Warmblood
Encyclopedia
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection
Studbook selection
Studbook selection is a process used in certain breeds of horses to select breeding stock. It allows a breed registry to direct the evolution of the breed towards the ideal by eliminating unhealthy or undesirable animals from the population. The removal of individuals from a population is called...
, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport
Sport horse
Sport horse, or Sporthorse, is a term used to describe a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term generally refers to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving. The precise definition varies...
. The term distinguishes these horses from both heavy draft horse
Draft horse
A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...
s ("cold bloods") and refined light saddle horses such as the Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
and Arabian
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
("hot bloods"). Though modern warmbloods are descended from heavier agricultural types systematically upgraded by hotblood influence, the term does not imply that Warmbloods are direct crosses of "cold" and "hot".
Breeding policies
Open studbook policies separate most warmbloods from true "breeds" such as Thoroughbreds, Arabians, PercheronPercheron
The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
s, Morgan
Morgan horse
The Morgan is one of the earliest horse breeds developed in the United States. Tracing back to the stallion Figure, later named Justin Morgan after his best-known owner, the breed excels in many disciplines, and is known for its versatility....
s, which have a closed stud book and require two purebred
Purebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
parents. Instead, most warmblood registries accept breeding stock from other similar populations to continuously improve their own horses, and do not consider their own horses to be a discrete "breed". The Trakehner
Trakehner
Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name...
is an exception, so though some other breeds are used within the breeding population, this horse is considered a true breed. The Hanoverian
Hanoverian (horse)
A Hanoverian is a warmblood horse originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and have won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the warmbloods...
, Holsteiner, and Selle Francais studbooks are also considered slightly less open than others. Most warmblood registries recognize breeding stock from any other registry that is a member of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses
World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses
The World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses connects sport horse breeding organizations with the International Federation for Equestrian Sports . The FEI is the International Olympic Committee-recognized federation for Olympic equestrian sports. The WBFSH publishes official rankings of horses...
, which is affiliated with the IOC-recognized International Federation for Equestrian Sports
International Federation for Equestrian Sports
The Fédération Équestre Internationale or in English, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, is the international governing body of equestrian sports. It recognizes ten international disciplines...
.
A defining characteristic of a warmblood registry is studbook selection
Studbook selection
Studbook selection is a process used in certain breeds of horses to select breeding stock. It allows a breed registry to direct the evolution of the breed towards the ideal by eliminating unhealthy or undesirable animals from the population. The removal of individuals from a population is called...
, though even some purebred breeds in Europe use this practice. Studbook selection is the use of external evaluation - critiquing conformation
Equine conformation
Equine conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. Undesirable conformation can limit the ability to perform a specific task. Although there are several universal "faults," a horse's conformation is...
and movement - of potential breeding stock to cull out unsuitable breeding horses and direct the evolution towards a particular goal. Today, studbook selection usually entails a performance proof in addition to external evaluation, particularly for stallion
Stallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
s.
Standards of conformation and movement are not designed to perpetuate a particular ancestral type, but rather to meet a particular need. This concept is illustrated by the history of the Oldenburg horse
Oldenburg (horse)
The Oldenburg is a warmblood horse from the north-western corner of Lower Saxony, what was formerly the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. The breed was built on a mare base of all-purpose farm and carriage horses, today called the Alt-Oldenburger...
through the past 150 years: in the late 19th century, the standard called for a heavy but elegant, high-stepping carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
horse, in the early 20th century for a heavier, stronger, economical farm and artillery horse, and since 1950 for a modern sport horse
Sport horse
Sport horse, or Sporthorse, is a term used to describe a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term generally refers to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving. The precise definition varies...
.
The most critical characteristic of a warmblood registry is that its breeding goal or "breeding aim" is to breed sport horses. Each registry has a slightly different focus, but most breed primarily for show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
and dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
, though many include combined driving
Combined driving
Combined driving also known as Horse Driving Trials is an equestrian sport involving carriage driving. In this discipline the driver sits on a vehicle drawn by a single horse, a pair or a team of four. The sport has three phases: Dressage, Cross-country Marathon and Obstacle Cone Driving and is...
and eventing
Eventing
Eventing is an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding...
as well. The breeding aim is reflective of the needs of the market. In eras and regions which called for cavalry mounts, warmbloods were bred to fit that need; when and where horses for light to moderate agricultural work were needed, warmbloods have filled those roles, too. The purposeful evolution of the standard breeding aim is another characteristic of the warmbloods.
Warmbloods have come into their own since the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when mechanization made agricultural horses obsolete and recreational riding became more widespread in the western world. The ancestral types are referred to as the heavy warmblood
Heavy warmblood
The Heavy Warmbloods are a group of horse breeds primarily from continental Europe. The title includes the Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger , Groningen, and similar horses from Silesia, Saxony-Thuringia, and Bavaria...
s and are preserved through special organizations. The heavy warmbloods have found their niche as family horses and in combined driving
Combined driving
Combined driving also known as Horse Driving Trials is an equestrian sport involving carriage driving. In this discipline the driver sits on a vehicle drawn by a single horse, a pair or a team of four. The sport has three phases: Dressage, Cross-country Marathon and Obstacle Cone Driving and is...
.
Warmblood registries
Most warmbloods were developed in continental Europe. GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
is particularly known for breeding warmbloods. It is thought that the warmblood type, which originated in continental Europe, descended from wild, native proto-warmblood ancestors, called the Forest Horse
Forest Horse
Forest horse may refer to:* The Black Forest horse, or Schwarzwälder Kaltblut* New Forest Pony* The "Forest Horse", a hypothetical ancestral horse prototype proposed in the 20th century; see History of horse domestication theories...
, though modern DNA studies of early horses have disproven this hypothesis.
The best-known German warmbloods are the Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Oldenburg and the purebred Trakehner
Trakehner
Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name...
. Others include the Württemberger
Württemberger
The Württemberger, Baden-Württemberger or Württemberg is a Warmblood horse breed originating in Germany. They are primarily riding horses, and are selectively bred for dressage and show jumping.-Breed History:...
, Rhinelander, Westphalian, Zweibrücker
Zweibrücker
The Zweibrücker is a type of German warmblood horse bred in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. Traditionally, the breeding of Zweibrücken was centered around the onetime Principal Stud of Zweibrücken but since 1977 has been under the jurisdiction of the Horse Breeders' Association of...
, Brandenburger
Brandenburger
The Brandenburger is a warmblood horse breed originating in Germany.-Characteristics:The Brandenburger is a well-balanced horse with a lively temperament, an easy to get along with character and little tendency to nervousness.-History:...
, Mecklenburger
Mecklenburger
The Mecklenburger is a warmblood horse bred in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region of north-eastern Germany. The breeding of these horses has been closely linked to the State Stud of Redefin....
, and Bavarian Warmblood
Bavarian Warmblood
The Bavarian Warmblood is a horse breed of southern Germany that developed from an older Bavarian heavy warmblood breed called the Rottaler. Since mechanization in the mid-20th century, the Bavarian Regional Horse Breeders' Society has concentrated on producing a riding horse for the Olympic...
. Several of these breeds are also represented by ancestral types such as the Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger, Alt-Württemberger, and Rottaler
Heavy warmblood
The Heavy Warmbloods are a group of horse breeds primarily from continental Europe. The title includes the Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger , Groningen, and similar horses from Silesia, Saxony-Thuringia, and Bavaria...
.
Western European warmbloods include the French Selle Français, Belgian Warmblood
Belgian Warmblood
A Belgian Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Belgisch Warmbloed Paard vzw or Studbook sBs...
, Dutch Warmblood
Dutch Warmblood
A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the...
, Swiss Warmblood
Swiss Warmblood
The Swiss Warmblood, also called the Einsiedler, was a horse breed, founded in the 10th century on the local Schwyer stock. It was first bred at the Benedictine Monastery of Einsiedeln...
, Austrian Warmblood
Austrian Warmblood
An Austrian Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Warmblutzucht in Österreich . Although the studbook is made up of jumping and dressage horses from many other countries, the mare base consists of native horses with a long history...
and Danish Warmblood
Danish Warmblood
The Danish Warmblood is the modern sport horse breed of Denmark. Initially established in the mid-20th century, the breed was developed by crossing native Danish mares with elite stallions from established European bloodlines....
. Scandinavian countries also produce high-quality warmbloods like the Finnish Warmblood and Swedish Warmblood
Swedish Warmblood
The Swedish Warmblood is a horse that was developed at Strömsholm and Flyinge. It descends from imported stock in the 17th century. The horses imported to Sweden were from Denmark, Germany, England, Hungary, France, Russia, Spain, and Turkey...
.
Warmblood registries which are not based in continental Europe include those that regulate the breeding of American Warmblood
American Warmblood
The American Warmblood is a horse of warmblood type, intended primarily for the traditional sport horse disciplines of and combined driving.- Characteristics :...
s and Irish Sport Horses.