Horse
Pronunciation:
West-fayl'-yun
Breed Description:
The Westphalian breed of horse is a popular German warmblood breed. They excel as competition sport horses and have a successful Olympic record. They come in all solid colors.
Temperament:
The Westphalian breed of horse is intelligent and trainable.
Height:
The Westphalian breed of horse stands 16 to 17 hands.
Weight:
The Westphalian breed of horse weighs around 1100 to 1300 pounds.
Health Problems:
The Westphalian breed of horse has been carefully bred to minimize some bone conditions common to warmbloods.
Living Conditions:
The Westphalian breed of horse, like most warmbloods, is fairly easy to maintain, but show horses will benefit from stabling in harsh weather.
Exercise:
The Westphalian breed of horse enjoys regular training and exercise.
Life Expectancy:
The Westphalian breed of horse normally lives into the late twenties.
Grooming:
The Westphalian breed of horse should be prepared for its competitive discipline, with a well groomed coat and a neatly pulled mane and tail.
Origin:
The Westphalian breed of horse originates from the State Stud of Warendorf, which was founded in 1826 to serve the North Rhine-Westphalian region. The stud was built under the Prussian Stud Administration, which was put together by King Frederick William I in 1713 to improve horse breeding efforts in the German-speaking region.
The first stallions to stand at Warendorf were from East Prussia, and were similar to Trakehners of the time. These horses were riding horses with Thoroughbred blood, suitable for the cavalry use. As the demand shifted to a medium-heavy all-purpose farm horse to cope with the increase in agriculture, the East Prussian stallions were replaced with heavy warmbloods from Oldenburg and East Fresia. As the horse became less necessary for farm work, the stock of warmblood horses was replenished with lighter mares and stallions from nearby Hannover, on which the modern Westphalian is based. 