Holsteiner Mares
MARES
Mare Inspection
If you want to breed your 3-year-old or older mare, she must be registered in the Holsteiner Verband stud book.
Holsteiner Verband Studbook and Registration system
If you want to breed your 3-year-old or older mare, she must be entered into the Holsteiner Verband studbook.
Upon inspection for registration mares are presented in hand and at liberty and will receive marks on type, topline, front legs, hind legs, walk, trot, and canter.
Depending on the scores and certain pedigree requirements, mares may be awarded special designations (premium status).
Studbook and Registration System (B6 of the statutes)
Awards for Mares (B21 of the Statutes)
Mare inspection dates
The Schleswig-Holstein mare inspections are held in May. For members in the extended breeding area, shared mare inspections and foal registration and inspection sites are held from June to September.
Please fill in and submit the entry form for mare inspection and studbook registration to enter your mare for an inspection site.
All mares to be inspected for studbook registration must be entered in writing! The closing date for mare registration is 1 MAY 2026. The Kiel office should have received the application forms by this date to avoid delays in printing the catalogue.
VERBAND MARE SHOW 2026
Selection of Three- and Four-Year-Old Mares for the Elite Mare Show:
1. The selection of qualified mares will take place as part of the mare inspection tour between May 21 and May 28, 2026.
2. The following three- and four-year-old mares will be selected for the Elite Mare Show:
a. Mares that meet the pedigree requirements for the status of stallion dam (B6.1b) and have achieved a minimum total score of 52 points, with the mare’s type rated at least 8 according to the scoring scale (B6.2); or
b. Mares with a positive result in the mare performance test, achieving an average score of at least 8.5, whose total score at the mare inspection is 50 or 51 points, provided their type is rated at least 7 according to the scoring scale (B6.2).
The final score will be determined in Elmshorn.
3. Verband Premium Mares (Verbandsprämienstuten) will receive the title State Premium Mare if they have completed a mare performance test with an average score of at least 7.0. For Premium Mares that have not taken the mare performance test, the title State Premium Mare may be granted retrospectively upon written application by the owner, provided the following conditions are met:
a. At four years old: placement in a young riding horse test, Class A show jumping horse test, Class A dressage horse test, or Class A eventing horse test; or
b. At five years old: placement in a Class L show jumping, dressage, or eventing horse test; or
c. At six years old: placement in a Class M show jumping, dressage, or eventing horse test.
4. The Elite Mare Show will take place on Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Elmshorn.
MARE INSPECTION DATES 2026
Please note: In all breeding districts, inspection of 5-year-old and older mares will take place prior to the inspection of 3- and 4-year-old mares.
Non-registered mares and mares from other breeding districts will be presented at the end of their age class.
The equine passport of the mare must be handed in at the show!
Thursday, 21.05.2026
Breeding Districts Bordesholm, Plön and Rendsburg-Eckernförde
02:00 pm in Tasdorf (Gestüt Tasdorf)
Tuesday, 26.05.2026
Breeding Districts Dithmarschen, Pinneberg, Steinburg, Europe and North America
09:00 am in Elmshorn (Holsteiner Verband)
Wednesday, 27.05.2026
Breeding districts Nordfriesland and Schleswig-Flensburg
02:00 pm in Behrendorf (indoor arena)
Thursday, 28.05.2026
Breeding districts Ostholstein, Segeberg and Stormarn-Lauenburg
10:00 am in Kayhude (Hof Barkholz)
MARE AND FOAL INSPECTION AND REGISTRATION SITES IN GERMANY AND ABROAD
Important: In case the registration/inspection date is nearing and you have not yet received the registration documents even though you have submitted the Certificate of Birth in due form, do not hesitate to contact the Breeding Department in Elmshorn (+49 4121 4979-0)!
It is possible to present foals simultaneously for registration and for selection for the auction on all dates of the tour from 23 to 28 June 2026.
Photography and video recording will take place on the sites from 23 to 27 June 2026.
Note for breeders abroad: Please note the inspection options in Denmark, Poland and the Netherlands. Due to the restructuring of the association following the relocation of the Breeding Department from Kiel to Elmshorn unfortunately no further dates can be offered in the Breeding District Europe this year. However, we aim to offer additional dates abroad again next year and thank you for your understanding!
The following dates have been fixed so far, changes may still be possible:
Tuesday, 16.06.2026
06895 Zahna-Elster, Gadegast 83 (Ronny Lösche, 0171-2091462)
Saturday, 20.06.2026
6520 Toftlund (DK), Hølleskovvej 4 – Linnet-Horses (Egon Jessen, 0045-40459556)
Tuesday, 23.06.2026
18273 Güstrow, Am Gewerbegrund 4 – Cavallo Arena (Anja Koch, 0172-7065469)
16321 Bernau, Rüdnitzer Str. 12D – Gestüt Ladeburg (Udo Verworner, 0172-6917421)
Wednesday, 24.06.2026
64-300 Nowy Tomysl (PL), Glinno 65a – KNT Stajnia Kasperscy (Wojciech Kasperski, 0048-504123502)
Thursday, 25.06.2026
73479 Ellwangen, Hornbergstr. 89 – Holsteiner Sportpferde Eichert (Klaus-Philipp Eichert, 0170-9043978)
Friday, 26.06.2026
64372 Ober-Ramstadt, Nieder-Modauer Str. 16 – Waldenserhof (Horst K. Heleine, 0172-6019005)
Saturday, 27.06.2026
37574 Einbeck, Bentieröder Born 4 (Wolfgang Harjes, 0171-7701271)
30855 Langenhagen, Maaßweg 33 – Kiebitzhof (Fritz Engelke, 0172-5160456)
29227 Celle, Burger Landstr. 54 – Zand Dynasty Springpferde (Darius Zand, 0173-3074429)
Sunday, 28.06.2026
28876 Oyten, Moorstr. 45 – Zuchthof Hollen (Dr. Günther und Bettina Friemel, 0172-4208235)
Friday, 17.07.2026
93149 Nittenau, Tiefenhof 10 – Rödl Sportpferde GmbH (Stefan Rödl, 09436-300044)
Sunday, 02.08.2026
73072 Donzdorf, Birkhof 2 – Gestüt Birkhof (Thomas Casper, 07162-29886)
Wednesday, 12.08.2026
7954 GG Rouven (NL), Oude Rijksweg 506 (Peter Huisman, 0031-654795825)
46282 Dorsten-Hardt, Bestener Str. 70/145 – Hengststation Hoffrogge (Markus Hoffrogge, 0173-4874425)
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Entry Form for Mare Inspection 2026
Here you will find information on foal registration
MARES
Verband Mare Show
Three- and four-year-old mares that meet specific pedigree requirements and receive at least 52 points during mare registration in their breeding district, or have received 50 or 51 points and have also passed a mare performance test with an average score of 8.5 or higher, qualify to participate in the Verband Mare Show in Elmshorn in June.
MARES
Mare Performance Test
The mare test can be taken as a field test or via the show sport.
The basic gaits, rideability and free jumping are evaluated. The successfully passed mare test is, among other things, the basis for the award of the state premium.
Information about the mare performance test
Mares may undergo performance testing on station or in the field.
The basic gaits, rideability and free jumping are judged. When undergoing on-station testing, the mares’ willingness to perform will be judged, as well. Successful mare performance testing is one of the requirement to be eligible for the State Premium designation.
Station Test
After a break of several years, the station tests for mares were offered at the association's facility in Elmshorn until 2024.
The station test involves 14-day training and a final test. In addition to evaluating basic gaits, rideability and free jumping, it also encompasses interior traits, subsumed under the mark for “willingness to perform and handling”.
The station test’s advantage is that the mares are trained and tested under standardized conditions over a two week period.
Field Test
The one-day field tests are held on the association's ground in Elmshorn.
The one-day field test is organized and conducted by the respective breeding associations (Holsteiner Verband and Pferdestammbuch Schleswig-Holstein).
The field test starts with the free jumping in a jump chute (indoor arena), followed by a presentation under the own rider in groups up to four mares to evaluate basic gaits and rideability. Finally, the mare’s rideability is judged yet again by a test rider.
Holsteiner mares performance tested in Schleswig-Holstein (station or field test) sired by a young stallion (1st or 2nd covering season) or a Thoroughbred stallion will receive about 500 euros in financial support. Mare owners with a Holsteiner Verband membership will be contacted by the breeding department after the last field test.
Registration and dates
The registration for the field test are done at the Breeding Departmant in Elmshorn.
Field Test
Dates:
May 20, 2026 Elmshorn
June 24, 2026 Elmshorn
Registration:
Only at the Elmshorn (20. May) field tests, the performance tested mares can also be registered into the Holsteiner studbook on the same day. Please state your intention to have your mare studbook-registered when entering your mare for performance testing.
Procedure: Please present the mare for measurement before the free jumping and have the equine passport ready. Afterward, hand the equine passport in at the registration desk; it will be returned to you after the test is completed. The conformation evaluation takes place during the free jumping.
Submitting the Holsteiner Verband studbook inspection is mandatory also for mares intended for studbook registration during the Elmshorn (20. May) field test.
Entry Form Mare Performance Test - Field Test
Adjustments in weighting the mare performance test criteria
To promote the breeding of Holsteiner dressage horses, and for a more performance-related assessment of dressage oriented mares, the dressage committee suggested adjusting the way the evaluated mare performance test criteria are weighted.
These suggestions have been implemented, so that the final test score is now calculated by weighting the criteria differently for jumping and dressage oriented mares.
Weighting the mare performance test criteria
Please state the mare’s orientation (jumping or dressage) on the field test entry form. The final test score will be calculated accordingly.
In case no information is provided, the mare will be considered as jumping oriented.
