The NAS stallion licensing program is a multi-phase process, including an extensive screening process, an inspection by a panel of NAS judges, the compilation of a performance record reflecting the stallion’s ability to excel as a competition horse and an assessment of the stallion’s progeny. While each stallion will be assessed on an individual basis, the basic guidelines of the licensing process are as follows:

Nominate the stallion by submitting pedigree documentation and support materials

Submit health-related documentation

Attend an NAS inspection and receive a passing score*

Complete performance requirements

Present quality progeny

The owner must nominate the stallion for consideration by submitting the following documentation and support materials for review by a panel of NAS judges:

• • A copy of the original registration papers including a 5-generation pedigree
  • A copy of current licensing with NAS-recognized WBFSH registries, if applicable
  • Four photographs of the stallion (conformation left, conformation right, conformation front, conformation back)
  • (IF OF RIDING AGE) Competition record of the stallion
  • (IF OF BREEDING AGE) A production report of the stallion, including such items as premium foals and approved sons
  • (IF OF SUFFICIENT AGE) Competition record of offspring

Additional information that owners may want to add for NAS review, but is not required, include:

• • Detailed information about dam, including pictures, mare scores and/or production and performance accomplishments
  • Detailed information about mare family, including production and performance accomplishments
  • Information about full or half siblings (same dam) including any pictures, inspection scores and/or production and performance accomplishments

If a stallion is unable to be presented at an inspection, but the stallion owner would like to nominate the stallion for entry into the Preliminary Book, the following video footage is also required:

• • Video of the stallion walking and trotting on hard ground, in-hand, in a straight line both away from and toward the camera
  • Video of the stallion at liberty, showing walk, trot and canter
  • (IF OF RIDING AGE) Video of the stallion under saddle demonstrating stated level of current training

We can not encourage stallion owners enough to position their stallions as strongly as possible in this initial review phase by clearly showing the judging panel the stallion’s brilliance, athleticism, gaits and ability (or potential ability) to positively influence sport horse breeding in North America. The quality of the stallion is paramount. Please do not worry about professional video editing as this will not influence the opinions of the judges. If stallion owners already have a current stallion video and the video incorporates the required materials, please feel free to submit what is already prepared.

All stallions, regardless of which Stallion Book they are initially entered into, are required to submit the following health-related documentation before their initial breeding license will be issued by the NAS. If a stallion has already been licensed by another registry, the results of previously-conducted health requirements can be re-submitted. Please contact the office to confirm and clarify the specific details if your stallion already has been licensed.

General Health Requirements

• • General Health Certificate and Questionnaire completed by the veterinarian detailing the overall health of the stallion, his health history and verify to the best of their ability the absence of any known or identifiable genetic defects.
  • A semen analysis completed by a licensed veterinarian, including EVA negative status of the stallion’s semen.
  • Endoscopy results
  • A hair sample for DNA profile and testing for WFFS status.
    The results of the WFFS will be posted on the website.
  • Complete battery of the outlined 16 digital x-rays to be reviewed by Rood & Riddle
    Required X-Rays
    Fore Feet: Navicular front and back view (total of four shots)
    Carpus: Lateral/medial view (total of 2 shots)
    Fetlocks: Lateral/medial view of all four (total of 4 shots)
    Hocks: Lateral/medial view and front/back (total of 4 shots)
    Stifles: Lateral/medial view (total of 2 shots)

Once the stallion receives an initial endorsement from the NAS judging panel in the first step, stallions that are being considered for the Provisional Book must attend an NAS inspection. At the inspection, stallions will:

• • Perform in-hand on the triangle and on hard ground at both walk and trot
  • Display walk, trot and canter in a liberty phase
  • Perform in the jump chute (heights will be set based upon stated discipline and age)
  • Perform an under saddle evaluation based on stated level of training, discipline focus, and age

*The stallion inspection is required for all stallions except those established stallions that have lifetime approval with a NAS-recognized WBFSH registry and a time-proven resume of competitive success and progeny.

All NAS stallions will be required to demonstrate their ability to perform at a high level of sport. The NAS recognizes that stallions are injured and while they may be unable to continue on in the performance ring, they can contribute significantly through their progeny. The NAS will work with owners of such stallions. Please contact the NAS office directly to discuss the stallion and explore his licensing options.

All NAS stallions are required to demonstrate an ability to positively influence the North American sport horse with their offspring. Stallions siring less than sufficient quality foals will be placed on the Watch List and be given an opportunity to increase the overall quality before losing their license.

Stallions that do not satisfy their requirements will lose their approval status. Foals conceived after the loss of the stallion’s license will not be registerable with the NAS. If a stallion loses his license but then regains it within 6 months of the loss, all foals conceived in the unlicensed time will be retroactively registerable.

The three stallion books of the NAS are a reflection of the stallion’s progression through the licensing process, not a reflection of relative quality. Each stallion’s point of entry will be dictated by their present licensing status and their breeding and performance accomplishments to date.

Preliminary Book Provisional Book Lifetime Approved Book

Stallions’ will be upgraded to the next book once they have satisfied the required performance and production requirements.

The Preliminary Book is intended to give owners of young or unproven stallions an opportunity to obtain a professional opinion of their breeding stallion before they begin breeding; thus providing the stallion owner validation of their intended direction and reassurance to mare owners as to the overall quality of the young stallion. Concomitantly, the Preliminary Book offers stallion owners a means to begin the licensing process in a cost-efficient, low-key manner, while still providing mare owners registration options for the stallion’s offspring.

Requirements:

• • Complete Health Exam, semen analysis, endoscopy and x-rays
  • Stallion has received initial endorsement from NAS judges during preliminary screening

Stallions that have received their provisional/preliminary licensing with any NAS-recognized WBFSH registry but have not yet obtained their lifetime approval with that registry will be entered into the NAS Preliminary Book pending approval at an NAS inspection. The requirements noted above are the same for these stallions.

Approved For:

A two-year period and a maximum of ten foals total during the licensing period. All foals from Preliminary Book stallions must be inspected to receive their registration papers.

Upgrade Requirements:

For Preliminary Book stallions to be upgraded, they must:

• • Attend an NAS Inspection before or during the second year of the two-breeding season licensing period and receive a passing score from the judging panel.
  • Present a minimum of four foals of good quality. (This requirement may be waived if the stallion is inspected by the NAS for the Provisional Book before his first foals arrive.)

The Provisional Book is intended to support stallion owners while their stallions prove themselves in the sport ring and in the breeding shed. The process we have developed takes on a long-term view point and allows the stallion owner and trainers to develop the stallion for the show ring based on physical and mental development, rather than an artificially-set timeline. It also affords the stallion owner the time that often is required to balance the demands of standing a stallion to the public and the demands of competition.

Requirements:

• Complete Health Exam, semen analysis, endoscopy and x-rays
• Stallion has received initial endorsement from NAS judges during preliminary screening
• Stallion has:
  • Been inspected by the NAS and received sufficient score OR
  • Received their lifetime license with an NAS-recognized WBFSH registry BUT has not yet satisfied all of the performance and/or production requirements of the NAS.

Approved For:

All Provisional stallions are approved for unlimited breeding until the age of 10 years old, unless otherwise stipulated by the NAS. Their foals must be inspected to receive registration papers.

Upgrade Requirements:

For Provisional stallions to be upgraded and receive their lifetime license, they must:

• Achieve four performance requirements between the ages of 4 and 6 years of age (older stallions that do not have a competition record during the ages of 4-6 will achieve all their performance requirements in the 7-10 age category)
• Achieve four performance requirements between the ages of 7 and 10 years of age
• Present eight First or Second Premium foals to the NAS

Lifetime approved stallions have proven themselves in the sport ring and in the breeding shed and have satisfied all of the requirements put forth by the NAS.

Requirements:

• Minimum age of 7 years old
• Complete requirements of the Provisional within or outside of the NAS
• Stallion has received endorsement from NAS judges during preliminary screening
• Achieved four performance requirements between the ages of 4 and 6 years of age (older stallions that do not have a competition record during the ages of 4-6 will achieve all their performance requirements in the 7-10 age category)
• Achieved four performance requirements between the ages of 7 and 10 years of age
• Presented eight First or Second Premium foals to the NAS

Approved For:

All lifetime approved stallions may produce an unlimited number of foals each year. The foals of lifetime approved stallions are not required to attend the inspections to receive their registration papers (unless they are out of mare that has not yet been approved for breeding with the NAS); rather, foals by lifetime approved stallion can register foals via mail.

The NAS recognizes the need for North American-based stallions to perform and prove themselves at the upper levels of sport in order to remain competitive with the influx of European stallions available with frozen semen. Accordingly, all NAS-licensed stallions will be required to satisfy performance requirements at the upper levels of their chosen disciplines, however, they are set out in a non-pressured timeline so that the stallion’s physical and mental development is not put at risk.

For lifetime approval, stallions will need to submit four scores from competitions they competed in between 4 and 6 years of age AND four scores from competitions competed in between 7 and 10 years of age. The scores:

• • May be accomplished with a combination of disciplines. We strongly suggest that the performance requirements completed in the 7-10 year old category support the marketed “discipline positioning” of the stallion (e.g., jumper stallion, dressage stallion, hunter stallion, event stallion).
  • May be completed in one year or spread out over the course of the specified age range.
  • Will be adjusted accordingly for stallions inspected and approved at later ages in life.
  • The age of the stallion for performance requirements will be based upon his actual birth date rather than the industry-standard date of January 1st.

¹ USEF A-rated show or YHS
² Time faults allowed
³ Minimum class size of 10 horses
⁴ If multiple scores are submitted for a single year, scores must be from different judges.
⁵ No time faults allowed
⁶ Minimum class size of 6 horses

Stallions between the ages of four and six that successfully complete the North American 70-Day Test with approved scores will have satisfied their 4 to 6 year old performance requirements. They are still required to complete their 7-10 year old performance requirements.

The NAS does not accept results of the North American 30-Day Test in lieu of competition requirements since the required level of performance at the 30-Day Test is less than what is required for the registry’s performance requirements of young horses.

Selected NAS Young Horse Shows will provide special jumping, dressage and hunter (depending on the availability of a rated Hunter judge) stallion classes to support owners in their pursuit to balance exposure, show mileage and performance requirements for their young stallions. Classes are designed in accordance with the age-specific requirements for stallions outlined by NAS and will be judged by rated judges. Stallions are welcomed to achieve a maximum of two of their age-specific requirements through the Young Horse Shows (but only one per show).

Please contact the office for more details and information.

In addition to the NAS approved stallions, Mare Owners have the option of using outside stallions with no additional registration fees or penalties. For the foal to be eligible for NAS registration, the following criteria must be met.

Mare Owners who wish to use non-NAS approved stallions based in North America should contact the office to discuss registration of the offspring. In general, foals from stallions that are lifetime approved by a NAS-recognized WBFSH registry and satisfy the overall requirements put forth for NAS stallions will be accepted for registration.

Mare Owners who wish to use frozen semen from stallions based outside of North America should contact the office to discuss registration of the offspring. In general, foals from stallions that are lifetime approved by a NAS-recognized WBFSH registry and satisfy the overall requirements of NAS stallions will be accepted for registration.