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The Trakehner is a European warmblood horse that originated in East Prussia. The term "Warmblood" refers to the horse's temperament. A warmblood is created by mixing horses of hot blood (generally light, high energy pure bred horses such as Thoroughbreds and Arabians) with those of cold blood (generally heavier, milder mannered horses such as Percherons and Clydesdales). The end result is a horse that has been tailor made to suit a specific need by combining many different breeds of horse. In the case of the Trakehner, the breed is based on a small local East Prussian horse called the Schwaike. The Schwaike horse is known for its endurance and versatility and was used for general transportation and agricultural work. Over many years, the Schwaike mares were crossed with larger stallions of different breeds in order to provide horses for various needs.
One of the most popular jobs for a horse in the 18th century was as a war mount. King Wilhelm I of Prussia determined that the Prussian army needed a new type of mount to keep up with changing war tactics. A lighter horse with a comfortable ride, great endurance and speed was needed for his officers. The King also wanted the horses to be attractive so they would reflect well on him. He chose seven of his best horses and moved them to the new royal stud in Trakehner in 1732. It was from this breeding stock that the Trakehner horse evolved. In 1787 the management of the royal stud was taken over by Count Lindenau who instituted very strict selection of horses for the breeding program by eliminating two thirds of the stallions and one third of the broodmares. He also allowed select new blood to enter the line by allowing private breeders to bring their mares to be serviced by the royal stallions. Between 1817 and 1837 further adjustments to the breed were made by allowing select English Thoroughbreds and Arabian stallions into the breeding program. Trakhener horses of today owe their refinement and breed type to this selective breeding. The very select breeding of the past is also what allowed Trakehner horses to "stamp" their offspring - pure and part bred- with the characteristics of the breed. Only the best horses were allowed to be the foundation stock of the breed, and those strong traits are still being passed down from generation to generation through continued careful breeding.
One program set up to govern the selection of horses that can be registered as Trakehners and have their offspring be eligible for registration is an annual stallion approval event managed by the Trakehner Verband in Germany. The purpose of the event is to maintain the prepotency and successfulness of each new generation of stallions who will go on to sire the generations of Trakehners to come. Stallions are judged on correct conformation, paces, and temperament and they must be all natural. The judging is conducted by assembling approximately 100 2 and a half year old stallions (about 10 percent of the years foal crop). These young horses have been selected from hundreds who had applied to come to the certification earlier in the year. The event lasts three days, and officials carefully scrutinize the young stallions. They are measured, seen in action, and posed for the judges. The judges are looking for the animals that best represent the ideal Trakehner type. Only the very best stallions are selected for certification/registration, and of the 100 horses assembled, only 20 to 25 will make the final cut.
This isn't the final test for these young stallions, though. After being approved for certification, the young horses must attend three months of training at a government facility, and then take the stallion performance test. This grueling test involves being ridden on the flat, a stadium jumping test, a cross-country jumping test and a measured gallop, as well as evaluation of feed utilization, trainability and attitude. If a stallion fails this test, its breeding certificate is revoked. Although these methods may seem extreme, it assured that only the finest stallions of the breed will be used as breeding stock. It also helps insure that each horse adheres to the Trakehner breed type.
The breed type is defined as a horse with a striking and elegant presence. It should be a large, but refined horse with a slightly concaved face, large kind eyes, a long graceful neck set at a balanced angle to the shoulder. The body should fit into a rectangular "frame" as opposed to the square frame typical of most horses. The legs should be straight and sound and the horse should exhibit tremendous freedom of movement. The average height is between 15.1 and 16.2 hands high. The Trakehner should exhibit a bright and willing attitude. These wonderful attribute combine to make a horse that excels in difficult riding disciplines such as jumping and dressage.
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