Horse
Breed Description:
The Dutch Warmblood breed of horse is possibly the most successful of the competition breeds. Dutch Warmbloods are athletic and strong, but with a calm and tractable temperament. Their heads may be unremarkable, but their necks are long and arched, hindquarters powerful and muscular, and legs are long of forearm and strong-boned. The Dutch Warmblood breed of horse has an animated action and is well-suited (and famous) for jumping, dressage, and driving. They can be any solid color -- usually bay, chestnut, black, or gray -- and often have white markings on the face and lower legs.
Temperament:
The Dutch Warmblood breed of horse is highly trainable, willing, and less stubborn than many other warmblood breeds.
Height:
The Dutch Warmblood breed of horse stands 15.3 to 16.3 hands high.
Weight:
The Dutch Warmblood breed of horse weighs 1,200 to 1,500 pounds.
Grooming:
The Dutch Warmblood breed of horse requires regular grooming care.
Origin:
The foundation breeds of the Dutch Warmblood breed of horse are the Gelderlander, a heavy horse used to work in the clay soil of southern Holland, and the lighter Groningen, used in the sandy soil of northern Holland. (The Groningen is the same breed as the Danish Oldenborg.) After 1850, these native Dutch breeds were bred with stallions from Oldenburg, Holstein, Hanover, and France, as the horse needs of the country changed from exclusively farm use to carriage use to general riding. Today, the Dutch Warmblood breeders remain focused on their goal of developing the perfect sport horse. To that end, they are extremely strict regarding the standards stallions must meet in order to be placed on the breeding registry. Each year, the finalists undergo 70 days of rigorous testing in the areas of soundness, character, and performance abilities. 