Horse species explained - The Warmbloods

Posted by faessi1 on July 25th, 2019

What's a warmblood horse? Which breeds are there among the warm-blooded horses and what distinguishes these horses? This and much more can be found in this article about the optimal combination of cold-blooded and thoroughbred horses.



What are Warmbloods?


General information



Whether cold blood, whole blood or warm blood has nothing to do with the body temperature with horses, because this is with all horse races approx. with 38° Celsius. Both of these classifications are primarily concerned with the temperament of the animals and their physique. They are an optimal mixture of whole blood and cold blood. The warm-blooded animals therefore have characteristics of both types of preaching. For example, they are more temperamental than a cold-blooded horse, but less nervous and anxious than a thoroughbred horse. Warmbloods probably make up the majority of horse breeds - there are over 100 different warmblood breeds worldwide. You find more about horses here: haustier-welt.de


History / Origin



The breeding of warmblood horses began in the 18th century. The aim of these new breeds was to create a reliable and enduring workhorse that was nevertheless agile and fast for military and agricultural use. In order to achieve this, various breeds, including thoroughbred Arabian horses and English thoroughbred horses were crossed in. Later the warmblood horses were also used as eye-catchers for official purposes such as parades, honours or processions.

Today the German warmblood horses are at the top in horse shows. But they are also very popular as leisure horses. This is probably not least due to their pleasant temperament. One could say that the warmblood breeds combine the advantages of cold blood and thoroughbred and therefore have such a success.



 
Appearance of Warmbloods



Warmbloods have a harmonious, muscular physique, whereby they all have a slim, sporty and also noble appearance. The color variations are almost innumerable - depending on race almost all colors are possible, partly also dunes, Schecken and mold. The stick mass can be up to 185cm high.



 
The character traits



The mixture of cold blood and whole blood results in a wonderful combination, which also shows itself in the nature, character and other characteristics:

  • friendly
  • ambitious
  • docile
  • athletic
  • versatile
  • dependably
  • sociable
  • balanced



 
Breeding of warmbloods



Formerly mainly used by poorer farmers as working and pack animals, the cross-breeding of Arabian thoroughbreds and partly Spanish breeds also made it possible for them to be used in the military. These crossings made the warmblood breeds more muscular and agile. If one parent of a foal is a pure thoroughbred and the other parent a warmblood, this is called half-blood.

Modern warmblood breeds are rather lightly built and appear noble and have a medium-long line. Warmblood breeding is extremely flexible and it is possible to work towards the optimization of individual breed characteristics. The majority of warmblood horse breeds have an open stud book. This enables warmblood mares with unregistered parents to be approved as broodmares. However, the breeding goals of the respective horse breed must not be lost sight of. The prerequisite is that such animals must meet the strict requirements of the breeding goals. A condition for such crossings is, of course, that both parents have valid pedigree papers in order to be approved.

In Germany there are breed associations for the widespread horse breeds, which keep the stallion and stud books and regulate and organise the breeding.

Warmbloods in equitation



The German warmblood breeds play an important role in show jumping and dressage. Hanoverian, Oldenburg and Holstein horses are particularly popular. When it comes to versatility, Trakehners are often used, and they are regarded as the absolute all-rounder among warmbloods. Warmbloods which are built a bit stronger, such as the Friesian horse or Holsteiner, are also often used in driving sports.

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faessi1
Joined: June 15th, 2019
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