Registration & Certification:
One of the frequently asked questions is what is certification and what does it mean?
Most people are used to horses being registered and papered in one association or another but not many associations, in the pleasure horse world, require that the horse also be 'Certified' under saddle and demonstrate gait under saddle prior to breeding.
Rocky Mountain Horse (RMHA), Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association (KMSHA) and Mountain Please Horse Association (MPHA) each have their own specific processes for registration, certification and qualifications for stallion/mare/gelding books.
The base principal is that owners apply for foal registration papers, along with photos, breeding certificate and DNA testing (proof of parentage), within six months of the foaling date.
To become certified in the RMH & KMSHA associations, horses must be video taped (for those of us who do not have access to judges in person) demonstrating breed traits, standards and gait under saddle. Video tapes are submitted to the associations along with additional required documentation. Judges then review and approve or decline certification of the horse.
Certified means that the horses meets breed standards and are issued new association papers adorning a gold seal. Mares and Stallions must receive their gold seals/certified to breed status prior to breeding for offspring to be eligible for breed registration papers.
*A word of caution ... Certification does not equally translate into 'trained'. Because the horse must be is under saddle to be certified there is a misconception that this automatically means that the horse is fully 'trained', 'well started' or even 'finished'. Each owner / trainer have their own philosophies on when to start and how gait is achieved to satisfy Certification requirements.
Some horses are certified as young as two years old. At GMR we don't start under saddle work until the horse is in its third year or the fall of their third year. Definitely more of an investment on the front end but it pays off in the long run. The section on Starting a Mountain Saddle Horse goes into greater detail on our philosophies about when to start and how we train.
~ ~ ~