The Kerry Bog Pony Co-Operative Society Ireland

If you wish, you may download the complete Studbook Rules (in PDF format).

Objectives of the Society

The Kerry Bog Pony Co-Operative Society, hereafter known as the society shall:

Maintain a register of the particulars of the pedigree, status and performance of registered Kerry Bog Ponies hereafter know as the 'animals'.
Include such information as the management committee may from time to time decide.
Promote the breeding of the Kerry Bog Pony in order to safeguard the conservation of this native Irish breed.

Breeding Objectives

To encourage the continued improvement and upgrading of the Kerry Bog Pony by advocating the careful selection of mares and stallions so as to conserve genetic diversity and minimise inbreeding.

Division of Studbook

To qualify for entry into the main section of the studbook an animal must:

Be descended from parents entered in the main section of the studbook of the breed or any other EU approved studbook for the breed.
Have a pedigree established according to the rules of the breed.
Be identified as a foal at foot according to the rules of the studbook.

However, as the studbook is in a foundation period many animals may not have pedigree information recorded. Consequently, the studbook will operate under a derogation whereby animals that meet the characteristics of the breed and are identified according to the rules of the studbook will be eligible for registration in the main section of the studbook. Live inspections shall be required to determine compliance with the breed characteristics. This derogation, which has been authorised by the Department of Agriculture and Food, will operate until the 31st of December 2009. After this date, the studbook will be closed and the Society may decide to open a Supplementary Section to infuse new genes into the population, if they so desire.

The main studbook is divided into four classes:

Class 1 is for ponies that pass inspection for classification
Class 2 is for ponies that fail to be included in Class 1 only because they are over the height
Class 3 is for animals [other than those placed in Class 2] that fail inspection
Class 4 [Un-inspected Ponies] is for un-inspected foals and all other animals that have a legal right of entry into the studbook to start with before inspection

Animals registered in Class 4 of the main studbook can be inspected from age 2 onwards for placement in Class 1, 2 or 3 as appropriate. The Society reserves the right to re-classify animals following any further inspection that may be arranged by the Management Committee. Animals may be re-classified in a higher or lower class following such inspection.

Animals registered in other daughter Kerry Bog Pony studbooks will be registered after inspection in the corresponding appropriate Class in the mother studbook.