03/27/2026
Since ASHDA's launch, we've been blessed to see interest in our breed grow the world over. New owners and breeders are becoming a part of ASHDA on the regular and our breed has found its way into the hearts and homes of many people. We're always thrilled when the American Sugarbush Harlequin Draft touches another person!
When ASHDA made the decision to open the books in order to bring in some new blood, we knew we had to be careful in what we allowed in the door. One bad quality stallion can affect the entire breed negatively, especially if they are a sought after color. From day one, we imposed strict rules on conformation, genetics, allowable breeds and even color. Only the best are allowed to come into the breed, because one horse can change our future and we want to ensure it is for the better.
However, despite our longstanding rulings, we do still get people who want us to lower our standards. Many people who wish to get into ASHDA wish to do so with horses they already own. And while this can happen, it is rare that someone is already in possession of a breeding pair that meets all of our requirements when they come to ASHDA. Some have come to us with grand plans of buying a draft stallion to breed their herd of appaloosa mares to, or vice versa, and then becoming irate when we inform them that each individual horse must meet both our genetic and conformational requirements before they can produce a registered foal. ASHDA is not a breed you can simply fall into, yet we still face a fair amount of outrage when we will not allow horses in that clearly do not fit our requirements. ASHDA may be a rare breed, but that does not mean we must register every horse that comes knocking. If anything, it means we must be hyper vigilant to ensure that only the horses that will positively influence our breed are permitted entry. This means that when your horse does pass our requirements, you can be assured that they absolutely do belong here.
We understand it's frustrating when horses are turned down. Many of us have horses unsuitable for ASHDA ourselves. It does not make them poor quality animals, it simply means they are not ASHDA material, in the same way you could not breed a Friesian to an Appaloosa and register the foal with ApHC. We encourage anyone who truly wants to get involved with the breed to support our breeders. They have poured endless money, time and effort into shaping their programs to meet our standards so that the best quality foals can be produced. Supporting them supports ASHDA and ethical breeding as a whole.
If you are interested in purchasing your very own ASHDA horse, please contact us for a list of breeders!
Pictured is ASHDA Hall of Fame Improvement mare, Classic Dark Godiva (Godiva), with her 2025 ASHDA Main Book c**t, Cosmic Groove (Polaris). Godiva is owned by Texas Dotted Drafts and currently leased by Trinity Appaloosa Farm.
Photo credits to Bron Stark.
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