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The Spanish Studbook
P.R.E. ~ Inscription ~ Revision ~ Qualified & Elite ~ Breeding Stock Categories
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VANDALO
​PRE Stallion bred by
Miguel Angel Cardenas
Height Requirements
Minimum height requirements of the horse at the withers is not less than 1.54 meters {15+ hands} for the males and not less than 1.52 meters {15.0 hands} for the females measured with a stick.
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Revised in 2017
Conversion Meters ~ Hands
1.5 14.3 H
1.52 15.0 H
1.55 15.1 H
1.56 15.15 H
1.57 15.2 H
1.58 15.2 H
1.59 15.25 H
1.6 15.3 H
1.61 15.35 H
1.62 15.375 H
1.63 16 H
1.64 16.05 H
1.65 16.1 H
1.66 16.15 H
1.67 16.175 H
1.68 16.2 H
1.69 16.25 H
"The perfect horse is only a model that exists in our imagination… The wise selection consists of avoiding the serious defects and looking for how to complement the not so serious and slight defects."
~Miguel Angel de Cárdenas
CLASICO MAC, Champion of Spain
Qualified/Calificado status
bred by Miguel Angel Cardenas
P.R.E. Tribunal TRC CALENDAR
Here is a brief introduction to the Spanish Stud Book process of inclusion.
What does P.R.E. mean?
It designates a Purebred Spanish Horse registered or listed in the Spanish Stud Book. The letters stand for Pura Raza Española. That is a Purebred Andalusian horse raised with direct Spanish lineage whose parentage is listed in the Spanish Stud Book and are qualified as approved breeding stock. In order to qualify as a P.R.E. these horses must go through inscription and revision process and their parents must be listed as approved breeding stock.
What is the Cria Caballar?
The Cria Caballar is a division of the Spanish Department of Defense that maintained control over the Spanish Stud Book for the Purebred Spanish Horse for the past 100 years. They trained and certified the judges for the shows and conducted the Revision process.
What is ANCEE and its relationship to the Stud Book?
In 2006, the Stud book management was turned over to the Ministry of Agriculture from the Military. The Cria announced that in 2007, the responsibility for management of the stud book was passed on to ANCCE. ANCCE, or Asociacion de Criadores de Caballos Españoles is the largest breeders association in Spain. ANCCE has been interested for many years in taking on the stud book management.
What does ANCEE do for USA born P.R.E. horses?
1. They approve USA veterinarians through a course study to inscribe the newborn foals into the registry of the Purebred Spanish Horse.
2. They travel to North America to inspect and revise horses at the age of 3 or 4 years old (who have previously been inscribed as foals) to see if they meet standards set by the Spanish government for approval as breeding stock.
3. They register new breeders/owners, maintain records and require farm reports from breeders to manage the stud book.
What is Inscription?
Inscription is the process whereby the Spanish require the foal to be micro-chipped and identified by markings (color swirls, etc.). This information is to be recorded for each foal, by your veterinarian, on the “Certificado de Cubricion” form. The foal must be no older than 6 months of age, except in an ‘Open Inscription” year, which waives the age requirement.
The owner is required to furnish the DNA and parent verification for the foal. DNA and parent verification are absolutely the most important part of the inscription process. Without this information the Cria will not inscribe the foal. Both parents must be approved breeding stock.
After inscription, the Cria examines this information and verifies the foals are of the correct lineage to qualify them as a PRE. They take the paperwork back to Spain to register in the Spanish studbook and provide inscription papers to the owner.
Note: A horse cannot actually be listed as PRE breeding stock until after passing the revision process. Once this is established they issue an international passport called the Carta, their registration papers.
What is Open Inscription?
The Cria Caballar offered Open Inscription for several years in the USA to assist breeders in participating in the process of entering their breeding stock in the Spanish Stud Book. An Open Inscription year waives the ruling that a horse must be under 6 months of age to participate. Both parents must be listed in the Studbook as approved breeding stock prior to presenting the horse. All foals produced by a stallion or mare are ineligible for presentation until the parents are revised. NO LONGER OFFERED.
What is Revision?
The process of revision involves an evaluation by the appointed official to determine whether or not mares and stallions meet the minimum requirements for approved breeding stock. The horse must be a minimum of 3 years of age and have been through the inscription process with a carta in hand. The requirements are based on minimum height of 1.52 M for stallions, and 1.5 M for mares. Additionally, the horse must have the overall appearance of correctness and be true to the breed type. They must be free of the disqualifying morphological or conformational defects, such as a fallen crest, a dish face, or in stallions, myst not be monorchid or cryptorchid. When a horse passes, the original carta will be stamped ‘Apto’ or ‘Apta’ (signifying that he or she passed). It’s a gender designation. Apto is for stallions and Apta is for mares. It designates the horse as approved breeding stock. If the horse is not approved, its offspring are ineligible for the stud book.
What is the Qualified or Calificado and Elite Status?
After achieving the Revision or valoration process, now considered “basic” approval, there are two additional (optional) steps in the process, Qualified (Calificado) and Elite. Horses must undergo a rigorous evaluation process before a Tribunal which includes critique of conformation, functionality, performance records, health, x-rays, reproductive system, etc. The Qualified or Calificado evaluation testing was announced around 2000 and since then, a small percentage of horses have achieved the Qualified status.
Since the inception of the TRC Valoration tribunals in 2002, there are less than 1600 qualified stallions and mares worldwide, the majority being born/bred or imported from Spain. There are only a handful of ANCCE qualified/calificado stallions and mares in the USA. Here is a link to the complete list of qualified mares and stallions: CLICK HERE
The Elite process is designated as the highest status for a small percentage of the best of the breed. Since the inception of the Elite program, only 4 PRE horses have achieved this honor: Ermitaño III, (deceased), Evento (Spanish Olympic team), Impaciente II and Utrerano VII. The requirements are stringent not only for the horses but also their offspring. Scroll Down for details OR CLICK HERE. ​
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ANCCE is the largest breed organization of P.R.E. breeders and is headquartered in Spain. The website is found at http://lgancce.com The ANCCE has a representative organization in the USA.
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What is ANCCE’s point of contact for the USA? USPREA
United States P.R.E. Association—US P.R.E.
Tanya Duffey, Executive Director
12765 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 1315
Wellington, Florida, 33414
786-264-1108 | Fax: 888-959-0190
The website is located at http://usprea.com
USPRE was established as a not-for-profit organization in December 2007 to assist and support breeder members with the Spanish P.R.E. Studbook registration.
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Where can I find additional breed Information?
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Breeding Stock Categories
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Young Recommended Breeding Stock for Conformation
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For those horses registered in the Permanent Register of the PRE Stud Book, participants in the performance tests established in this Breeding Program, between 4 and 6 years of age and that have achieved genetic index for morphology for dressage exceeding that of 70 percent (the 30% of horses with the best genetic index). This percentage may be modified from time to time. Likewise, these horses must be outstanding, individually, for their morphologic-functional aptitudes and have exceeded the reproductive and health requirements after undergoing a radiological study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and reproductive organs screened to rule out reproductive abnormalities. This category shall be applicable to horses aged 4, 5 and 6 years, on reaching the age of 7, they shall lose it.
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Andalusians de Mythos
Qualified Stallions in our Program
Young Recommended Breeding Stock for Dressage
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For those horses that participate in the established performance tests (functional Dressage tests), between 4 and 6 years of age and that have achieved a genetic index for Dressage exceeding the population average. Horses must be able to demonstrate that their health and reproductive status complies with the mandates established by the Breeder Association after undergoing a radiological study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and reproductive organs screened to rule out reproductive abnormalities. This category shall be available to horses aged 4, 5 and 6 years, on reaching the age of 7, they shall lose it.
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Improver Breeding Stock for Conformation Traits
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For breeding horses that are 7 years of age or older, that have already obtained a genetic index for conformation traits for Dressage that is above the herd average, with minimal reliability of 0.6 (repeatability) and that have sufficient descendants in the category as Young Recommended Breeding Stock, after undergoing a radiological study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and reproductive organs screened to rule out reproductive abnormalities.
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Improver Breeding Stock for Dressage
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For breeding horses that are 7 years of age or older, that have already obtained a genetic index for Dressage that exceeds the herd average, with minimal reliability of 0.6 (repeatability) and that have sufficient descendants in the category as Young Recommended Breeding Stock. Likewise, these horses must fulfill the conformation, reproductive and health requirements established by the Breeder Association, after undergoing a radiological study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and reproductive organs screened to rule out reproductive abnormalities.
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Elite Breeding Stock
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For those horses that are 7 years of age and older, which have achieved the category of Improver Breeding Stock for Morphology for Dressage and for Dressage. In addition, they must fulfill the conformation, reproductive and health requirements established by the Breeder Association, after undergoing a radiological study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and reproductive organs screened to rule out reproductive abnormalities.
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ELITE P.R.E. STALLIONS
Moreover, the genetic categories for Young Recommended Breeding Stock and Improver Breeding Stock may be obtained by all those horses assessed genetically for other equestrian disciplines (Eventing, Show Jumping, etc.):
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Horses between 4 and 6 years of age and that have obtained a genetic index for that discipline that is greater than the herd average may obtain the genetic category as Young Recommended Breeding Stock for a given discipline by participating in the performance tests established for that discipline. Horses must fulfill all reproductive and health requirements established by the Breeder Association, after undergoing a radiological study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and reproductive organs screened to rule out reproductive abnormalities. This category shall be available to horses aged 4, 5 and 6 years, on reaching the age of 7, they shall lose it.
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Horses that are 7 years of age or older may obtain the genetic category of Improver Breeding Stock for a given discipline upon obtaining a genetic index for that discipline that is above the herd average, with a minimal reliability of 0.6 (repeatability), and that have sufficient descendants in the category as Young Recommended Breeding Stock. Moreover, said horses must fulfill all conformation, reproductive and health requirements as established by the Breeder Association, after undergoing a radiological study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and reproductive organs screened to rule out reproductive abnormalities.
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The YOUNG HORSE SELECTION TEST - PSCJ
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The Young Horse Selection Test (known by its Spanish acronym PSCJ) is a series of tests for the breeding programs of any purebred equine competing in the field of Dressage. Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment (MAGRAMA) backs the equine industry; thanks to this support and since 2003, the National Plan for the Organization and Promotion of the Equine Sector has become a basic tool for the achievement of integrated policies in Spain.
At these selection tests coordinated by ANCCE, conformational performance is verified using Lineal Conformational Assessment. This allows horses to be assessed genetically for both Dressage and Conformation. At the conclusion of these tests, the names of horses attaining any one of the categories of Young Recommended Breeding Stock are published in the corresponding Breeding Stock Catalogs and in the PRE Stud Book for dissemination within the scope of the PRE Breeding Program.
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P.R.E. COMPETITION CALENDAR
ANCCE Catalogue 2017 sample page: (see link below)
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​Catálogo de Reproductores de Pura Raza Española 2017:
https://issuu.com/ancce/docs/2017_catalogo_reproductores/34
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Accepted Coat Colors
According to Juan Llamas, in his book This is the Spanish Horse, in 1765, the Spanish registry contained approx. 73% greys, with the remainder primarily bay and black. The Royal Stud maintained a preference for grey until the French invasion, at which point the fashion for the bay color was preferred over grey. In 1928, the Stud Book showed a mere 19% grey horses.
Tracking back to the 1700s, blacks were more common in the past, according to Juan Carlos Altamirano. His Book “History of the Carthusian Horses” states that the registry of the Carthusian stud in Jerez contained 30% blacks in 1747. Roughly fifty years later, about 16% were black, a decline thought to have been related to the fact that black horses were mainly used to pull funeral processions.
Presently in Spain, grey represents about 70% of the PREs. In the USA, the number is closer to 80% grey, 15% bay and 5% black.
Until very recently, chestnut was not accepted in the Spanish Stud Book and had been a disqualification for over 30 years. Then in 2002, Cria Caballar agreed to allow chestnuts into the registry, along with dilutes, i.e., creme, pearl, palomino, buckskin.
P.R.E Pura Raza Espanola Accepted Colors
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Bay Coat Color
Bay comes in a variety of shades and genetically contains the agouti factor that suppresses black to the points. Bay is dominant over black. A bay foal is born with a black mane and tail & legs the same as the body coat or lighter. Once the foal coat sheds out, black legs will appear.
Body coloring may vary from a light chestnut shade to very dark or from a distance can even appear black. It may be copper, reddish mahogany, dull brown or golden like rich honey. Black bay is almost indistin-guishable from black from a distance. They will typically have brown shading behind the eye, around the muzzle, behind the elbow or in the groin area.
On rare occasions, a bay coat may have a reflective metallic sheen that glows in the direct sunlight. This is reportedly very rare and sought after in Spain. DNA testing is available for the agouti factor which produces the bay coat color.
Grey Coat Color
Technically grey its not a color gene, but a masking agent that acts upon and is dominant over every other color. Any horse that carries the grey factor will eventually become grey. A horse can be heterozygous or homozygous, carrying either one or two grey factors.
A grey horse is born with a base coat color of black, bay, chestnut, buckskin, etc. The horse will exhibit white hairs that may appear at birth around the eyes, face, top of the tail or legs. It is also possible that the white hairs may not appear until many months later.
Eventually, the coat becomes grey to white and may transform anywhere from 3 to 15 years. A variety of shading affects are seen, from a rose grey, slate or silver; to a dirty color with different patches and shaded areas. The mane and tail may go yellow or brown, and the coat may or may go through a dapple phase with either light dapples on a black background or dark dapples on a white background. Dapples may be accompanied by black points, mane and tail or a white mane/tail.
DNA Gray Testing Now Available
There is now for the first time a commercially available DNA color test for the grey factor. Animal Genetics offers DNA testing and detection of the gene mutation responsible for Gray and the determination of Gray zygosity. See the Animal Genetics website at http://www.animalgenetics.us/Gray.htm
The genetic mutation that produces graying in horses was located in 2008 by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden. The gray mutation is caused by a 4.6-kb duplication in intron 6 of STX17.
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Reference:
Rosengren Pielberg G, Golovko A, Sundström E, Curik I, Lennartsson J, (More Authors) A cis-acting regulatory mutation causes premature hair graying and susceptibility to melanoma in the horse. Nature Genetics. 2008 Aug;40(8):1004-9. Epub 2008 Jul 20.
Black Coat Color
Black Andalusians are never born black. They are likely to be a mousy color (above left) or sometimes fawn colored at birth with light legs. They eventually shed out their foal coats at 4-6 months depending on the time of year and black. Some lines of Andalusians will not go fully black until they are 4-6 years old and are mistaken for a black bay. The coat may easily sun fade with a reddish or golden cast, darkening each year until the horse is obviously black. There are different variations of the black coat color. Nutrition particularly minerals can also play a part in the shade of black, a deficiency may cause a black to fade to reddish. The black gene can be DNA tested.
Rabicano
Bay coats and on the rare occasion blacks may have roaning with white hairs dispersed in clusters appearing on the body coat, or frosted in the mane and tail—called rabicano. This feature also may appear on the head, around the eyes and face, unlike a typical roan horse of other breeds. The frosting may increase somewhat with time but they do not grey.
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Dilute Genes: Perlino, Cremello, Champagne, Buckskin, Palomino, Grulla
Before 2002, a PRE born in Spain carrying the dilute factor could not be registered as breeding stock. They were often sold at a diminished price or given away. It was thought that these colors were coming from the influence of other breeds mixed with Spanish genes and thus were undesirable. Once the rule change, they were registerable and became the rarest colors in the breed. It should be noted that many traditional breeders consider the grey horse to be more exemplary of the breed and closest to the original type, and are not proponents of breeding for rare colors.
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