The International Pedigree Assignment and Bloodline Research Association (IPABRA) Home Page

The International Pedigree Assignment and Bloodline Research Association (IPABRA) Home Page
  Home
Site Map  

The Foundation Quarter Horse Registry
by Leslie Kathman

Lately there has been a lot of interest in "Foundation Quarter Horses", both in the real horse world and those who like their model counterparts. The following information will help pedigree assigners determine whether or not their horses qualify as Foundation Quarter Horses.

The stated goal of the Foundation Quarter Horse Registry is to "preserve, protect, and perpetuate the working cow horse bloodlines" - something that its supporters feel has been lacking in the mainstream Quarter Horse registry. People that have been turned off by overfed halter horses with tiny feet, HYPP, navicular, and loss of type find the idea of getting back to the breed's roots very appealing. To this end, the following rules were put in place for accepting horses as "foundation-bred".

  1. No horse may carry more than 25% Thoroughbred blood, and Thoroughbred blood is not allowed in the second or third generation. (See chart)

  2. The first 27,000 horses registered by the AQHA are considered to be foundation stock. 75% of the pedigree must trace back to foundation stock (in all lines).

  3. Horses descending from lines known to carry HYPP are not eligible regardless or generation or test status.

To understand the restrictions on Thoroughbred blood, breeders need to be aware that the common hobby definition of number of generations is different from that used by professional pedigree researchers and breed registries. When a hobbyist say they will provide a 3-generation pedigree, they usually mean parents (generation 1), grandparents (generation 2), and great-grandparents (generation 3). In the real horse world, the first generation is the horse being described, so the parents are actually the second generation and the grandparents the third. This slight difference is important when determining which sets of ancestors may not be Thoroughbreds. In this case, the second and third generations refer to the parents and grandparents.

The chart shows what percentage of blood each ancestor contributes. By adding the percentages for each Thoroughbred that appears, you will get a total amount of Thoroughbred blood. (Note that this is the same kind of chart that is used to determine percentage of blood in linebred or inbred horses, such as when you see a stallion advertised as being 68% Raffles.)

Don't forget that when using this chart, you need to zero out the percentages for that horse's ancestors, since it has already been counted with that horse. For example, if you have a Thoroughbred that appears in the fourth generation (Gen4- the great-grandparents), then you count that horse as 12.5%, but make sure you don't also count HIS parents and grandparents. If you forget to do this, you will quickly end up with a horse that is more than 100% of something!

You also need to remember that not all the horses registered in the early volumes of the stud book would themselves be eligible for "foundation" status if such a registry had existed in their time. The sires Peter McCue and Flying Bob (both of which predate the stud books) were half-Thoroughbred, as were Joe Reed (#3), Oklahoma Star (#6), and Plaudit (#1657), just to name a few - and not to mention the countless others who were 1/4 Thoroughbred. When creating a pedigree, low registration numbers do not necessarily guarantee that the horse would be eligible for the registry; it is still necessary to add up the percentages.

Generation 1- 100%

Gen2 Gen3 Gen4 Gen5 Gen6
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
    12.5%    
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
  25%      
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
    12.5%    
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
50%        
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
    12.5%    
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
  25%      
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
    12.5%    
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
    12.5%    
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
  25%      
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
    12.5%    
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
50%        
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
    12.5%    
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
  25%      
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%
    12.5%    
        3.125%
      6.25%  
        3.125%

(While I don't have time to trace pedigrees for others or to work up percentages, I do have the first five volumes of the stud books and can let you know if a particular horse was registered in the first five volumes. Please write to me at 4700 Lone Tree Court, Charlotte, NC 28269 if you need any help.)

One thing that I did note was that nowhere in the literature that I received was there any comment regarding a white rule. Markings must be drawn in on the registration application, but no mention is made of restricting papers based on markings. Of course, AQHA papers are required to get a FQHR number, but I am not sure that offspring of FQHR horses must maintain their papers with AQHA. It would be interesting to find out if two FQHR parents threw an AQHA-unregisterable foal, whether or not the FQHR would accept it. It is probably a moot point at the moment, since the predominant lines within the organization all happen to be those inclined to little or no white.>

For those that are interested in the Foundation Quarter Horse, the address for the registry is P.O. Box 230, Sterling, CO 80751. The association publishes a wonderful newsletter called The Foundation Quarter Horse that is currently published quarterly but is due to become bi-monthly of August 1998. Subscriptions are $7.50 a year, and most issues are packed with photos (black and white, unfortunately) of wonderful old-fashioned horses and their extended pedigrees. If you have a special liking for horses that look like the Classic Quarter Horse stallion, check this publication out!

The following are some of the older Quarter Horse stallions currently being advertised by foundation breeders...

-----Harlan
----Harlan's Tyree
-----Sandsarita
--Tyree's Image
-----Star Haven
----Ju Tona Image
-----Judy Mitchell
Muniz Poco Harlan, 1973 buckskin
-----King
----Poco Bueno
-----Miss Taylor
--Poco Princesa
-----Rey del Rancho
----Cuerva Ray
-----Cuerva de Alejos

-----Bert
----Earl M's Mac
-----Jane Star
--Lucky Star Mac
-----Bert
----V's Quarter Lady Star
-----Quarter Lady Star
He's Lucky Bottom, 1978 grey
-----Zantanon
----Chico
-----Panita
--Nellie Gray
-----Waggoner horse
----Grey Waggoner mare
-----Waggoner mare

-----Wimpy
----Showdown
-----Cauchica
--Showdown Hondo
-----Envoy
----Cal Linda Hill
-----Brenda Lee
Easy Rider Hill, 1981 red dun
-----Poco Dell
----Poco Wrangler
-----Pansarity daughter
--Poco Dot Hill
-----Poco Bay
----Poco Pondora
-----Pondora

Two of this horse's ancestors, Showdown and Poco Dell, are featured in chapters of the most recent volume of the Western Horseman's Legends series - a book that is highly recommended as the first two!

-----Smuggler
----Toy Smuggler
-----Sadie Mac
--Pronto Toy Moore
-----Crown Clegg
----Chapa Clegg
-----Yankee Cotton
Gato Mas Clegg, 1983 black
-----Johnny Bull
----Mr. Flash Bar
-----Minnie Marie
--Little Flash Bars
-----Solomen Bars
----Little Cat Bars
-----Miss Flitty Bar

-----Jessie James
---Collins Jessie
-----Cozy McCue
--Doubling Tom
-----Jessie James
----Collins Daisy
-----Daisy Clegg
MF Jessie Royal, 1983 bay
-----Poco Bill
----Poco Hills Buck
-----Keuter Susie
--Miss Bay Doll
-----The Rancher
----Rancher's Scooter
-----Mare by Tom

-----Red
----Jessie James
-----Reno May
--Collins Jessie
-----Buddy's Joe
----Cozy McCue
-----Cozy Petal
Jessie Julian, 1985 palomino
-----Dr. Cutter
----Eatey Eate
-----Texas' Squirt
--Tinka Eate
-----Silver's Tonka
----Tina Tonka
-----Albertina

Back

Originally published in Bloodlines - Volume 4, Issue 3 (May/June 1999)
Thank you for visiting the International Pedigree Association & Bloodline Research Home Page!
All documents & images Copyright © 1998-2008 IPABRA and/or original creator unless otherwise stated.
Please direct any IPABRA questions or permission requests to IPABRA President Chris Wallbruch at wombats@earthlink.net.
Please direct any broken link reports or web site questions to IPABRA Webmaster Beth Gustas at bgustas@starrfyre.com.