Some thoughts about what evaluations are

Often it is said about this or that icelandic horse that it is evaluated. But what does that mean? The state in Iceland runs a selective breeding program, with official judges at breeding evaluations. Very similar evaluations, often with the same judges as in Iceland, are held in many other countries. So there is mostly only one type of evaluation for the Icelandic horse. The evaluations are for breeding horses, usually just mares and stallions. Geldings are sometimes evaluated, usually because either the owner of the father or the mother want them to "make the parent higher" in BLUP. Besides the evaluations there are lots of gaited shows, and more rarely there are shows in endurance, dressage, jumping and other fun diciplines. But these are not the same as evaluations. The evaluations are held all over Iceland for folks to bring their horses to in hopes of getting a favorable evaluation. There is usually at least one spring evaluation in every community, like in Skagafjordur, Eyjafjordur, Reykjavik etc., and if there are many horses expected there is also an autum (august) evaluation and even more. You can put every horse you want to in evaluation, no icelandic horse will be denied to participate. But those that show horses at evaluations do not want to: 1) Be the laughing stock of other showers, if they come with some ugly nag. 2) Have it written down for everyone to look at that their horse is bad. So, even though it would be most favourable for the horse breeding that all breeding horses were evaluated (because then it is better to see the status of the average horse in Iceland), in reality the horses that show up are the horses the owners think are likely to get a good evaluation. The average riding horse with it's usual sloppy gaits would only get 6.5 - 7.5 for their gaits at a breeding show. It is said in the breeding manual that the average horse get's 7,5 but that is not true in reality, as mostly just the better horses show up at the evaluations. The score for individual characters ranges between 5 (which means "nonexistent", a 4-gaiter gets for example 5 for pace) and 10 (which means "perfect"). So, participating in an evaluation is looked upon as something good to do for your horses that are of better quality, if they rise up to the expectations. That way they have prooved that they are good. It is a gamble, you have to have judged your horse right, and the horse has to show it's good sides at the shows (no horse is as good at shows as at home where everything is familiar). And if a horse gets bad marks, they will follow the horse and it's offspring for generations, making their Blup worse and the prospects of selling them worse. Mares that have been evaluated and gotten good marks, usually get priced higher in Iceland, as they have prooved that they are promising broodmares. All evaluated horses get evaluated in the same way, and the judge has to have finished a B.Sc. degree at the agricultural university at Hvanneyri to get the rights to be a licenced breeding judge. The state-run breeding registry runs the breeding shows and chooses the judges. All in all there are really only about 10 judges that judge large-scale at breeding shows, so the judgements are rather well balanced between shows, and usually rather harsh. Only a good horse gets good evaluations. All horses that are evaluated are registered into the stud book, and lots of horses that aren't evaluated are registered there. For decades, the horses that were shown at evaluations were divided into 3 groups: 1. prize horses, 2. prize horses, and horses that weren't registered. Now this isn't done anymore, but habit is strong, and the average horseman still talks about a sertain horse "getting 1. prize" or "getting into the stud book". So, let's see what this means: To be "A 1. prize horse", the horse has to have an average-score (for both conformation and riding qualities) over 8.00 at an evaluation. To be "A 2. prize horse", a mare has to have an average-score (for both conformation and riding qualities) over 7.50 an an evaluation, but a stallion has to have over 7.75. Sometimes it is said that a horse has "A good 2. prize", that usually means that it has gotten an evaluation that is almost 1. prize, but not quite (for example 7.90). Sometimes it is said that a horse got "A 1. prize for riding qualities", then that horse got over 8.00 as an average score for riding qualities, but propably less for conformation. Then it's the consept of Honorary Stallions. At every Landsmot, stallions can get this title, Honorary Stallions. To be an honorary stallion, the stallion has to have Blup over 125 and 50 or more evaluated offspring. There are only a few horses that have gotten this prize, examples are Ţáttur from Kirkjubć, Hrafn from Holtsmúla, Stígandi from Sauđárkróki, Náttfari from Ytra-Dalsgerđi and Kjarval from Sauđárkróki. BACK TO BREEDING GOALS

Often it is said about this or that icelandic horse that it is evaluated. But what does that mean?

The state in Iceland runs a selective breeding program, with official judges at breeding evaluations. Very similar evaluations, often with the same judges as in Iceland, are held in many other countries. So there is mostly only one type of evaluation for the Icelandic horse.

The evaluations are for breeding horses, usually just mares and stallions. Geldings are sometimes evaluated, usually because either the owner of the father or the mother want them to "make the parent higher" in BLUP.

Besides the evaluations there are lots of gaited shows, and more rarely there are shows in endurance, dressage, jumping and other fun diciplines. But these are not the same as evaluations.

The evaluations are held all over Iceland for folks to bring their horses to in hopes of getting a favorable evaluation. There is usually at least one spring evaluation in every community, like in Skagafjordur, Eyjafjordur, Reykjavik etc., and if there are many horses expected there is also an autum (august) evaluation and even more.

You can put every horse you want to in evaluation, no icelandic horse will be denied to participate. But those that show horses at evaluations do not want to: 1) Be the laughing stock of other showers, if they come with some ugly nag. 2) Have it written down for everyone to look at that their horse is bad.

So, even though it would be most favourable for the horse breeding that all breeding horses were evaluated (because then it is better to see the status of the average horse in Iceland), in reality the horses that show up are the horses the owners think are likely to get a good evaluation.

The average riding horse with it's usual sloppy gaits would only get 6.5 - 7.5 for their gaits at a breeding show. It is said in the breeding manual that the average horse get's 7,5 but that is not true in reality, as mostly just the better horses show up at the evaluations.

The score for individual characters ranges between 5 (which means "nonexistent", a 4-gaiter gets for example 5 for pace) and 10 (which means "perfect").

So, participating in an evaluation is looked upon as something good to do for your horses that are of better quality, if they rise up to the expectations. That way they have prooved that they are good. It is a gamble, you have to have judged your horse right, and the horse has to show it's good sides at the shows (no horse is as good at shows as at home where everything is familiar). And if a horse gets bad marks, they will follow the horse and it's offspring for generations, making their Blup worse and the prospects of selling them worse.

Mares that have been evaluated and gotten good marks, usually get priced higher in Iceland, as they have prooved that they are promising broodmares. All evaluated horses get evaluated in the same way, and the judge has to have finished a B.Sc. degree at the agricultural university at Hvanneyri to get the rights to be a licenced breeding judge. The state-run breeding registry runs the breeding shows and chooses the judges. All in all there are really only about 10 judges that judge large-scale at breeding shows, so the judgements are rather well balanced between shows, and usually rather harsh. Only a good horse gets good evaluations.

All horses that are evaluated are registered into the stud book, and lots of horses that aren't evaluated are registered there.

For decades, the horses that were shown at evaluations were divided into 3 groups:

1. prize horses,
2. prize horses,
and horses that weren't registered.

Now this isn't done anymore, but habit is strong, and the average horseman still talks about a sertain horse "getting 1. prize" or "getting into the stud book". So, let's see what this means: To be "A 1. prize horse", the horse has to have an average-score (for both conformation and riding qualities) over 8.00 at an evaluation. To be "A 2. prize horse", a mare has to have an average-score (for both conformation and riding qualities) over 7.50 an an evaluation, but a stallion has to have over 7.75. Sometimes it is said that a horse has "A good 2. prize", that usually means that it has gotten an evaluation that is almost 1. prize, but not quite (for example 7.90). Sometimes it is said that a horse got "A 1. prize for riding qualities", then that horse got over 8.00 as an average score for riding qualities, but propably less for conformation.

Then it's the consept of Honorary Stallions. At every Landsmot, stallions can get this title, Honorary Stallions. To be an honorary stallion, the stallion has to have Blup over 125 and 50 or more evaluated offspring. There are only a few horses that have gotten this prize, examples are Ţáttur from Kirkjubć, Hrafn from Holtsmúla, Stígandi from Sauđárkróki, Náttfari from Ytra-Dalsgerđi and Kjarval from Sauđárkróki.

BACK TO BREEDING GOALS