Horse
Breed Description:
The Dutch Harness breed of horse is a warmblood that has been bred for performance primarily in Fine Harness classes and Driving Competitions. It is also known as the Tuigpaard or the Dutch Carriage horse. Dutch Harness horses are known for their high natural action. They are traditionally shown with a braided mane and natural tail. The hooves are usually allowed to grow longer than a riding horse's feet, but are never shod with weighted shoes. The Dutch Harness horse comes in a wide variety of colors. Black, brown, bay, and chestnut are the most common, but there are also gray and roans. They are often well-marked, and some have sabino, rabicano, or tobiano markings. The Dutch Harness breed of horse has distinctively warmblood head: narrow, long, and straight-lined. The carriage of the head and the level croup with high-set tail distinguish the harness horses from their riding-type relatives. The horse's long back, open loin, and flat croup enable the hindlegs and forelegs to work independently and with great action. The forelegs are typically longer than the hindlegs, by design, so that the horse "sinks" in the back and rises in the front.
Temperament:
The Dutch Harness breed of horse is considered pleasant and kind, albeit sensitive to the energy of a crowd.
Height:
The Dutch Harness breed of horse stands about 16 hands high. Stallions must be at least 15.3 hands high to be selected for breeding.
Health Problems:
The health of the Dutch Harness breed of horse is strictly protected. Before licensing, Dutch Harness stallions must undergo a thorough vet check. Horses with defects of the genitalia or bite, sub-par semen, or evidence of a congenital disorder or defect (even if corrected) may not breed. Of 100 stallions presented for the Approved Breeding Stallion List, only three are chosen annually. Stallions and elite performance mares also must undergo a thorough x-ray exam of their joints. Because of these precautions, the breed is generally healthy, sound, and long-lived. The primary concern facing the breed is inbreeding, due to the small size of the gene pool.
Life Expectancy:
The Dutch Harness breed of horse is long-lived.
Grooming:
The Dutch Harness breed of horse should be groomed regularly. A hard-working, stabled Dutch Harness may require a thorough grooming each day, while one kept in the pasture may require only a light going-over with a dandy brush. They are traditionally shown with a braided mane and natural tail. The hooves are usually allowed to grow longer than a riding horse's feet, but are never shod with weighted shoes.
Origin:
The Dutch Harness breed of horse was developed to meet the need for a fancy, high trotting, upright show horse. The breed is based on the native Groningen and Gelderland horses, which were formerly used for farm work and transportation. Strict selection procedures and a clear breeding aim enabled breeders to produce a refined, high-stepping horse quite quickly.
The Dutch Harness breed of horse may have a varied pedigree, as breeders have consistently maintained an "open" studbook under which any horse may be used so long as it is found "acceptable" according to the high standards of the Dutch. (See the discussion in the Health Problems section.) Over the last century, select Hackney stallions have been imported from England, and most Dutch Harness horses today possess a significant amount of Hackney blood. More recently, several American Saddlebred stallions were approved for introduction into the Dutch Hardness breed of horse. 