Studbook or breed? The difference for the show jumping horse

In show jumping we often hear «KWPN», «BWP» or «Zangersheide»: these are studbooks, not breeds in the traditional sense. Let's see the difference.

What a studbook is

A studbook is the organisation that registers horses, certifies their genealogy and sets their selection criteria. Internationally, studbooks are coordinated by the WBFSH [1][2].

«Open» studbooks and sport horses

Many sport studbooks are relatively «open»: they select for performance and admit input from other studbooks. That is why a show jumper is often identified by its registration studbook (e.g. KWPN, BWP) rather than by a closed breed.

What it means for evaluation

The studbook indicates the selection environment and prevailing lines, but does not replace the analysis of actual results. See the main studbooks and how to read a pedigree.