The Barock Pinto Horse

A functionally and harmoniously build, black Pinto horse, consisting of the typical breed characteristics with sufficient pedigree, being healthy and vital, and has aptitude to perform for sport at the highest level. The Barock Pinto horse has at least 37,5% Friesian blood. The Barock Pinto horse originated from a crossbreeding between a type of Pinto warmblood horse and a Friesian horse.

By crossbreeding Friesian horses with warmbloods, the ultimate breeding goal is a black and white horse with a friendly and willing character. Generous horses with a correct foundation, a lot of appearance due to their long mane and functional way of moving.

The studbook has four registers:

Registration 1: If both parents are unknown.

Registration 2: When mom and dad are known.

Registration 3: When both parents and grandparents are known.

Foalbook: When at the moment of microchipping/registration, both parents, grandparents and great-grandparents (three generations on both sides) are traceable, the foal/horse will be registered in the Foal Book. The father must be a recognized or approved (star) stud of the BPS. Only then will the foal/horse be registered in the Foal Book.

Type BP: Less than 62.5% foreign blood. Must be 37.5 Friesian blood.

Type XX: More than 62.5% foreign blood. 

Type FB: Stallions that have less than 62.5% foreign blood (studs only) and are not Pinto black. Friesian horses, including B Book KFPS Friesian horses,  will be registered in this category

Head
A solid, expressive, noble head, the eyes are far apart. The nasal bone is preferably slightly concave, with large nostrils. The jaws are light, and the mouth gap is long. The eyes are large and bright. The small, attentive ears point lightly towards each other.

Neck
The long neck forms a slightly upward curve. The neck shows much upwards direction. The neck comes out of the chest high and has a flowing connection with the withers. The neck is long (hand-width) with a flowing connection to the neck. The throatlatch has an open underline with room by the throat.

Throat cut
The throat cut has an open underline with space at the throat passage.

Mane
The Barock Pinto horse has an abundance of hair in the form of mane, tail and lower legs (socks).

Color
The desired hair col or is black Pinto spots. Mares and stallions that are born black can be added in the studbook. The horse must have at least 2 white spots on the body with a diameter of 10cm each.

Walk
The walk is spacious and a clean 4-tact. The legs, while walking, are straight from the front legs to the hind legs. The hind leg shows bend in the hock and is powerful and well placed under the body. The hind dispels the front leg, which is widely moved forward with much freedom in the shoulder.

Trot
The trot is a clean 2-tact. The hind leg is powerful and well placed under the body. It shows great bend in the hock while trotting. The front leg shows knee action and is placed forward spaciously. The trot is characterized by suppleness and a long moment of suspension. The horse exhibits a lot of balance and rises in the front, with an elevated neck. The legs, while trotting, are straight from the front legs to the hind legs

Canter

The canter is a clean 3-tact. The canter is spacious with a grabbing front leg and a weight-carrying inside leg. The canter is directed upward and shows a long moment of suspension, lots of suppleness and balance too.

The purpose of the Barock Pinto horse varies from recreational use to participation at the highest levels in competitive sports. The disciplines in which the Barock Pinto horses were presented:

• Ridden dressage
• Carriage driving (dressage and combined)
• Combined competitions – endurance

The breeding program describes the strategy to achieve the formulated breeding goal. A breeding program consists of the following components:

• Description of the information on which the selection is based.
• Method of estimating genetic predisposition for the breeding goal traits for individual horses in the population.
• Systems for selection. The objective of the breeding program is not just for the short term but also for long-term progress. It is therefore important that the breeding program is run with sufficient genetic variation maintained in the population.

Information:

To select the characteristics described in the breeding goal, the basis of which data the selection is made, should be determined. Requirements imposed on selection criteria are the following:

1. The characteristics are the breeding objective characteristics or should correlate strongly with these.
2. The characteristics should be measurable or assessable.
3. The characteristics should be in a sufficient degree of genetically determination.

In some cases, indirect sources of information are more meaningful information than directly. Thus, movement by hand and moving freely are assessed as an indirect source of information for sports talent. The characteristics are reasonably correlated and there is much more information available in comparison with data from competitive sport. For the same reason IBOP testing is of great importance for the functional characteristics and indirect information.

The assessment of the exterior plays a major role for the breeding of BPS horses. The exterior will be assessed in all age groups, from foals to older horses. Exterior assessment is the basis of the studbook mares, determines the premiums and allocation of predicates and is an important part of the stallion selection. The qualification and selection for the exterior is based on of the following components in the breeding goal:

• Breed: the assessment of the breeding type characteristics of a horse takes place at the exterior inspection.
• Sports Ability: exterior characteristics provide information about the ability of a sport horse. The basic gaits are assessed in the exterior inspection, since they important for a sport horse. In addition, a horse is rated for (in respect of the sport) functional characteristics, particularly the composition.
• Sustainability: different exterior characteristics (exterior and legs) provide information about the sustainability of a horse.
• The exterior assessment consists of describing the six main characteristics (breeding type, stature, legwork, walk, trot and canter) determines the premiums of a horse.

The direct information about sports aptitude, consists of results from competitive sports. This data is used by the BPS for the selection of older stallions for breeding, evaluation of offspring of studbook stallions, evaluating pedigrees in the selection of young stallions, providing the performance predicate for mares, etc. The data coming from competitive sports knows some limitations. The data becomes available at a relatively high age. For the breeding of BPS horses, it must also be noted that the number of horses being released in competitive sport is (still) relatively small. For this reason, the IBOP test plays an important role in the breeding of BPS horses.

Character can broadly be divided into two aspects:

• Work ethic: this is linked with commitment, perseverance and willingness to perform the requested.
• Ease of use: this is related to honesty, reliability, etc. of the BP horse. Both features will be assessed during the test IBOP.

The collecting and selecting for health traits is developing. In the coming years, health characteristics will play a greater role in the breeding policy. Globally health attributes can be divided into:

• Vitality (durability and maturity)
• Fertility (stallions and mares)
• Resistance to disease
• Genetic disorders

The essence of selection is to appoint those parents that need to produce the next generation of foals. There should be a distinction to be made between stallions and mares. For the mares, the selection indirectly takes place through a premium system and predicates, the better mares are frequently used for breeding. Also, for the stallion selection, the BPS will give preference to approved stallions of recognized EU studbooks. For 2015, preferably only from our own breeding stock and with a maximum percentage of foreign blood.

The stallion selection consists of:

• The stallions are approved at the annual stallion show based on pedigree, own performance, offspring and IBOP.
• Stallions can be registered in the studbook register based on high sports performance.
• Stallions, from other acknowledged studbooks, are recognized by the studbook for our breeding program if they have an added value for our breeding.
• The stallions (BP) must have at least 37,5% Friesian blood and be Pinto black.
• If a stallion does not meet the required percentage Friesian blood but can make a major contribution to our breeding goals and new blood can he be approved by our studbook. He must have an added value, with unique pedigree (inbreeding control) and quality. These stallions are entered in Type XX and FB.

The stallion has three round of inspection.

1. Viewing on the streets. Exterior / movement.
2. Viewing by moving freely.
3. Viewing by hand.

Within three years after its approval, the stallion must pass positive on the IBOP test (min. 60 points) which is the responsibility of the owner. This information is also published on the website. The stallion inspection will be organized annually in the period March-April. There must have produced sufficient offspring (at least 20) of quality. The average scores of these offspring are published. Based on the examination, offspring stallions may be disapproved. The data coming from the offspring study provides valuable information on the stallion selection and will be published. Stallions must score an average of 40 points for the breeding value and have a reliability of at least 20%. The quality of the mare material is included in the final assessment. The stallion is put on hold when he cannot meet the requirements as stated above, meaning not producing enough offspring of quality, or to not pass the IBOP test. When a stallion is rejected or put on hold, and the stallion is still used for breeding the foals will be registered in the Pre-Book instead of the Foal Book.

Stallions successful in sports outcome:

With the objective of improving on the sports aptitude, the policy provides for a separate selection process for entry in the studbook register stallions (minimum 6 years old) with very good performance (minimum level Z2) in the sport. This stallion does not need to perform the IBOP test anymore. The stallion must meet the same requirements in terms of conformation, semen analysis, etc.

Mares with unknown parents, can be registered into one of the pre-books for the first 6 years (until 2015). They must satisfy the variety characteristics and be useable for our breeding. They must also register a DNA profile. There is no direct selection of mares, from all mares in one of the registers mares offspring are also registered, (regardless of the quality). Indirectly mares are selected. Through a system of predicates and premiums mares are differentiated by quality. The predicates are based on the quality of the mare (exterior / sport aptitude) or the quality of the offspring (exterior / sport aptitude). The better-quality mares will produce more offspring. The predicates are described in the registration bylaws.

Mares can achieve the following predicates: Star 1st or 2nd premium, Elite, Preferential and Performance.

At the studbook inspection, all mares are judged on exterior and movement. All horses will be judged based on the linear scoring form. This form must contain all sorts of features of the exterior and the movement assessed. This results in a detailed description of the characteristics of the horse relating to the BPS population. Thereafter, a grade is given for the main characteristics, exterior, movement and breeding type. The whole gives information on the physique and functionality and thus the quality of the horse. The linear scoring form benefits the owner, he also has a complete report on the horse, beside the judgment. The linear score sheets are also used to calculate the breeding values (studs), where breeders can determine their choice in stallion.

1. Scoring characteristics:
   The linear score sheet will feature exterior, breeding type and movement, separately displayed. For each characteristic, the two extreme values (e.g., long and short, and upwards and downwards) below, separated by nine checkboxes. The middle three indicate that what is seen in a horse falls within the goals of the population. The three checkboxes left and right of the middle three indicate that either the left attribute (for example upward or the right attribute (e.g. downwards) is evident in the horse. By ticking one of the nine squares the inspector/jury indicates the extent to which this characteristic is available in the horse. In addition to these features, there are extra spaces, that can be crossed by an inspector/jury as the horse shows a defect or abnormality, or if a comment on that part needs to be made. Examples include an underbite, eczema, uneven hooves or a rams head.
2. Ratings:
   After all characteristics are entered on the score sheet, the judges determine the marks. Now, the jury will post an appreciation of what they have observed in the scoring of the characteristics. These figures are given for the main features, walk, trot, canter, composition, legs and breeding type. The scale used is from 1 to 10, wherein steps of 0.5 are used. From the figure 5.5 the horse scores a sufficiently. For studbook-registration, at least 36 points with a maximum of one inadequate (grade 5 or lower on the basic gaits) must be obtained.

To assess whether the policy has led to the desired result, the breeding policy will be evaluated. If the targets are not met, the breeding/selection policy is to be changed. This breeding policy is a cyclical process. A tool used by the BPS in the evaluation, is the genetic trend for the breeding goal traits. Based on the average breeding value for an characteristic by birth, the BPS determines if progress is being made.

In an open population like that of the BPS, inbreeding plays no important role in the breeding policy. The fact is that the inbreeding within the population of the BP horse will increase in the future. The BPS will advise breeders to continue using sufficient foreign blood in the future. By also using stallions with type BP and XX, we will reach our breeding goals faster and breed stronger horses.

When pairing horses, members are ongoingly advised by the BPS, to prevent inbreeding. The inbreeding coefficient is calculated within five generations but is not yet listed on the pedigree certificate. However, the percentage of foreign blood is mentioned in the pedigree certificate.