Historically we will find the origins of the warmblood and see that it evolved before man started making decisive breeding decisions. Equus evolved sub species from two main ancestral types, the Tarpan and the Przewalski, one million years ago to adapt to their own environmental conditions.
The three sub species were:
Man made mixtures ,or “breeds”, are horses that have been selected by man with characteristics that meet man’s criteria. They are mixtures of our original, wild subspecies.
Since horses went extinct in North America after migrating through Alaska into Siberia, there were not any native subspecies there to to breed from so they relied on importation and Proto Warmblood was not used.
The first warmblood came to the U.S. in 1970. They were heavier in type than now ((because the use was more for pulling) which reflects more use of the Thoroughbred currently. Europe had use of the 3 distinct types. Thoroughbred, for example, were a mix of the Proto Arabian (Darley Arabian, Byerly Turk, Godolphin Arabian) crossed with Proto Draft (Suffolk Punch) and a bit of Tarpan and they were bred for speed. The American Quarter Horse was originally Proto Draft crossed with Proto Arabian and some Tarpan. The Morgan was the same with a different dilution. The Hanoverian was originally bred by using Thoroughbred stallions on native Proto Warmblood mares. After 1900, Trakehner and Arabian blood was added. This would make them Proto Arab crossed with Proto Draft crossed with Proto Warmblood and a dash of Tarpan.
Sub species adapted for their environment. For example, the Proto Arabs had dished heads for a cooling of air into the lungs and were find boned and light for moving through sand. The Proto Draft had large hooves and bodies for easier navigation of boggy ground while the Proto Warmbloods were large bodied with Roman Noses for warming the colder European air into their lungs. It is interesting to note that the ponies of the British Isles were actually a descendent of the the Proto Draft. Shetlands and Norwegian Fjords originated from large draft types. When the Islands were formed, the large horses got smaller. They shrank from 1/2 to 1/3 their size ensuring ample food and being able to find breeding partners.
As you can see that warmbloods were here before man started riding and breeding horses. They have since been selected and bred for various reasons through the centuries to meet the needs of man. Early years bred heavy horses for farm work and war, i.e. pulling artillery or carrying men with armor. The Trakehner breed is one exception, however. It has always been bred for a riding horse maintaining it’s lighter characteristics and has had a closed studbook which does not allow other breeds except Thoroughbred and Arabians.
Some warmblood breeds have open books that include other European warmbloods, Thoroughbreds and Arabians that exhibit the characteristics desired in creating a modern day “warmblood”. The Hanoverian is one of these. Warmbloods are specific dilutions of time honored “recipes” for the creation of the sport horse. A hot horse (Arabian) and a cold horse (Draft) does not produce a warmblood. The special ingredient is the native Proto Warmblood. This, again, was not bred by man but evolved from environmental and regional natural selection processes.
The Hanoverian breed is “Dedicated to the Development of a Superior Riding Horse”. In Germany they have kept records of their breeding for over 400 years. They are truly masters of blending ingredients to make the special horse we see today. They also have a section of their organization in the U.S. and German judges make annual trips for inspections, brandings, and performance testing to ensure the quality of the breeding horses representing the Hanoverian. Stallions are 100 day performance tested and as with mares are judged on a strict criteria for sport horse qualities with movement paramount. Performance testing for mares is encouraged also. Warmbloods have predominated in 3 out of the 4 Olympic equestrian sports which are show jumping, dressage and driving. Thoroughbreds or crosses excel in 3 day eventing due to the need for galloping speed.
All warmblood registries have different criteria for inclusion in their studbooks and welcome your inquiries and interest. Many European countries have their own warmblood recipe and have registries to uphold their breeding goals. There are also adjunct American associations that either are part of their European counterpart or have started their own registry.
It can be confusing and at the same time interesting and educational when one delves into the different breeding goals, criteria, and results the particular registries have. As with all sports, an animal bred for a particular endeavor will usually possess more of the mental and physcal attributes that predispose him for that use. He will perform with less injuries, progress faster in his training, and seem to almost have an inherent understanding for his work which can all help create that human/horse bond we hope for. He may have the natural abilities that make it easy for him to meet our requests with a generous attitude.
One must always keep in mind what our animals are bred for, physically and mentally predisposed for, their previous training and to be thoughtful in how and what we ask of them. Of course, there are many horses of many breeds that are the exception that with tremendous heart are able to overcome many shortcomings. A sporthorse is not required to be a warmblood, by any means.
Material for this article was found in articles written by Deb Bennet Ph.D found in EQUUS, THE WARMBLOOD GUIDE BOOK, articles from the Hanoverian and Trakehner pulications,as well as my personal thoughts. If anyone needs more information or has questions, feel free to contact me at mtemily@eoni.com