Mary Allen
The world of horses is breathtaking and characterized by many different horse breeds. However, the animals differ not only in appearance but also in their breed-specific traits and the needs of their husbandry. In this article, we will introduce you to various warm-blooded horse breeds in more detail.
Warmbloods – sporty and elegant
Warmblood horses are particularly sporty and elegant horses that are bred with a focus on the performance of the animals. This fact underlines the many great successes in the field of dressage and shows jumping, which are now being achieved worldwide. Warmblood horses have many talents, which is what makes them so popular with horse lovers.
Characteristics of Warmblood Horses
Warmbloods have very typical characteristics that can be observed independently of the actual horse breed. For example, these beautiful animals are very talented in many different areas and also very docile. They can either be used as show jumpers or in dressage, which of course depends on the individual breeding line. If it is a stronger warmblood breed, they can also be used in driving.
Warmblood horses are very friendly, which means that they are much easier to train than ponies or draft horses. They like to work with us humans and find trust faster than other horses. In addition, they have a high level of enthusiasm for work, which is of course excellent when it comes to training a jumping or dressage horse, because this is the only way to achieve good results in competitions.
But they are not only used in sports. They are also suitable as leisure horses or as riding and carriage horses. They have great stamina as well as a great willingness to obey, so it’s no wonder many horse lovers enjoy working with warmbloods.
- friendly in nature;
- ambitious;
- docile;
- multi-talented;
- suitable as a dressage or jumping horse;
- can be trained well;
- like to work with people;
- Also suitable as a leisure, riding, carriage, and draft horse.
Warmblood breeds in the overview
Warmbloods include many different horse breeds, which in turn have their own breed-specific characteristics and requirements. We will introduce you to what these are below.
Anglo Arab
Origin: Poland, France
Height: 155 – 165 cm
Weight: 450 – 610 kg
Character: friendly, performance-oriented, sporty.
The Anglo-Arabian is very athletic and powerful. This breed is now more than 150 years old and comes from a cross between English Thoroughbreds and Arabians. This warmblood breed is mainly bred in England, Poland, and France. They are particularly suitable as riding horses and racehorses. They are very reliable and lively, have a rather fiery temperament, and are also people-friendly. These beautiful horses are characterized by their sensitivity and are robust. As a special feature it should be mentioned that the Anglo Arabian is also often used to refine the Oldenburger or the Trakehner.
Appaloosa
Origin: United States
Height: 142 – 165 cm
Weight: 430 – 570 kg
Character: intelligent, willing to learn, friendly, reliable.
Appaloosas are mainly used in different disciplines in western sports and convince there with a great success. They are descended from Spanish horses and have been used primarily for ranch work since the beginning of the 20th century, so that they developed the typical characteristics of western horses. They are known for their different spot patterns, which are unique to each animal. They are intelligent, learn quickly and always have a friendly nature, which makes them a popular family and leisure horse. Due to the sportiness of the animals, they are also suitable for all disciplines of equestrian and tournament sports.
American Quarter Horse
Origin: United States
Height: 150 – 163 cm
Weight: 400 – 600 kg
Character: friendly, good-natured, eager, powerful.
This horse breed owes its name to the quarter-mile races, which took place, particularly at the beginning of the 17th century, and for which western horses were ideally suited. It works reliably and has great endurance. In the meantime, the American Quarter Horse is mainly kept as a leisure horse and can also be used for different disciplines in western riding. These horse breeds are available in all color variants as well as gray, mouse dun, and pinto. It has a very friendly and good-natured character and likes to work with its people. Since it achieves amazing results in terms of top performance, it is also well-suited as a racehorse and is versatile in equestrian sports.
Camargue
Origin: France
Height: 135 – 150 cm
Weight: 300 – 400 kg
Character: robust, powerful, social, good-natured, intelligent.
The Camargue breed comes from the French region of Carmaque, from where the name comes. Even today semi-wild animals live there. They are very robust, and powerful and are mainly found as molds. The Camargue is known as a good-natured horse that is very social with its peers, other animals, and people. In addition, it has good endurance and good maneuverability. They are very safe off-road and are therefore often used as trail-riding horses. Thanks to their average, very high level of intelligence, they also achieve great success in classic dressage.
Criollo
Origin: South America
Height: 142 – 152 cm
Weight: 400 – 550 kg
Character: powerful, persistent, friendly, resilient.
The Criollo horse breed originally comes from Argentina and parts of South America. Strongly built, they were primarily used as work and riding horses. Criolli horses are powerful and have enormous endurance. They are considered to be very calm horses that like to work with people and are particularly suitable as family horses due to their friendly character. This horse breed is known as one of the most resilient breeds in the world and for this reason it can be kept even in extreme climatic conditions.
Friesian horse
Origin: Netherlands
Height: 155 – 175 cm
Weight: 500 – 750 kg
Character: imposing, spirited, powerful, sensitive, friendly.
The Friesian horse owes its name to its origins in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. There they were bred primarily for pulling carriages and for riding. They come from powerful draft horses and are beautiful, imposing, and powerful. With proper breeding, only black horses are desired that do not show any signs of white. Friesians are considered very sensitive and have a friendly character. Nevertheless, they are not easy. You are patient and reliable. However, if they have a bad experience once, they hold it against people for the rest of their lives. For this reason, it is important that only horse connoisseurs keep the Friesian horses.
Hanoverian
Origin: Germany
Height: 148 – 180 cm
Weight: 530 – 760 kg
Character: athletic, intelligent, powerful, friendly, attentive, willing to learn, courageous.
The Hanoverian inspires with his athletic posture, his high endurance, and his intelligence. Due to the enormous performance, this horse breed is one of the most popular breeds in dressage and show jumping worldwide, because hardly any other horse breed has been able to achieve as much success as this one. He can be seen in the colors brown, fox, gray, and black. He is very friendly, attentive and willing to learn. This breed is very courageous and wants to perform, but is also known for its high temperament, which makes training not always easy.
Holsteiner
Origin: Germany
Height: 165 – 175 cm
Weight: 700 – 850 kg
Character: loyal, reliable, peaceful, good-natured, balanced.
The Holsteiner horse breed is mainly bred in Schleswig-Holstein and is used as a jumping horse. This horse is considered athletic, intelligent and persistent. It is available in all imaginable colors, but this does not include a pinto. He has a sporty build and an athletic demeanor. He is always reliable and loyal to his people. Most Holsteiners are even-tempered, peaceful, and good-natured, although some breed representatives stand out from time to time because of their high temperament. Nevertheless, they are not only suitable for experienced riders, but also for beginners.
Lipizzaner
Origin: Slovenia
Height: 148 – 162 cm
Weight: 560 – 660 kg
Character: sensitive, spirited, reliable, demanding, unforgiving, friendly.
The Lipizzaner horse breed, originally from Slovenia, is also bred in Austria and many other countries today and is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. Most Lipizzaners are milk molds, which are born dark and then gradually become lighter. Lipizzaners are not easy to keep. They are sensitive and temperamental. Many animals can also be very headstrong, so they are only recommended for experienced riders. With proper management, they are always reliable and friendly, and obedient to their owners.
Mecklenburger
Origin: Germany
Height: 160 – 170 cm
Weight: 535 – 688 kg
Character: willing to work, reliable, full of energy, spirited, friendly.
The German horse breed Mecklenburger is very similar to the Hanoverian but smaller in body size. The most common color are brown horses or foxes. As a rule, Mecklenburgers are willing animals that show a great willingness to perform. They are considered friendly and good-natured horses who like to work reliably with their people. Animals that are used in sports feel very comfortable, especially when jumping, and show a lot of energy and temperament here, but they are also very popular in dressage.
Oldenburg
Origin: Germany
Height: 165 – 179 cm
Weight: 510 – 700 kg
Character: robust, powerful, loyal, healthy, friendly.
The Oldenburg horse breed has its origins in Northern Germany, where it was initially bred primarily as a robust horse for pulling carriages. Due to the subsequent crossing with other breeds, the Oldenburg is now considered a high-performance riding horse, which is always loyal to the rider. In addition, they are known for good health and a long life expectancy. Due to his diverse talent, the Oldenburg is often used in dressage or jumping.
Paint Horse
Origin: United States
Height: 150 – 158 cm
Weight: 470 – 600 kg
Character: powerful, persistent, fast, strong nerves, friendly, sure-footed.
The primarily piebald Paint Horse breed developed from the well-known American Quarter Horse breed and is particularly popular as a recreational horse and family animal. It is considered to be powerful and persistent with a high speed, so that it is particularly suitable for short-distance races and other western riding disciplines. It is considered to have strong nerves and is also suitable for off-road use and is sure-footed. They are robust animals that feel very comfortable in an open stable on the pasture.
Tennessee Walking Horse
Origin: United States
Height: 153 – 163 cm
Weight: 410 – 540 kg
Character: healthy, peaceful, friendly.
The Tennessee Walking Horse is a gaited horse, which means it has special gaits in addition to the typical gaits. In this horse breed, these are the flat walk and running walk gaits, which are considered very comfortable and pleasant to ride. Depending on which breeding line they correspond to, they can differ greatly from one another. In the USA, these horses are very popular and are often used in various shows. This horse breed is considered to be healthy and long-lived, and has a warm and friendly character.
Trakehner
Origin: Germany
Height: 160 – 170 cm
Weight: 460 – 670 kg
Character: versatile, successful, elegant, sporty, graceful, loving, friendly.
The Trakehner finds its origin in East Prussia and is considered the most important riding horse breed in Germany. It also enjoys great popularity worldwide. They are very versatile and can always be found in dressage and at international tournaments, where they achieve great success. They can come in all colors and are elegant, sporty, and graceful. Trakehners are friendly, loving, and patient, so they are not only at home in sports, but also very popular as family horses.
Conclusion
Horse breeds that are classified as warm-blooded are usually very friendly and are used in a wide variety of sports. However, they are not only powerful but also quickly find trust in the humans in the family. However, it is important that before you buy a horse, you always deal with the breed-specific character traits and also that the needs that these warm-blooded animals place on their keeping are met 100 percent so that the animals always feel completely comfortable. Then nothing stands in the way of a common and unforgettably beautiful and possibly successful time.