To be eligible for registration the following criteria must be met:

1.  DRAFT BREEDING REQUIREMENT AND DIVISIONS

Horses will be eligible for registration or recording in three divisions:

a.  Division 1:   SPOTTED DRAFT HORSE - COLORED

Horses that are a minimum of 25% draft, and have qualifying paint/pinto markings ( see Color Requirements below).  These horses will receive a Registration Certificate with the title ''Division 1 Spotted Draft Horse'' and the number 1 will follow their registration number to indicate they are Division 1 horses.  Purebred draft horses (for example registered Clydesdale or Shire horses) that meet the color requirements can also be registered as Division 1 Spotted Draft Horses.

b.  Division 2:  SPOTTED DRAFT HORSE - SOLID COLORED

Solid colored horses that have at least one parent from Division 1 or Division 2 or at least one parent that is registered with another spotted draft registry (NASDHA, PDR, SDHS or other spotted/pinto draft horse registries). These horses must also be a minimum of 25% draft breeding.  These are solid colored horses which have Spotted Draft heritage.  These horses will receive a Registration Certificate with the title ''Division 2 Spotted Draft Horse'' and their registration number will have a number 2 following it to indicate they are solid colored horses.

c.  Division 3:  RECORDED BREEDING STOCK

Any draft or light horse that is 14.2hh or above at maturity (*see exceptions below).  These horses will receive a ''Division 3 Recorded Breeding Stock'' Certificate and will have a registration number with the number 3 following to indicate they are recorded breeding stock.

RECOGNIZED DRAFT BREEDS/TYPES:  

The most commonly found in North America are American Cream Draft, Belgian, Clydesdale, Friesian, Gypsy Vanner, Haflinger, Percheron, Shire, and Suffolk Punch.  All other recognized draft horse breeds will also be accepted.

*No horse with Appaloosa, donkey or pony breeding will be registered in any division.

**All parentage may be unknown but a horse must have some draft characteristics in order to be registered.  Additional information and/or photographs may be requested in order to verify that a horse has the minimum 25% draft breeding required for registration as a Division 1 or 2 Spotted Draft.

2.  HEIGHT REQUIREMENT

All horses to be registered or recorded in any division must reach a minimum height of 14.2hh at maturity
(with the exception of recognized smaller draft horse breeds i.e. Haflinger and Gypsy Vanner).

3.  PHOTOGRAPHIC REQUIREMENTS

All registration applications must be accompanied by four color photographs:

They must be good quality, clear photos.  The left side photo goes on the front of the registration papers and the right side and front views will go on the back side of the registration papers.  The rear view is not included on the papers but will be kept in the horse's file.  Digital photos are preferred and may be emailed to the registrar.

If the paint marking that is believed to qualify the horse for Division 1 Colored Spotted Draft registration is of minimal size or is not clearly visible in the four photographs (i.e. a belly spot) additional photographs of the spot must be submitted.

The photos submitted become the property of SDHR and will be kept permanently on file.  These photos may be used for promotional purposes.

4.  COLOR REQUIREMENTS

In order to be registered as a Division 1 Spotted Draft the following requirements must be met:

a.  The horse to be registered must have a definite paint marking at least 4 square inches in size.  ''Paint marking'' shall be defined as an area of solid white hair with underlying unpigmented (pink) skin on a predominant hair coat color OR in the case of a predominantly white horse, an area of solid colored hair with underlying pigmented skin which measures at least 4 square inches.

b.  The qualifying paint marking described above must fall within certain areas of the horses body:

i.  On the horses head the paint marking will qualify if it is outside the area of regular white face markings (it may be attached to and extend from this area).  To determine where regular face markings fall a line is drawn from the base of one ear to the base of the other ear, from there to the outside corner of the eye, then continuing to the corner of the mouth, then from the corner of the mouth under the chin to the other corner of the mouth and on back up to the outside corner of the eye and the base of the ear on the other side of the face.

ii.  On the horses front legs the paint marking will qualify if it is above the middle of the knee (it may be attached to and extend from this area).  To determine where the center of the knee is, a level line is drawn from the bony protrusions at the back of the knee horizontally around the knee.

iii.  On the horses back legs the paint marking will qualify if it is above the point of the hock (it may be attached to and extend from this area).  To determine where the line at the point of the hock is a level line is drawn horizontally around the hock starting at the point of the hock.

iv.  The qualifying paint marking need not be visible from a standing position (i.e. a paint marking on the belly).

v.  Areas that do not qualify as paint markings are the eyes,  lips of the vulva, shaft of the penis and the inner sheath.

5.  COLOR PATTERNS

The three recognized paint patterns are listed below.  You can read about them on our  
COLOR PATTERN DESCRIPTIONS page.

a.  TOBIANO

b.  OVERO

c.  TOVERO

6.  NAME REQUIREMENTS

a.  The horse's requested registered name may not exceed 30 characters and spaces.  Only letters may be used in
a registered name (numbers and symbols are not allowed with the exception of apostrophes).  Breeder (farm)
prefixes may be used and are included in the 30 characters.  

b.  When requesting a name change of a registered SDHR horse the breeder/farm name prefix may be changed
only by the breeder of the horse.  Additionally, any SDHR registered horse whose name appears on another horse's registration papers (as a sire or dam) may not have its name changed.
 
c.  SDHR will not accept any names that could be considered offensive.

The Registration Application and Pedigree Forms may be found on the Forms and Fees page.