Horse
Pronunciation:
fred,-er-iks-borg'
Breed Description:
The Frederiksborg breed of horse is a light draft and riding horse from Denmark. It is the oldest breed in Denmark, but is now considered rare. It is a strong, attractive horse, always chestnut and often with white markings on the face and legs. Its mane and tail are lighter, flaxen in color. The Frederiksborg breed of horse is generally well-proportioned. Its head has a straight or slightly convex profile, and its eyes are typically large and expressive. Its slightly arched neck and its withers are both muscular, its back is short and strong, and its chest deep and broad. The legs are well muscled, with visible tendons and small but good feet. The gaits of the Frederiksborg breed of horse are expressive and powerful, with natural carriage. The Frederiksborg's showy trot is considered its best gait. The Frederiksborg breed of horse is used for dressage, carriage work, hunting, jumping, and endurance competitions. They are excellent in harness and compete up to the international levels in combined driving.
Temperament:
The Frederiksborg breed of horse has a pleasant disposition, easy to train and tractable. They are suitable horses for amateurs, since they are generally laid-back.
Height:
The Frederiksborg breed of horse stands 15.1 to 16.1 hands high.
Health Problems:
The Frederiksborg has no known breed-specific health problems.
Grooming:
The Frederiksborg has routine grooming requirements.
Origin:
The Frederiksborg breed of horse is the oldest horse breed in Denmark, with roots back to the horses of the royal stud at Frederiksborg, which was founded in 1562 under King Frederik II. By the 18th century, the Frederiksborg was one of the most famous and highly regarded horses in the world. It was used as a reliable and elegant school horse, as well as a military charger and high class carriage horse.
The Frederiksborg's popularity and desirability actually worked against it, however: too few quality horses were left in Denmark, and the breed diminished after the 19th century until finally the stud was closed in 1839.
Even so, private breeders devoted to the Frederiksborg breed of horse maintained a few pure horses over the years. In 1939, efforts were made to reestablish the Frederiksborg using Friesian and Oldenburg blood, and later Thoroughbreds and Arabs. But the numbers of Frederiksborgs remain low, and the connections between the old Frederiksborg stock and the Frederiksborg of today are attenuated. 