For the uninitiated or inexperienced, reading details of horses which includes a series of letters can be quite baffling. The letters most often denote the horses breeding, and some are much more obvious in their meaning than others. The following item aims to identify and explain the most common.
The European Warmbloods
The more confusing letters for English-speakers often belong to the European Warmbloods, since the actual letters refer to a sensible and appropriate phrase in the language of the horses’ native country.
The Belgian Warmblood is identified by the letters ‘BWP’ which stand for Belgisch Warmbloed Paard- the Belgian Warmblood Studbook and denotes a horse which is registered with them. Similarly, a registered Dutch Warmblood will show the letters KWPN in many descriptions or listings. KWPN stands for Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland; the Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands. A Danish Warmblood is often identified by the initials ‘DV’, which simply stand for Dansk Varmblod, the direct translation of Danish Warmblood, as the horse is known in its original country of origin, Denmark.
Other warmbloods are labelled with shortened versions of their full breed name. The Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Brandenburger, Bavarian Warmbood, Oldenburg, Westphalian, Rheinlander and Hessian are all German breeds and are identified by ‘Han’, ‘Hol’, ‘Brand’, ‘Bav’, ‘Old’, ‘West’, ‘Rhein’ and ‘Hess’ respectively. One of the most famous Warmblood breeds, the Trakehner from Prussia, is also often identified in a similar way, with ‘Trak’. The Selle Français, or Cheval de Selle Français- French Saddle Horse, is given the abbreviation SF- simply the initials of the breed.
A much more general description that can appear in ads or listings for all these horses is WB- simply Warmblood.
Other Breeds
Many breeds will be represented by a shortened version of their breed name, like the German Warmbloods listed earlier, or by the initials if their breed name has more than one word in it. So we have examples like ‘Con’ for Connemara, ‘Hafl’ for Haflinger and ‘Appal’ for Appaloosa, or ‘ID’ for Irish Draught and ‘TWH’ for Tennessee Walking Horse.
The Common Cross breeds and Part-Breds
The Anglo-Arab, though recognised as a breed, is actually most frequently a cross between an Arab and Thoroughbred horse. It can also be a cross between either an Anglo-Arab and a Thoroughbred or an Anglo-Arab and an Arabian. Another permitted cross is between two Anglo-Arabians. The horse must have a minimum 12.5% of Arabian blood to be considered an Anglo-Arab. An Anglo-Arab is identified by the abbreviation ‘AA’.
Another recognised breed which is most often a result of crossing two breeds is the Irish Sport Horse. This may be bred from a Thoroughbred and an Irish Draught, or from two parents which are Irish Sport Horses. It is identified with the letters ‘ISH’.
Part-bred horses can have their own registries, often handled by the same societies responsible for their pure-bred relatives. A part bred horse will be denoted by the letters PB. Specific common descriptions are PBA- identifying a Part-bred Arab, and WPB- a Welsh Part-bred.
Breeders Registries
Other letters relate to studbooks or breeders registries where the horse may be recorded.
One of the most commonly seen abbreviations here in the UK is ‘SHB (GB)’. This stands for Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain, and is usually used to denote a horse registered with their stud books. The Society grades and registers all breeds of horse with the main objective of producing a correct, sound, athletic sport horse with the potential to exceed in Show Jumping, Dressage or Eventing.
The Anglo-European Studbook is a British-based studbook of performance horses only, and registers only successful competition horses as defined by various different levels. Horses must have performed with great merit in their sphere or be bred from parents that have succeeded in this way. A horse accepted by the Anglo-European Studbook will display the letters ‘AES’ in any description when being competed or sold.
The Scottish Sports Horse is a breeders’ organisation which registers quality horses and ponies of any breed, colour or height. Horses which have been assessed, graded, accepted and registered are identified by the letters ‘SSH’.
Sources:
Stallions and Studs. Horse and Hound, www.horseandhound.co.uk, accessed 25th May 2011
Belgisch Warmbloedpaard (BWP) Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Accessed 16th May 2011
Common Breeding Information and Abbreviations, Horses Daily, www.horsesdaily.com. Accessed 18th May 2011
Royal Dutch Warmblood Stud Book, www.kwpn.nl, accessed 19th May 2011
Scottish Sports Horse (about) Scottish Sport Horse, www.scottishsportshorse.org, accessed 7th June 2011
Warmblood Breeds Greenacres Stud, www.greenacres-stud.com, accessed Aug 6th 2011
Paula Sainthouse - Paula Sainthouse holds qualifications in psychology, public relations, horse management & animal behaviour.
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