in Stallion Book 1 or 2
- Dam in the main section = Mare Book 1 or Mare Book 2
- Foals are eligible for full W with Crown Brand
Geburtsbescheinigung — COP — white papers
- Both parents are in the breed books (Sire Appendix Stallion Book or Pre Stallion Book and dam Mare Book 1 or Mare Book 2 or Pre-Mare Book / or Sire Stallion Book 1 and dam Pre-Mare Book)
- Foals are eligible for half brand - W
Horse Identification document — HID
- Only Sire or dam is in the breed books
- Horses without any “official heritage”
- Microchip only, no brand
- HID’s may be provided ‘through the mail’ based on a veterinarian-completed form and other documentation