Frequently Asked Questions

In an effort to help the breeders we work with, we’ve put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions that include topics relevant to Dutch Warmblood horses, breeding in the USA, FFS (aka WFFS) and more.

I am interested in breeding to Vinca. Is my mare eligible for one of the registries he is approved with?

We work very closely with the KWPN-NA (Dutch Warmbloods) and Oldenburg Horse Breeders Society/German Oldenburg Verband (GOV) to register Vinca foals each year, although his foals are also eligible to be registered with other registries, like the Swedish Warmblood Association of North America (SWANA), due to his status with the GOV.

It can get overwhelming, so if your mare does not have KWPN or GOV papers, please reach out to Erika so she can help determine the best path of registration for your foal. We are happy to speak with whatever registry your mare has papers for, or help you determine if your mare is eligible for the KWPN or GOV. For instance, the KWPN allows offspring from mares who are non-warmblood, non-sporthorse or non-registered in their Register B book.

What naming conventions do I need to follow?

It depends on the registry you choose for your foal!

KWPN-NA Naming Rules: Names must coincide with the year of birth. Names are limited to 20 characters/spaces. The letter of 2024 is “U”, meaning all foals registered with KWPN-NA and born in 2024 must have names that start with the letter “U”. In 2023, the letter was “T”. In 2022, the letter was “S”. In 2021, the letter was “R”. The KWPN skips the letters Q, X and Y.

Oldenburg Naming Rules: If the resulting foal is a filly that is intended for breeding, their name must start with the first letter of the Dam’s name. If the filly is not intended for breeding, then the name can start with either the first letter of the Dam’s name or the first letter of the Sire’s name, but cannot start with any other letter. If the foal is a colt the name must start with the first letter of the Sire’s name.

Other registries follow other naming conventions, but we can work with you, should you decide to register through another registry, to determine the required naming conventions for your Vinca foal.

I am researching stallions and see mentions of Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA). What is EVA? Does EVA impact breeding my mare?

Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) is a highly-contagious disease caused by equine arteritis virus (EAV). It is of concern to mare owners because it can cause abortion in pregnant mares and death in foals. All stallions intended for breeding must be tested for EAV antibodies before breeding.

EVA is highly prevalent in Warmbloods, and therefore of interest to Warmblood breeders. Breeding stallions, like Vinca, are vaccinated annually for EVA, so it is not of worry to mare owners.

If you are choosing to breed your mare to an EAV-carrier stallion, you should be sure to talk to your vet and the facility managing her before breeding to determine a vaccination plan, as well as a plan to ensure your mare does not have contact with antibody-negative horses for at least three weeks after the breeding date. Although the vaccine will protect your mare from EVA, she could become a source of infection for other horses via the respiratory system.

For more information about EVA, we recommend visiting the American Association of Equine Practitioners website.

Fragile Foal Syndrome (formerly known as Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome - WFFS) is a hot topic as of late. What is FFS?

FFS, or, Fragile Foal Syndrome (formerly known as Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome), is a devastating, fatal genetic defect in foals. Affected foals display abnormally thin, fragile skin, hyperextension of limbs, hydrops (accumulation of fluid in fetus) and premature birth—however, most foals are reabsorbed or aborted before birth.

The FFS gene mutation is autosomal recessive, meaning that two copies of the mutation are required (i.e. both parents must be carriers), for offspring to have FFS. FFS has no known impact on performance horses.

Vinca’s WFFS status is N/N, also known as clear or negative. Therefore, Vinca will not pass the defective gene onto his offspring and can be bred to FFS carrier mares (those with the N/WFFS status) or those with an unknown FFS status.

How do I test for FFS?

If you are breeding to a stallion with the N/FFS status (a carrier) or a stallion with an unknown FFS status, it is strongly recommended to have your mare tested for the defect before purchasing semen and breeding her to save from future heartbreak. When breeding to outside stallions, we work with the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at UC Davis to have our mares tested. The cost is $40 per horse. Testing for FFS is done by pulling 20-30 hairs with roots.

Originally, the name was Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome, however, the first case of FFS was identified in Thoroughbreds, causing the change of name to Fragile Foal Syndrome. It is recommended to test Thoroughbred mares breeding to N/FFS status Warmblood stallions or those with an unknown FFS status.