Dutch Warmblood

The Dutch warmblood registry is known as the “Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland” which is often abbreviated to KWPN, the translation is “Royal Studbook of the Netherlands”.

Summary

The Royal Studbook of the Netherlands has a scrupulous breeding programme; the Dutch warmblood horse is bred for performance along with desirable confirmation and strength. The Royal studbook of the Netherlands has three definitive breeding directions;

·         The Harness Horse a superior driving horse bred for performance.

·         The Gelder Horse, a multipurpose quality horse bred for performance, which can be ridden and driven.

·          The riding horse that is also bred for performance and used for dressage and showjumping. These riding horses are the most popular and make up the bulk of the Dutch Warmblood horses.

Characteristics

The Dutch warmblood horse has no upper height limit. The Dutch warmblood can be bay, black, brown, grey or chestnut, sometimes roan and coloured. The confirmation of the Dutch warmblood will vary depending on the individual’s bloodlines, but it is desirable for all Dutch warmblood horses to have correct confirmation, strength and good looks. Branding in the Netherlands is illegal so all Dutch warmblood horses are micro chipped.

History

At the end of the Second World War the horses where no longer needed for agricultural work as they had been replaced by motorised machinery such as tractors. Horses became an extravagance rather than a requirement. Since the 1950s continental horses, such as the German Holstein and Hanoverian, were imported to the Netherlands, to change the type of the Dutch horse. This was to meet the needs of the requirement to have a high quality recreational riding horse. The modern Dutch warmblood is still being developed to create a more specific type of horse that excels at showjumping and dressage.