General Keuring Information for Members

The last Keuring was held in early 2023, the next Keuring will be held early in 2025.

A judging (keuring, in Dutch) is an evaluation and classification of horses by officials from the Netherlands every two years.

The horses are judged in-hand and 60% of the evaluation is based on the quality of movement and 40% is based on conformation.

Most Friesians are judged twice in their life: once when they are foals—for entry in the Foal Book—and again when they are three years or older and eligible to enter the adult studbooks.

When a foal or horse is judged, it may be awarded a premie, or "premium". This is an award used to designate the horses with the most desirable characteristics.

A first premium is best, second is very good, third is most common and some horses will not receive a premium. The premiums awarded to each horse appear on his or her registration certificate.

In addition to the premium, as each mare or gelding is judged for admission to the adult studbooks, it is quality assessed using a "linear score" sheet. This linear score assigns positive or negative point scores to many individual aspects of conformation, breed characteristics and movement as exhibited by the horse.

The score sheet for each individual horse is given to the owner. In addition, the linear scores for all the offspring of each stallion are combined and published as breeding values. This composite score provides a way of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses that each stallion passes on to his offspring.

By matching the strengths and weaknesses of the mare and stallion, we can use the linear scores to choose the best match between sire and dam in order to continually improve the breed.

General Requirements for Participation in Keurings

Entering

Entrants must complete keuring entrance applications up ahead of time. Walk-ins on the day of the keuring are not allowed to participate. Your horse will not be considered “entered” and your horse’s name will not be counted in the final count for the site host until all requirements are met (payment, DNA, release, etc).

The keuring information sheet, entry and liability release are available on-line. The entry form and liability release must be completely filled out and mailed/emailed to the AFHS Secretary by the deadline.

Registration papers for horses in the Keuring inspection must be presented on the day. Foals may only enter a keuring if they have been microchipped and after registration has been applied for.

Foal parentage must be proven prior to keuring date. Foals must be a minimum of 6 weeks old at the time of the keuring.

Minke V.D Maria louise Hoeve owned by M & C Thornley

Supreme 2019 Australian Champion

Haitske fan het Vaantje owned by Meisha Demears completing the IBOP in QLD with 80 points ridden by Gary Lung

Liability Release
Owners, handlers, riders and ring crew must all sign the AFHS Liability Release.

Membership
Only current AFHS/KFPS members in good standing may enter horses in a keuring.

Ownership
Owners of horses presented at a keuring must:

be the ‘owner on record’ with the AFHS OR
have a transfer in progress; OR
have a lease agreement on file with the AFHS. OR
present a signed third party form

Costs

These usually consist of two parts:

Class fees paid to the AFHS/KFPS.
Fees fee paid to the keuring host for stabling, grounds fees, etc
A third fee might be charged after the keuring for admission to the adult book (Stb) and/or predicate such as 'Ster'

Your horse will not be entered and allowed to be presented unless financial obligations are met prior to the keuring.

Refunds
In case of a recent injury or illness of a horse only, the owner may apply for a refund of the class fee. Refunds (less a $50 handling fee) will be given if a veterinary certificate is submitted within 5 days of the keuring. No refunds will be given for pregnancy, inability to load, shoeing problems, other non-veterinary causes or human ailments. Any late fees incurred are non-refundable. Once the keuring schedule is set, refunds are at the discretion of the organization.

Bridle Numbers

Each horse will get two numbers that must be attached to both sides of the halter or bridle so that they are clearly visible from either side.

When showing a foal, the numbers may attached be to the dam’s bridle.

The jury should be able to see the number at all times without having to walk around the horse. Numbers are not to be held by the handler or be in their pockets.

Elza van Gelder owned by E & J Lock of Van Gelder Friesians SA 1st Premie SA Keuring 2019

Identification/Registration Papers

Owners of all horses must have their registration papers available at the keuring when checking in. The only exceptions are foals whose papers have not yet been issued or horses with a transfer in progress. Foals must be microchipped, if there is no registration paper yet then the microchip form signed by a vet must be presented. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Handlers/Riders

Handlers
Horses are presented by a handler and not more than one assistant/chaser. During free movement only the handler and chaser are allowed in the presentation area or arena.

Owners with more than one horse in a class must have sufficient people present to accompany all horses into the ring for the walk-around and ribbon presentation.

Handler Attire
Anyone entering the ring must wear white: white trousers, white shirt, tie and running shoes. The jury may excuse a horse if the handler/assistant is not correctly dressed.

Rider Attire
Riders must wear light breeches, a dark riding coat, a white shirt and tie or a white turtleneck, boots and hard hat. In case of excessive heat, a polo shirt may be substituted for shirt and coat with permission of the jury.

Horses

Immunizations
Horses participating in the keuring should be current on local vaccination requirements. Please check with the keuring host for specifics.

Shoes

Riding/Gelders Horses
Foals, yearlings and two-year-old fillies and geldings may not wear shoes. Two-year-old colts and horses three years and older may wear shoes. Shoes may be a maximum thickness of 8mm. Specialty shoes (e.g., studded for jumping) are not allowed. Corrective shoes or pads are not allowed.

Harness Horses
Horses two years and older are preferred to wear shoes with a maximum thickness of 12mm with a maximum width of 25mm. Again, specialty shoes, corrective shoes or pads are not allowed.

Jurre fan 'e Gaestdyk Breeding Permit Stallion presented for inspection to retain permit SA Keuring 2019 owned by E&J Lock Van Gelder Friesians SA

Horse Attire

In-Hand
White bridles are preferred for showing in hand.

Under Saddle
An English saddle and a bridle with a snaffle bit—a simple, smooth-mouthed snaffle, with not more than two joints; metal or rubber. Flash, figure eight or dropped nosebands are allowed; double bridles are not allowed. Martingales, auxiliary reins or other gadgets are not allowed. Boots on forelegs are allowed. Wraps, bell boots and leg protection on hindlegs are not allowed. The jury reserves the right to remove any type of leg or foot protection.

Artificial Means
No artificial means used to enhance conformation or movement is allowed at a keuring.

Clipping Foals
Sometimes foals have not lost their entire foal coat by keuring time. Body clipping is not recommended. Clipping the whiskers around the nose or inside of the ears is also not allowed .

Drugs
No drugs of any type are allowed. All horses are subject to drug testing at the discretion of the jury. All stallions presented for approval may be drug tested at owner’s expense!

Safety
The jury has the right to remove or eliminate any horse that they feel may contribute to an unsafe situation.

Injury/Veterinary Disclosure
It is strongly advised that a mare whose movement is irregular because of an injury should not be entered as they cannot be judged. However, a veterinarian’s statement that the irregularity is due to an injury and not a hereditary condition must be submitted. The mare must be able to walk and trot. She will be judged in-hand but cannot participate in free-movement. If it effects confirmation or movement eg.fluid in the legs, white hairs etc

All corrective or cosmetic surgery should be disclosed in writing it if affects conformation or movement eg. white hairs from injury site

Whip
A plain whip (nothing tied to the end) and the use of a small box rattler are the only aids allowed. If the jury feels that the horse is negatively affected, the handler may be requested to go around again without the aids.

IBOP Performance Test

Physical Requirements

The IBOP (Individual Suitability Test for Horses) is a one-day performance test of about a 10 minute duration. Horses have their own rider or driver. The goal is to gain insight into a horse’s natural talent for sport.

The IBOP is open to mares, geldings, and unapproved stallions aged 4 years and older.

The test provides breeders and owners with valuable information about the talent of their horses in their respective breeding direction. Horses are, at the discretion of the board/judges and time and venue permitting, be eligible to perform a second IBOP should the first have been missed by less than 3 points.

When entering horses for the IBOP, you are requested to name the rider for scheduling purposes (so that horses ridden by the same person will not follow each other directly).

Scoring: A maximum of 100 points is possible, with 77 points required to pass the test and average of 7 for movement.

Scoring is on a scale of 0 to 10

0 Not executed
1 Very bad
2 Bad
3 Fairly bad
4 Clearly insufficient
5 Insufficient

6 Sufficient
7 More than sufficient
8 Good
9 Very good
10 Excellent

Zaretta TK owned by Johanne Appleby completing the IBOP to become Australia's very first home bred Crown mare at Keuring 2019

Ursual of Shepherds Hill completing IBOP 2019 with 74 points driven by Cody Chesson owned by Evanne Chesson of Shepherds Hill VIC