Warmblood From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For the biological term classifying

a type of animal, see Warm-blooded. A Trakehner performing dressage. Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily origin ating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open st udbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport. The term distinguishes these horses from both heavy draft horses ("cold bloods" ) and refined light saddle horses such as the Thoroughbred and Arabian ("hot blo ods"). Though modern warmbloods are descended from heavier agricultural types sy stematically upgraded by hotblood influence, the term does not imply that warmbl oods are direct crosses of "cold" and "hot". Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 Breeding policies Warmblood registries See also References Further reading External links

Breeding policies Open studbook policies separate most warmbloods from true "breeds" such as Thoro ughbreds, Arabians, Percherons, Morgans, which have a closed stud book and requi re two purebred parents. Instead, most warmblood registries accept breeding stoc k from other similar populations to continuously improve their own horses, and d o not consider their own horses to be a discrete "breed". The Trakehner is an ex ception, so though some other breeds are used within the breeding population, th is horse is considered a true breed. The Hanoverian, Holsteiner, and Selle Franc ais 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, which is affiliated with the IO C-recognized International Federation for Equestrian Sports. A defining characteristic of a warmblood registry is studbook selection, though even some purebred breeds in Europe use this practice. Studbook selection is the use of external evaluation - critiquing conformation and movement - of potentia l breeding stock to cull out unsuitable breeding horses and direct the evolution towards a particular goal. Today, studbook selection usually entails a performa nce proof in addition to external evaluation, particularly for stallions. Standards of conformation and movement are not designed to perpetuate a particul ar ancestral type, but rather to meet a particular need. This concept is illustr ated by the history of the Oldenburg horse through the past 150 years: in the la te 19th century, the standard called for a heavy but elegant, high-stepping carr iage horse, in the early 20th century for a heavier, stronger, economical farm a nd artillery horse, and since 1950 for a modern sport horse. The most critical characteristic of a warmblood registry is that its breeding go al or "breeding aim" is to breed sport horses. Each registry has a slightly diff erent focus, but most breed primarily for show jumping and dressage, though many include combined driving and eventing as well. The breeding aim is reflective o f 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 modera te agricultural work were needed, warmbloods have filled those roles, too. The p urposeful evolution of the standard breeding aim is another characteristic of th e warmbloods.

Warmbloods have come into their own since the end of World War II, when mechaniz ation made agricultural horses obsolete and recreational riding became more wide spread in the western world. The ancestral types are referred to as the heavy wa rmbloods and are preserved through special organizations. The heavy warmbloods h ave found their niche as family horses and in combined driving. Warmblood registries Most warmbloods were developed in continental Europe. Germany is particularly kn own for breeding warmbloods. It was thought that the warmblood type, which origi nated in continental Europe, descended from wild, native proto-warmblood ancesto rs,[1] called the Forest Horse, though modern DNA studies of early horses have d isproven this hypothesis. The best-known German warmbloods are the Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Oldenburg and t he purebred Trakehner. Others include the Wrttemberger, Rhinelander, Westphalian, Zweibrcker, Brandenburger, Mecklenburger, and Bavarian Warmblood. Several of the se breeds are also represented by ancestral types such as the Ostfriesen and Alt -Oldenburger, Alt-Wrttemberger, and Rottaler. Western European warmbloods include the French Selle Franais, Belgian Warmblood, Dutch Warmblood, Swiss Warmblood, Austrian Warmblood and Danish Warmblood. Scand inavian countries also produce high-quality warmbloods like the Finnish Warmbloo d and Swedish Warmblood. Warmblood registries which are not based in continental Europe include those tha t regulate the breeding of American Warmbloods and Irish Sport Horses. See also Sport horse List of horse breeds References ^ Dorene Schuette. "What Is a Warmblood?". Retrieved 2008-02-19. Further reading