The rules listed on this page may not necessarily reflect current changes or issues yet to be addressed by the HH council. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions.

Topic Quick Links

Applications & Forms

Registration Designations and Divisions

Books for Horses of Friesian heritage

Optional HH Advanced Registration Designations

Naming Rules

DNA and Hair Sample Requirements

HYPP Testing Requirements & Genetic Defects

Transfer of Ownership

Duplicate Certificates

Certificate Corrections

Liability

Titles and Standings for all horses

Membership:  Currently, there is no fee for membership. Upon complete payment of all fees due for registration, HH will assign each owner and/or breeder a permanent identification number.

Horse Registration Eligibility:  HH allows all horses that are of 25% to 100% documented Friesian heritage, in their respective books and divisions, as listed below.

Returned  check fee: The current bank charges will apply.

Applications & Forms

Applications & forms can be found in printable, PDF format on the HH website, under the forms link, or by contacting HH and requesting that one be sent by mail. 

All applications for registration must be fully completed, correctly and legibly and must be submitted with payment in full and all of the proper supporting documents and signatures, as instructed on the registration application. 

If one or more signatures is not available, or required information is missing, you may contact the HH for a case review of your particular situation.

For all horses being registered or recorded, the amount of Friesian blood must be documented and verified by attesting signatures and by parent DNA testing, in order to be documented on the registration certificate.  Or, in the case of purebred Friesians, a copy of the horse’s FPS, FHANA or FPZV papers may be submitted.

Proof of pedigree is not required for a non-Friesian parent.  If a pedigree is undocumented, the registration certificate will reflect that by listing that bloodline as unknown or unregistered.

HH Registration Designations and Divisions

HH offers different books and different types of registration certificates, as well as a recorded certificate for horses who are not allowed to double register, such as FPZV (German) registered purebreds and EAFS Arabo Friesians (Belgium).

Horses may hold only one physical certificate at a time.  Future upgrades of HH certificates are optional and require a “Change of Certificate” form & fee, which can be found on the HH website, under the forms link. The original certificate issued must be returned to HH, via certified mail, before HH will grant the upgraded certificate.  Please note that registration options and requirements may be changed, added or eliminated, upon review, as deemed necessary by the Council Members of the HH.

Books for Horses of Friesian Heritage:

HH maintains  separate books for horses of Friesian heritage:

1. Heritage Horse Book (25% to 75% Friesian heritage)

2. Gypsian (Friesian X Gypsy)

3. Turbo Friesian (Friesian X Arabian)

4. Warlander Heritage Horse (Friesian X PRE, Andalusian & Lusitano)

5. Imperial Heritage Horse (Friesian X LP & patterned breeds)

6. Baroque Pinto (Friesian X Pinto patterned breeds)

7. Fire Friesian (50% to 100% Friesian heritage with Red / Chestnut color)

8. Heritage Pony Book (25% to 75% Friesian heritage with a mature height under 15 hands)

9. Faux Friesian Book (75.1% to 99.9% Friesian)

10. Friesian Book (100% Friesian heritage)

Basic registration (red border certificate) for the Heritge Horse Book, the Heritge Pony Book, the Faux Friesian Book, and the Friesian Book is based strictly on Friesian blood requirements.  Horses of documented, purebred Friesian heritage will be registered as “Friesian”.  Horses over 75% documented, high percentage Friesian heritage will be registered as “Faux Friesian” or in one of the Specialty Breed Books. Horses and ponies documented to be be 25% to 75% Friesian heritage will be registered as a Heritage Horse or Heritage Pony. For Specialty Breed books click here.

Basic Registration & Certificate of Record

Crossbred Friesian Certificates

Purebred Friesian Certificates

Heritage Horse Registration  (25% to 75% Friesian ancestry)

Purebred Friesian Registration

Heritage Pony Registration  (25% to 75% Friesian ancestry)

Faux Friesian (75.1% to 99.9% Friesian ancestry)

Recorded Certificate - This certificate is for horses of 25% to 100% Friesian ancestry who are already registered elsewhere and not allowed to double register.

Optional HH Advanced Registration Designations

All horses, who qualify for basic registration (red border certificate), may choose to take advantage of the advanced registration options offered by HH.  These optional designations are designed to distinguish type and suitability and give credit to horses who have been inspected with a qualifying score.

Change as of January 1st, 2010

A horse that receives 7.700 or higher at a FEIT inspection (achieving a High Merit score) or an equivalent  will be eligible for GOLD papers.

A horse that receives 7.000 to 7.699 at a FEIT inspection or an equivalent will be eligible for SILVER papers.

A horse that score below 7.000 will remain on red bordered certificate with the scores added to the papers. All of the following discipline designations are eligible.

**Sport Horse Designated” Certificate** : 

Any horse or pony, in any of the five HH books, may qualify for Sport Horse Designation.  In order to qualify for a “Sport Horse Designated” certificate, the registering horse must score a 6.8, or higher, with no score of the inspection lower than 6.5, on the sport horse standard, at a recognized FEIT inspection or an equivalent inspection, as so deemed by the council of HH, that judges the walk, trot, canter and conformation of the horse on a sport horse standard.

**Park Performance Designated” Certificate**: 

 Any horse or pony, in any of the five HH books, may qualify for Park Performance Designation.  In order to qualify for a “Park Performance Designated” certificate, the registering horse must score a 6.8, or higher, with no score of the inspection lower than 6.5, on the Purebred Friesian standard or on a standard that judges suitability for park/carriage/saddleseat, at a recognized FEIT inspection or an equivalent inspection, as so deemed by the council of HH, that judges the walk, trot, canter and conformation of the horse on a park/carriage/saddleseat type standard. 

**Utility Designated” Certificate** : 

 Any horse or pony, in any of the five HH books, may qualify for Utility Designation.  In order to qualify for a “Utility Designated” certificate, the registering horse must score a 6.8, or higher, with no score of the inspection lower than 6.5, at a recognized  FEIT inspection or an equivalent inspection, as so deemed by the council of HH, that judges the walk, trot, canter and conformation of the horse on a utility type standard.  Utility Designation generally is defined as good correct conformation and a walk, trot and canter that is suitable for disciplines other than Sport horse or Park performance.

Advanced Registration Options

*The options listed below are available to horses who have completed a HH recognized inspection with a qualifying score and/or have achieved specific requirements in open competition.

Crossbred Friesian Certificates

Purebred Friesian Certificates

Sporthorse, Park Performance or Utility Designated

Purebred Friesian - Sporthorse Designated

Purebred Friesian - Park Performance Designated

Crossbred Friesian Pony Certificates

Sporthorse, Park Performance or Utility Designated

Crossbred Faux Friesian Certificates

(Over 75% Friesian)

Sporthorse, Park Performance or Utility Designated

For horses who do not have an inspection score, Open show scores will be taken into consideration, on a case by case basis, by the council of HH, for possible admittance into either the “Sport Horse Designated” or “Park Performance Designated” or "Utility Designated" or “Elite” categories.  Lower level show scores, from all disciplines, will NOT be considered as an equivalent to an inspection score.  In order for the HH council to consider show scores as a substitute for inspection, the level of showing must be significant and lengthy, as Open performance competition does not address the quality of a horse’s conformation or the quality of their offspring production.

**Elite Status** (blue border certificate): 

 In order to qualify for “Elite” status, a horse must prove itself through inspection scores and/or Open show scores and/or the quality of his or her offspring.  When awarding Elite status to a mare or stallion, inspection scores and/or the inspection scores of his or her offspring, Open competition scores and/or the Open competition scores of his or her offspring will all be taken into account and balanced and graded with an A, B or C designation.  Stallions and mares without a show record may still earn Elite status with extensive proof of their offspring’s quality and ability.  Geldings and mares may earn, without meeting the offspring requirements, Elite status through their inspection scores and extensive Open show record at a medium-high to high level.  For mares and stallions, a posthumous award of the Elite designation is possible, if the offspring’s achievements are earned after the sire or dam’s death. The designation of Elite will be added to whatever designation a horse has or has not already earned, for example, a horse may be “Elite Heritage Horse” under basic registration without any further designation or “Elite Sporthorse Designated” or “Elite Park Performance Designated”.

The Elite status program is currently under development and more details will be posted here soon.  This program will place heavy emphasis on “quality of offspring” and will award horses who can produce high quality offspring time and time again.

Naming Rules

One-word names are typically not allowed.  If a one word name is submitted, an initial/s may be added to the horse's name .  You may use a farm name like Peter Pan of Neverland or Peter P or Peter NLR.  Please provide at least two name options. Avoid using punctuation marks or numbers in the name choices, except for apostrophes.  Names may not exceed 20 characters (spaces included). This rule does not, apply to purebred Friesians who have FPS or FPZV papers.

You may have the option to change your horses name.

Sires or dams who already have existing registered offspring may NOT change their name. Please call the HH registry for additional rules concerning name changes.

The HH reserves the right to disallow the use of names already commonly established by another farm as their “trade-name”(s). Well-known sire names may not be used in the name, unless the horse is directly related to the sire and/or written permission is given by sire owner. Sire names may not be used at the beginning of a name, unless the horse is a direct son or daughter of that sire, or written permission is given by sire owner.

DNA & Hair Sample Requirements

The information below is a summary.

Please click the link to view the entire page on

DNA & Hair Sample Requirements

Hair Sample Requirements

HH  requires a hair sample be submitted from every horse applying for registration, even if you are supplying existing DNA results.

There is NO FEE for the hair sample, it will simply be placed in our archives,

unless testing is required or ordered. 

Submitting this sample, DOES NOT  mean your horse is DNA tested. 

All hair becomes the property of HH.  

DNA  Requirements

 DNA testing is not required for all horses at this time, but IS REQUIRED for the following horses:

♦ Purebred Friesians: Must be DNA tested with HH OR registered and DNA tested with another credible Friesian registry.

♦ Sires & Dams: All breeding horses of Friesian ancestry, must have DNA on file with HH, whenever possible, before their offspring can be registered with HH.

♦ Specialty Breed Books & Elite Horses: Horses applying for Specialty Breed Books or Elite status must be DNA tested.

♦ All horses produced by frozen semen or embryo transfer: Must have DNA on file with HH, before registration can be completed.

♦ HH reserves the right to require DNA on any horse applying for registration: In some special circumstances, the HH may deem that a horse, not normally required to DNA test, must be DNA tested and parent verified, before registration can be completed.  In these situations, the applicant will be notified.

All DNA tested horses must be parent verified, whenever possible. 

DNA conversion fees may be required to conduct parent verification. 

 If you decide to test your horse at a later date, the DNA form can be found on the HH forms page.

Note: There is a fee to retrieve a stored hair sample.

Click here for instructions on pulling a hair sample.

HYPP Testing Requirements & Other Genetic Defects

All owners are strongly encouraged to HYPP test horses who have unknown lineage in their background or horses that are linked by pedigree to the American Quarter Horse, Impressive. When a horse related to Impressive, or a horse of unknowen lineage, is not tested for HYPP, it might state on the horse’s papers “this horse has not been HYPP tested”.  Foals from non-tested parents might NOT be registered until they are HYPP tested. These horses should be double negative (HYPP n/n), or have proof of a negative horse in the pedigree following Impressive, in order to be registered. Please supply HH with a copy of the HYPP test results showing HYPP n/n status. It is the goal of the HH to eliminate genetic defects, whenever possible.  Other genetic defect declarations may be required, if they are suspected.

Transfer of Ownership

 An HH transfer form must be fully completed, correctly and legibly and must be submitted with payment in full and all of the proper supporting documents and signatures, as instructed on the transfer of ownership form. 

The original Certificate of Registration for the horse being transferred must be returned to HH with the transfer of Ownership form.

Any person applying for transfer of a horse may be required to furnish (at the applicant’s expense) a DNA Report, and/or any other documents or evidence that HH may deem necessary.

Whenever legal title of a registered horse passes to another person by reason of death of the recorded owner, foreclosure of any lien, by any order or decree of court, or otherwise by operation of law, the Registry may transfer the registration of the subject horse to the new owner:

• Upon court order of competent jurisdiction or other satisfactory proof of authority for the transfer.
• Upon payment of the transfer fee.
• Upon satisfaction of such other requirements as may be required by HH

Duplicate Certificates

A Duplicate Certificate of Registration will be issued providing:

• Satisfactory proof of loss, destruction or other reason for the unavailability of original certificate is provided.
• An application for a duplicate Certificate of Registration has been correctly completed and submitted to HH with a statement describing the loss, destruction, or other reason for the unavailability of the original certificate, and the appropriate fee.

• By the issuance of a duplicate registration certificate all prior certificates of the horse are declared null and void. If the original certificate is found it must be returned to HH.

Certificate Changes & Corrections

The recorded owner may request a change, to any part of the issued Certificate.  The original Certificate of Registration must be returned to HH with a completed Change of Certificate Form.  Upon approval of the HH, an amended Certificate of Registration will be issued to the recorded owner. Any clerical errors made by HH will be made free of charge for 60 days after the permanent registration date posted on the certificate.

Liability

The burden of proof for the registration or transfer of a horse is the responsibility of the applicant. Neither the  HH or any of its Directors, employees or members of its committees shall be liable in any event for any action or failure to act in connection with the operation of the HH. Any registry record found to be inaccurate will be expunged or altered and reissued as deemed appropriate by HH.

Titles and Standings for all horses

Horses being registered with HH, who may have already received titles and standing in another registry, may not automatically transfer to HH books or designations. Please contact the HH directly for title and standings that are recognized by HH.

However, all Purebred Friesians registered with FPS or FPZV shall retain the titles as they currently stand with that registry.  Titles and standings from registries other than FPS or FPZV may or may not apply.

A stallion or mare that is known to be passing on a confirmed congenital defect may have its title and standings removed or changed at the discretion of the HH.