1) A horse must be registered with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).
2) An NFQHA Research/Certification application must be filled out and submitted to NFQHA, together with the appropriate research/certification fee.
3) A copy, front and back, of the horse’s AQHA Registration Certificate (and if leased, a copy of the AQHA Lease Authorization Form), must accompany the NFQHA Certification application.
4) The current Owner or Lessee shown on the AQHA Registration Certificate or AQHA Lease Authorization Form, must coincide with the NFQHA member submitting the Certification application. The name need not be identical, but it must be obvious that it is the same person, persons, or entity.
5) The horse must qualify under the current NFQHA Quarter Horse percentage Certification requirements. As of January 1st, 1997, the minimum required Quarter Horse blood per NFQHA criteria is 80%. No more than 20% Thoroughbred blood is allowed in order to qualify for Certification in NFQHA.
6) Horses with Impressive in their pedigree must submit lab results with their application showing that they are HYPP N/N.
NOTE: Not disclosing descent from Impressive will
result in cancellation of the NFQHA certificate and possible suspension of the owner. Beginning 01/01/05 all horses descended from Impressive must have
HYPP N/N printed on their AQHA registration papers.
7) Horses must be one of the following colors: Sorrel, Black, Bay, Brown, Grullo, Dun, Red Dun, Chesnut, Red Roan, Blue Roan, Bay Roan, Gray, Palomino, or Buckskin. Horses possessing all three characteristics of pink skin, blue eyes, and white or creme colored coat are not acceptable.
8) White Markings: A horse may not have any white markings above the middle of the knee or point of hock, nor beyond an imaginary line drawn from the bottom outside edge of each ear, then to the outside bottom edge of the opposite ear, then to the corners of horse’s mouth, and from there under the chin. Horse may not exhibit any belly spots or any white spots with underlying pink skin other than on face or lower legs such that it cannot be completely covered with a disk one inch in diameter. Horses certified prior to 10/15/03 with noncomplying white markings ARE grandfathered in, BUT their offspring must comply.
9) Note: Beginning January 1, 2005 NFQHA will no longer accept horses for certification that have two NFQHA certified parents but do not meet the 80% requirement due to the NFQHA percentage change to 80% in 1997.