How to read a horse’s pedigree

A pedigree is a horse’s genetic identity card. For breeders and buyers alike, knowing how to read one tells you where a horse comes from and what it may pass on.

What is a pedigree?

It is the horse’s family tree: its parents, grandparents and ancestors over several generations. In Morocco, this ancestry is guaranteed by registration in the breed’s stud-book.

Reading the chart

A pedigree is usually shown as a chart:

• on the left, the horse itself;
• at the top, the sire line: the sire, then the sire’s sire…;
• at the bottom, the dam line: the dam, the dam’s dam…;
• each generation doubles the number of ancestors: 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents.

The vocabulary

• by X out of Y: X is the sire, Y the dam;
• dam’s sire (or broodmare sire): the maternal grandsire, often quoted to describe a bloodline;
• progeny: the foals of a stallion or mare;
• female line: the family of mares from which the horse descends.

An example from the stud

Take Nawrass Sahel, our Arab-Barb stallion: he is by Fahd Al Assil out of Tanouira. In 2026 he sired several foals, including one out of the mare Naifia, herself by Robson out of Saifia. On each of our horses’ profiles, a tree shows the sire, the dam and the 2026 foals.

What to look for

• qualities repeated throughout the line: conformation, gaits, temperament, results;
• the strength of the dam line, often underestimated;
• ancestors shared by both sides, a sign of inbreeding to be handled with care;
• fit with your goals: conformation and gaits shows, Tbourida or leisure.

A tool, not a guarantee

A fine pedigree points to potential, but every horse is unique: its conformation, gaits and temperament must be judged on the horse itself. Pedigree and individual together guide the choice of a breeding horse: see choosing a breeding stallion.