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Scottish Government
Animal Health and Welfare
APPLICATION FOR RECOGNITION AS
AN ORGANISATION WHICH MAINTAINS
OR ESTABLISHES A STUD BOOK
__________________________________
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April 2013
Introduction
The Horses (Zootechnical Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 transpose into
Scottish law European Commission decision 92/353/EEC laying down the criteria for
the approval or recognition of organisations or associations which maintain or
establish stud-books for registered equidae. These documents can be accessed via
the following links:Horses (Zootechnical Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 2008
European Commission decision 92/353/EEC
The Scottish Government is the competent authority empowered under the
legislation to recognise breed organisations in Scotland.
In order to be officially recognised, a breed organisation or association must submit
an application to the authorities of the Member State where its headquarters is
situated, i.e. to The Scottish Government.
These notes and application form have been prepared for applicants located in
Scotland.
How to Apply:
In order to apply to become a recognised organisation you must meet the
criteria for recognition. In order to do this you must submit the following:
1. a covering letter requesting to be recognised by Scottish Ministers, with the
signature of the person in charge of your organisation;
2. your maintained or established stud book; and
3. this application form which is formatted around the legislation in order to
help you satisfy the criteria referred to in the Schedule to the 2008
Regulations.
Completed applications from organisations located in Scotland should be sent to:
The Scottish Government
Animal Health and Welfare Division
Animal Health – Disease Prevention Team
P Spur
Saughton House
Edinburgh
EH11 3XD
Telephone: 08457 741 741
Email: animal.health@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
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If you need assistance or have any queries about your application, please do not
hesitate to contact the Department for Animal Health and Welfare, Scotland, using
the email address provided above.
Timescale
Application sent to the
SG
SG will acknowledge applications
within 5 days of receipt
The application will be reviewed
against requirements
You will be informed of the result of your application within 4-6 weeks.
Applications which do not meet the requirements will be refused. Written
reasons for the refusal will be provided..
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APPLICATION FORM
Applicant details:Name of Organisation or association
Address
Name of the stud book for which you are
seeking recognition
Contact telephone number
Contact e-mail address
Print Name:
Position:
Date:
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You should fill out your application on this form, boxes will expand as
necessary.
1. In order to be officially recognised, an organisation or association which
maintains or establishes a stud book must:
Have legal personality in accordance with the legislation in force in the Member State
where the application is made
Provide documentation to show your
organisation/association has legal
personality
The way for organisations/associations
to demonstrate legal personality is to be
incorporated as a limited company,
limited liability partnership or company
limited by guarantee, and be registered
with Companies House with Articles and
Memorandum of Association.
Are you applying to be:
(a) a mother stud book holder (the
holder of the stud book of the origin of
the breed), or
(b) a daughter stud book holder?
(For a definition of these terms please
see the ‘Guidance for applying for
recognition as an organisation which
maintains or establishes a stud book’
document)
If your answer is (a) complete section
2 (a), if your answer is (b) go to
section 2(b)
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2. (a) An organisation or association wishing to be recognised which
maintains or establishes a studbook of the origin of a breed (the ‘mother’
stud book holding organisation) must have established:
i. a system for recording pedigrees and the ability to carry out the checks
necessary for recording pedigrees;
Describe the checks you have in place
for recording pedigrees
An organisation or association should
have established and recognised criteria
for entry into its stud book with a
recognised and effective method of
identification. Please explain how your
stud book follows the requirements set
out in ANNEX 1 of this document.
ii. a system for identifying horses;
Explain what method you use for
identifying horses.
The traditional method is by description
of the colour and markings on a
“silhouette”, alternative methods of
identification include freeze branding, hot
branding, microchips and tattoos.
iii. a definition of the characteristics of the breed covered by the stud book;
Please provide a copy of your rules on
the breed’s characteristics as covered
by the stud book
The definition of the characteristics of the
breed is commonly known as the ‘breed
standard’ and is a matter for the breed
organisation or association to determine.
Breed standards normally include
reference to height, conformation,
character/temperament, markings etc.
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Is the stud book divided into different
classes?
If yes, what classes?
Yes ☐
No☐
Please describe the principles you have
established for classifying horses in each
section.
iv. a definition of its basic objectives of selection;
Please state your objectives of
selection
This is a matter for the breed
organisation or association to determine
and will vary according to the
requirements of the breed. Selection
may, for example, be based on breeding
for performance or to preserve the breed
and to maintain certain characteristics of
the breed.
v. lineages entered in one or more other stud books, where necessary
In cases where lineages are entered
into one or more stud book, do you
have arrangements in place to cover
such horses?
Yes ☐
No☐
2. (b) An organisation or association which maintains or establishes a stud book,
but does not maintain the stud book of the origin breed, must comply with the
principles for stud book holders of this breed, established by the organisation or
association which maintains the mother stud book
As a daughter/ sister studbook holder, Yes ☐
No☐
can you confirm that you will comply
with the rules set out by the mother
stud book holder?
Do the answers you have given above,
detailing how you record information in
your stud book, comply with the rules of
the holder of the origin of the breed?
Yes ☐
No☐
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Please explain the relationship you
currently have with the mother stud book
holding organisation or association.
Please provide the address and
contact details of the mother stud
book holding organisation or
association
Describe the checks you have in place
for recording pedigrees
An organisation or association should
have established and recognised criteria
for entry into its stud book with a
recognised and effective method of
identification.
Please confirm that your stud book
follows the requirements set out in
ANNEX 1 of this document and the rules
laid out by the mother stud book holding
organisation or association.
2. (c) Any organisation or association which maintains or establishes a stud book
must satisfy the Scottish Ministers that it operates efficiently
Explain what your organisation or
association does to ensure that you
operate efficiently
To assist organisations or associations in
establishing a minimum standard of
operational efficiency, guidelines can be
found at ANNEX 1 of the guidelines for
applications.
Evidence could include the organisation
or association’s discrimination policy
statement, minutes from meetings and
complaints correspondence.
Please note that if you do not intend to
operate as a PIO you should ignore the
‘issuing passports’ section of the
efficiency guidelines.
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3. An organisation or association which maintains or establishes a stud
book must (a) have registered a sufficient number of horses to carry out an improvement or
selection programme or to preserve the breed where considered necessary;
How many breeding mares and
Mares:
stallions does your organisation or
Stallions:
association have?
Yes ☐
No☐
Do you believe this number is
sufficient to carry out an improvement
or selection programme if required?
Please provide evidence to support your
answer. The number of animals required
to carry out such programmes is
dependent on the breed – however
experts have suggested the figure should
be at least 50 Mares and 17 Stallions.
(b) be able to provide the data necessary to carry out an improvement, selection or
preservation programme;
What data do you have which may be
necessary for such a programme?
If you have information which will support
your answer please attach it to your
application form. It is necessary to be
able to quantify what data is available,
how it is disseminated to members and
what use is made of that data.
(c) have established a system for providing data whereby horses can be evaluated
for the purpose of improvement, selection and breed preservation.
Breed organisations or associations
must be able to demonstrate that they
have a system in place for recording
data on performance and assessing
the genetic value of breeding horses.
What data does your organisation or
association hold? Please attach any
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copies of data which may support your
application. Data could relate to
performance at competitions, events,
shows or other activities considered
appropriate for the particular breed.
4. (a) An organisation or association which maintains or establishes a stud
book must have rules of procedure which provide for non-discriminatory
treatment of breeders
Describe your organisation or
association’s rules of procedure which
provide for non-discriminatory treatment
of breeders.
(b) Where several organisations or associations already exist within the territory of
the Community in respect of a particular breed, the rules of procedure of an
organisation or association may provide that horses must be born in a given territory
in order to qualify for entry in its stud book for birth declaration purposes.
To your knowledge, how many other
organisations or associations which
hold stud books for your breed exist?
Do you agree to make provisions with
these other organisations or associations
in order to decide on territories of entry
into stud books?
5. PASSPORT ISSUING ORGANISATIONS
As a recognised organisation, you are
expected to have the resources which
would enable you to operate as a
Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO).
If you are granted recognition, do you
intend to operate as a PIO?
Yes ☐
No☐
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Can you confirm what resources you
have to do this?
When operating as a PIO, what are
your target timescales for handling
applications?
ANNEX 1 – FORM AND CONTENT OF A STUD BOOK
Division of the main section of stud book

A recognised organisation must not divide the main section of its stud book
except into different classes according to the horses’ merits.

Where the main section of a stud book has been divided, a recognised
organisation must enter a horse from another stud book, upon application,
into the class of the stud book whose criteria it meets.
Compulsory entry in main section of stud book

A recognised organisation must enter a horse in the main section of its stud
book if that horse –
a. is descended from parents entered in the main section of a stud book of
the same breed;
b. has a pedigree established in accordance with the rules of that stud book;
and
c. is identified as foal at foot in accordance with the rules of that stud book,
which rules must at least include a requirement for a covering certificate.

Where a horse is eligible for entry in a supplementary section of a stud book
in accordance with the criteria set out in regulation 8 of the 2008 Regulations
(narrated below, see “Entry in supplementary section of stud book”), a
recognised organisation must allow the progeny of that horse to be entered in
the main section of its stud book.
Entry in supplementary section of stud book

Where a horse does not satisfy the criteria set out in regulation 7(1) of the
2008 Regulations (narrated above, see “Compulsory entry in main sections of
a stud book”) , a recognised organisation may enter that horse in a
supplementary section of its stud book if that horse –
a. has been identified in accordance with the rules of its stud book;
b. is judged by the recognised organisation to conform to the breed standard;
and
c. meets the requirements for minimum performance set out in the rules of its
stud book.
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