We all have those random things that make us twitchy. Especially when it comes to horses… bunch of kinda weird, passionate, and opinionated people… it’s inevitable. There are plenty of things that get my eyes rolling, but for some reason there are a few things in particular that send me through the roof faster than anything else. In honor of breeding season we’ll call this one Pet Peeves: Breeding Edition.
RPSI vs Rhinelander
A horse that is registered RPSI (Rheinland Pfalz-Saar International) is not a Rhinelander (Rheinisches Pferdestammbuch). A little confusing to most, but they’re totally different registries. This would probably bother me a lot less if I didn’t have a horse – Sadie – that is registered RPSI. On her passport her breed says Zweibrucken, which is what RPSI horses used to be called. Now they’re Deutsches Sportferd (still not Rhinelander).
From RPSI:
As many of you have heard, in Germany the Rhineland Studbook, located in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, has merged with the Hanoverian verband there, and is also now represented in North America as a branch of the American Hanoverian Society. The Rhineland organization is separate from the Rheinland Pfalz-Saar International, and no, we have not merged with the Hanoverians! Our passports are still produced in Germany at our World Breeding Federation member verband the Pferdezuchtverband Rheinland-Pfalz- Saar, we still offer UELN (Unique Equine Life Numbers) and Permanent Identification (Microchip and Brand), follow German rules and regulations, and offer the same extensive North American keuring tour, as we have since 1995.
Not. The. Same.
“Out” of stallion
You see this one all the time… “I have a horse out of Popeye K!”. No you don’t. Horses are BY stallions and OUT of mares. Pretty sure Popeye K ain’t squeezing a foal OUT of his boy parts.
Stud
This is the other one you see all the time “I love this stud!”. A stud is a place where stallions are kept. A breeding stallion is a stallion. Maybe a sire. Not a stud.
Ahhh… that feels better. I’m not the only one with these kind of weird pet peeves, right?
breedrideevent.com 
People misusing “out of” for stallions makes me soooo twitchy. Glad I’m not alone!
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Prepositions matter. Thank you. Also, interesting about the merger with Hanoverian… did not know that about Rhineland.
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I didn’t know that bit about the stud! Admittedly, not about the RPSI either, but I expected that.
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I will forever call my barns resident stallion studly. Sorry not sorry.
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yeah i hate the out of thing.
the other thing i hate is saying a horse is ‘half siblings’ if they share a sire. SLKEUSDFkj they are not half siblings!!! if you want to list the stallions other successful progeny find but don’t say his half brother is an advanced horse. BLERP.
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Hahaha that too!
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Ok maybe you can clear this up for me–I see a lot of shitty would-be “warmbloods” going under the RPSI label when imo they’re really more of an “badly planned american sport horse” or something. Does RPSI just take all comers or is the RPSI I’m seeing not relate to the German RPSI like the whole Oldenburg/Oldenburg NA thing?
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RPSI has different books. Full branded horses are those of “approved” pedigree – dam is in the Main Mare Book (which means she has the scores and the bloodlines required) and the stallion is Stud Book 1. Half branded horses are those who either have a parent of insufficient pedigree (ie a breed not allowed into the main books) or a parent of insufficient inspection scores/performance to fulfill requirements in the main books. Most other registries call that a “Certificate of Pedigree” and don’t offer any kind of brand for those horses. RPSI does it a little differently. Some people/breeders like to use that to their advantage, making it misleading to the average “consumer”.
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thanks for clarifying, ive often wondered the same thing.
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I have more knowledge of stock horse breeding than warmblood, and people who say they have a Paint AQHA or Appaloosa Quarter Horse MAKES ME CRAZY. They are different. You may have a double-registered horse. But if your horse has multiple colors on his main body, he is NOT a Quarter Horse. Kthx.
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Oh, I have pet peeves! Thanks for sharing yours!
One of mine…ponytails. Specifically, ponytails hanging out from under riding helmets. Get a hairnet and put that stuff away! Me and George Morris. “I refuse to even look in your direction until something is done about that ponytail.” – GM Yes, you, with the ponytail hanging out. I am judging you hard.
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The out of thing is definitely weird. I didn’t actually remember what RPSI stood for, since nobody ever says that mouthful out loud, so it didn’t even occur to me that there could be confusion!
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People saying “out of” either a stallion or a dog – annoys me. It seems so logical when you use it correctly.
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My pet peeves, too! Altho I do admit I have used the word “stud” improperly. Such as last week, “Hey are you sure that OTTB is not a stud? He is acting weird in the pasture …” I will hide in my shame. 🙂
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I’m not really in the horse breeding world, so none of those things would bother me. What does bother me is when someone has a mare or stallion (careful not to use the word stud here ;)) and that animal is uncontrollable, massively rank, or has a serious confirmation issue and the people go out and breed it.
“Well, little miss here can’t be ridden because she’s rank as hell and has xyz bad inheritable trait, so we figure we’ll breed her”
I just cringe-smile and walk away.
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And I have a problem with “confirmation” instead of (the correct) “conformation”. Confirmation is about your airline tickets or hotel room.
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OMG yes that too
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And here I was thinking a “stud” was that guy who mows the grass outside my office’s windows….
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thats the only acceptable use of the word stud, when referencing a living being.
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Our firm’s principal and founder refers to him as “Mr Muscles”. It’s something to behold.
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*Insert horse nerd grass studs pun here*
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“Out of…” cracks me up. Half of that horse’s DNA was out of his sire… I guess?
My peeve (vet student) is people acting like they know more than they do about horses- please don’t hurt yourself!
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I have a long list.
People leaving brushes everywhere
People letting their reins drag on the ground or just randomly dropping them
People leaving saddles and saddle pads on the floor in the tack room
People leaving halters in the stall
People taking cribbing collars off for turnout and not putting them back on
People hanging bridles by browbands, nosebands, bits, anything that is not the crownpiece
Parents tacking up the horse for their child or going into the stall on flip flops
People making my ground poles into jumps without asking first. I just need one pole. Don’t even need the standards. Please stop taking my pole.
People who leave the wheelbarrow full
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Stud – I disagree – check the dictionary and you will find several definitions of which include a studhorse or stallion or male animal kept for breeding. A stud farm, shortened to stud is a place where a breeding stallion(s) aka stud(s) is/are kept.
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