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Hi Stephanie,

I am guessing you are talking about the Hanoverian inspections, but they are all a little different.   We have attended the Hanoverian and Dutch inspections for many years.   If you are 'going Dutch' they do actually give the babies gradings called 'Premiums' which can be helpful if you are planning to sell or breed in the future.  Some people really like that information from the judges when purchasing a foal or young horse, although many will also consider that it is not a guarantee that they will or will not be successful in sport as adults.  The Hanoverians actually do not give babies scores that are part of a  permanent record.   They take the approach (with which I agree!) that they are young and changing daily and are aware they are judging foals that are young enough that a month or two can make a difference in their appearance and movement.   They will announce their top pick of the inspection day and site and again some people really like that feedback.   They require that mares be inspected at maturity so many people skip the foal inspections with babies if they find it hard to get to a site or have other mitigating circumstances.   They offer papers for qualified parents through the mail and even outreach branding (many of ours have been branded her at our farm for a small fee) so you do not have to inspect foals unless you do want that feedback,which is always nice to have.

Most large sites have handlers, braiders, etc. you can hire either independently or though the farm.   You can usually find out well in advance by contacting the inspection site contact or the registry.   Smaller sites may need you to bring a person to handle the mare and/or foal but that has never been the case where we have attended.  Stabling is often available so you can arrive the night before or have a stall for the day to facilitate things.   Again you would want to arrange for that in advance if it is available and inquire as to requirements for stabling such a vaccines or health certificates the hosting stable may want you to provide in advance.

I find working the foals beside the mare in a halter at the walk and halt  before attenting are a huge help to prepare for the inspection day.  Foals are not expected to have perfect manners in most cases and are often turned free with the mare free or in-hand so their movement can be seen.   They will need to lead well in a group situation for safety, though, as many are brought back into the ring with their dams with other mares and foals for comments and scores, when given. 

I enjoyed the inspections but we also foal out higher risk mares for clients and so sometimes cannot leave the farm to attend.   In most cases it is optional but check with the registry with which you plan to paper your baby for their individual rules.  I love the feedback from the judges which helps me to see if the crosses I am making are good ones, but some of our most successful offspring never got to inspections as foals and are presented as adults only with no stigma.  

Hope that helps!   It can be very confusing if you are working with several different registries but I find all are very willing to educate you as to their specific requirements and help you with the process.   It can be a lot of fun to show off your foals and you almost always meet other people who share your interests so if you do attend, enjoy!