Definition Irish Cob
An Irish Cob is a horse that
- is registered as Irish Cob by an approved studbook organization (as meant in EEC 92/353), or
- is an animal of which both parents are proven Irish Cobs as meant before, or
- an animal of which both parents were approved for breeding Irish Cobs by an approved Irish Cob studbook
Breeding Irish Cobs
An Irish cob is recommended for breeding if it has been rewarded with a second or first premium on a public inspection of ICS Nederland.
An Irish Cob is accepted for breeding if it has been rewarded with a third premium on a public inspection of ICS Nederland.
In both cases the suffix “premie” is added to the name of the register the horse is in, i.e. “HB1 Premie”, “HB2 Premie” or “Basis Premie”.
Studbook sections
The ICS Nederland studbook is divided into sections that are divided into registers.
Main Section registers
HB1A: Offspring of a sire approved for breeding Irish Cobs and a dam with ICS-NL premium.
HB1B: Offspring of a sire approved for breeding Irish Cobs and a dam registered in ICS-NL.
HB2A: Offspring of a sire registered but not approved for breeding and a dam with ICS-NL premium.
HB2B: Offspring of a sire registered but not approved for breeding and a mare registered in ICS-NL.
Supplementary Section (Basic Register)
1) equines with unknown or half known lineage that obtained a premium on a breed entry inspection or that were entered into the studbook by an ICS-NL representative using the breed-entry form, or
2) equines born from an Irish Cob mare and an unknown sire that show sufficient Irish Cob characteristics as determined by an ICS-NL representative using the appropriate score form.
Irish Cob Crossbred section (not part of the Irish Cob studbook)
Progeny with one parent approved for breeding Irish Cobs and the other parent belonging to another breed not being one of the breeds that may enter the Irish Cob Main Section in HB3.
Premium Inspections
Irish Cob mares and geldings aged 2 years or more (as date of birth the first of January of the year of birth is assumed) are allowed to be showed at premium inspections .
Irish Cob stallions aged 2 years or more (as date of birth the first of January of the year of birth is assumed) are allowed to be showed on premium inspections.
The owner of the horse as mentioned in the passport must be a member of ICS Nederland or of one of the allied national organizations.
Premiums
Premiums are granted on the number of points a horse has obtained on an ICS Nederland premium inspection.
No premium: less then 128 points. (not for breeding Irish Cobs)
3rd Premium: 128 – 135 points (allowed for breeding)
2nd Premium: 136 – 145 points (recommended for breeding)
1st Premium: 146 – 160 points (recommended for breeding)
Mares scoring 7 or less on one or more items on the score form cannot obtain a first premium.
Stallions scoring 7 or less on one or more items do not obtain a premium and cannot be approved for breeding.
Foals up to 2 years old may obtain foal premiums, these do not count for promotion or for upgrading the foal or its parents
Stallions rejected by another studbook on veterinary grounds are not allowed on premium inspections.
Young stallions that obtain a third premium are approved for breeding but need re-inspection and a second or first premium at five years to receive the title Traditional Cob for their offspring with approved mares.
“New” stallions presented on an inspection must be accompanied by a lab certificate showing the stallion is free of PSSM1.
Constraining inbreeding
Breeding with horses of which the inbreeding coefficient exceeds 12.5 percent is discouraged.
(the inbreeding coefficient is showed on the Online Pedigrees)
Recording foals in the main registers
In order to record foals in the main registers, the following demands must be met:
1. The studbook office has received a valid covering cert before January 1st
2. The studbook office has received a valid birth notification within 3 weeks after the foal was born.
3. The foal is identified by a representative of ICS-NL or a veterinary surgeon “at the foot of the dam”
and the acquired filled in forms were received by the studbook office before the foal is 4 months old
4. Parentage must be proven by DNA comparison to put parents in the foal’s passport
Recording foals in the Basic Register
In order to record foals in the Basic Register, the following demands must be met:
- The dam must be registered in the ICS Nederland studbook.
- The studbook office has received a birth notification within 3 weeks after the foal was born.
- The foal is identified by an ICS Nederland inspector “at the foot of the dam” and judged conform the breed standard
- Parentage must be proven by DNA comparison
Registration of inheritable faults
The breeder is required to notify the studbook office when a foal shows a probably inheritable defect.
The ICS Nederland representative identifying foals must register anomalities on the identification forms.
The studbook office registers probably inheritable anomalities in a way that makes it possible to reduce these to ancestors.
Other Qualifications
Irish Cobs of two years and older obtaining a first premium in two different calendar years are granted the title “STER”
For Irish Cobs of which three or more descendants obtained a first premium at adult age (2 years or older) , the title “PREFERENT” can be requested
Breed Entry
Breed Entry Inspections are accessible for all equine not yet registered as Irish Cob.
Using unapproved stallions for breeding
To maintain the quality of the Irish Cob population registered with ICS Nederland, male progeny of stallions that are not approved for breeding cannot be approved for breeding. This is recorded in the foal’s passport.
Other studbooks
Scores and classifications of other studbooks registering coloured horses under names as (pinto)Tinker, Scudder, Gypsy Cob, Irische Schecken etc. cannot be acknowledged by ICS Nederland.
The approval of stallions for breeding by other Irish Cob organizations outside their homeland is not acknowledged by ICS Nederland
Traditional Cob
Traditional Cob is the qualification for an Irish Cob in HB1 of which the dam has obtained a second or first premium and the sire is approved for breeding and, at the age of five years or older, has obtained a second or first premium.