Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have questions?

This section has all our most frequently asked questions. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Send us an email, we’ll be happy to help. Use the Contact Us form or send an email.

MEMBERSHIP

How do I become a member?

Online registration: fill out the online form

Paper registration: Fill out the registration from and send it:

You’ll receive your membership card, a welcome letter and info sheets on the most common registration and transfer questions.

How do I renew my membership?

Have your membership number handy:

Choose one of the following methods to renew

Online: fill out the online form

Paper form: Fill out the registration from and send it:

What are the member benefits?

There are many benefits!

  • Being part of a passionate community
  • Free membership to the Le Cheval Canadien magazine
  • Preferential registration and transfer of ownership rates
  • Access to the listings (breeders’ directory, stallion directory)
  • Free access to our classified ads
  • Preferential rates for our online trainings
  • Access to development programs for riders and drivers (to come)
  • Etc.
Is the CHBA for breeders only?

No! The Canadian Horse Breeders Association is open to everyone! Breeders, owners, competitors or enthusiasts – all Canadian Horse lovers will find benefits in joining our community.

TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP

Why is it important to transfer the ownership?

To come…

How do I transfer a Canadian Horse to my name?

To keep the transfer fees to a minimum, you must become a member of the Canadian Horse Breeders Association (CHBA) for at least one year.

Then fill out the back of the registration certificate with your contact information (name, address, phone number and email address). Also include the purchase date for the horse.
Note: The registration certificate MUST have the signature of the most recent owner listed in the pedigree registry (like when you sell a vehicle and the most recent owner must sign the back of the registration papers).

Send the ORIGINAL registration certificate by mail to:
SCEA / CLRC
c/o: Laura-Lee Mills
2417 Holly Lane
Ottawa (ON) K1V 0M7 – CANADA

Pay the applicable fees (see the fee schedule)

You will then receive a new registration certificate in your name. The processing time may be up to three months.

I don’t have a registration certificate. What should I do?

First, try to track down the most recent owner listed in the registry and ask them to fill out the duplicate request form and provide a written transfer authorization (on the same form).
If you can’t find the previous owner, send a request to the CHBA’s Registration Supervising Committee, which will confirm whether the papers can be issued in your name. In any case, be prepared to provide a proof of purchase and payment (receipt or sales contract) and a proof of identity for the horse (microchip scanned by the vet or DNA parentage test).

I have the registration certificate, but the previous owner never signed it. What should I do?

First, try to track down the previous owner and ask for a written transfer authorization (mail or email).
If you can’t get in touch with the previous owner, the horse may be transferred to your name if you provide a proof of purchase and payment (receipt or sales contract) and a proof of identity for the horse (microchip scanned by the vet or DNA parentage test). If you’re in this situation, contact us for help.

Who pays for the transfer of ownership fees?

According to the Animal Pedigree Act (section 64, (J)), the SELLER is responsible for covering the transfer of ownership fees. However, if the buyer wants to make sure the transaction goes smoothly, they may come to an agreement with the seller and carry out the transfer of ownership process and pay the necessary fees themselves.

PAYMENT METHODS

How do I pay the fees?

There are several ways to pay:

REGISTRATION

How can I find out if my horse is registered?

Registered Canadian Horses must have a microchip (usually implanted on the left side of the neck, halfway between the poll and withers) AND their registration certificate with all their information (registration number, the horse’s full name, microchip number, description of the horse, parentage, name of the breeder, list of successive owners, etc.).

All this information can also be found in the pedigree registry. If a horse’s registration begins with a Z, that means that the breeder HAS NOT completed the horse’s registration! The registration fees have been paid, but the horse has yet to be officially registered. The DNA parentage test, microchip and registration application are missing.

I don’t have the registration certificate and I can’t find any microchip. What should I do?

You can still get a DNA parentage test done by filling out the form and sending some hairs to the lab.
If the horse was previously registered, the lab will be able to match its DNA and confirm its identity.
If your horse has never been registered, it could be eligible for registration if its sire and dam are both formally identified. You’ll then be able to go through the registration process (see “How to register an adult horse”).

How do I register my Canadian foal?
Case 1 : You have a birth declaration

Fill it out and send it:

Pay the applicable fees based on the foal’s age.

You will then receive a registration kit containing:

  • Instructions for the DNA parentage test and for sending the hairs to the lab.
  • A microchip to get implanted by your vet
  • A registration application form to be filled out by your vet and sent to the CLRC.

Once your file is complete, you’ll receive your foal’s registration certificate in the mail.

Case 2 : You do NOT have a birth declaration

Contact Laura-Lee Mills to get the form. She will check the eligibility of your file.

If your foal is eligible for registration, she will send you a birth declaration and you can follow the process described above.

How do I register an adult horse?

We request that breeders systematically register Canadian Horses at birth. If your adult horse hasn’t been registered, there has been some negligence on the part of the breeder.

Having said that, it’s possible to register an adult horse, under certain conditions. However, it will be more expensive and time consuming, as gathering all the information required can be challenging. Don’t expect it to be a breeze.

Case 1 : You have proof of identity for your horse and the sire and dam are known

In the pedigree registry, check that both parent are registered and that they have been DNA typed. This is a mandatory criteria for the offspring to be registered.

Contact our Registrar, Laura-Lee Mills, who will confirm the eligibility of your file and send the necessary forms.

Contact the breeder (owner or lessor of the mare at the time of mating), who will have to provide written consent for your horse to be registered.

Pay the applicable fees based on the horse’s age

Complete your file based on the instructions found in the various forms you have received:

  • Send the hairs to the lab for the DNA parentage test.
  • Get your vet to implant the microchip and help you fill out the registration form, which should then be mailed to the CLRC.

Once your file is complete, you’ll receive your horse’s registration certificate in the mail.

Case 2 : You do not know your horse’s identity and the sire and dam are unknown

Start by ordering a DNA parentage test to see if your horse’s parents can be identified and whether your horse can be registered. Fill out the DNA test request form and follow the instructions.

If both parents are identified and your horse’s parentage is confirmed, contact our Registrar, Laura-Lee Mills, who will send you the forms you need.

Contact the breeder (owner or lessor of the mare at the time of mating), who will have to provide written consent for your horse to be registered.

Pay the applicable fees based on the horse’s age, deducting the DNA test fees that you have already paid.

Complete your file based on the instructions found in the various forms:

  • Send the hairs to the lab for the DNA parentage test.
  • Get your vet to implant the microchip and help you fill out the registration application, which should then be mailed to the CLRC.

Once your file is complete, you’ll receive your horse’s registration certificate in the mail.

I’ve lost my Canadian horse’s registration papers, what should I do?

If you’re the most recent official owner in the registry, you just have to fill out the duplicate request form and pay the fees. You’ll receive a duplicate of the registration certificate in the mail.

If you’re not the most recent official owner in the registry, you will have to contact them and get their signature for the duplicate request form. Contact us if you need help finding the person’s contact information.

STALLIONS

I want to offer my stallion for breeding, what are my duties?

See the info sheet for stallion owners

Regarding the database, stallion owners have two compulsory duties:

Vet inspection

If the stallion was born in or after 2015, a vet check is mandatory for its offspring to be registered. The form must be filled out by the vet and emailed promptly to the CLRC (lauralee.mills@clrc.ca) or mailed to
SCEA / CLRC
c/o: Laura-Lee Mills
2417 Holly Lane
Ottawa (ON) K1V 0M7 – CANADA

Stallion Report

At the end of each breeding year, stallion owners must fill out a Stallion Report and email it to info@lechevalcanadien.ca. It will soon be possible to fill out the form directly on the website. If the Stallion Report is sent in late, a $50 fee will apply.

If a stallion did not service any mares during the breeding year, we still request that stallion owners fill out the form and simply indicate “not applicable.”

DNA TYPING

Can a DNA test establish a horse’s breed?

DNA typing does not tell us a horse’s breed, not its degree of purity (purebred or crossbred).

It does make it possible to identify its parents, if they were DNA typed for their own registration.