Sport horse

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Good sport horse conformation: sloping shoulder, turned-over neck, uphill build, good musculature, and correct leg angles. Robe grise-1-.jpg
Good sport horse conformation: sloping shoulder, turned-over neck, uphill build, good musculature, and correct leg angles.
A trot showing natural suspension. Trot projection-1-.jpg
A trot showing natural suspension.

A sport horse or sporthorse is a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term is usually applied to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving, but the precise definition varies. In the United States, horses used in hunt seat and show hunter competition are often classed as sport horses, whereas the British show hunter is classified as a "show horse."

Contents

Horses used for western riding disciplines, Saddle seat, or any form of horse racing are generally not described as sport horses.

Breeding

Sport horses are bred for specific qualities in their conformation, movement, and temperament. [1] The purpose and breeding of sport horses across the world varies little, but the exact definition of a "sport horse" differs slightly from country to country. In the United Kingdom, the term "sport horse" refers to any horse suitable for dressage, eventing or show jumping. In the US, the definition is broader, sometimes encompassing horses used in any of the hunt seat disciplines.

Worldwide, the breeding of sport horses is overseen by the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses. The WBFSH acts as a connection between sport horse breeding organizations and the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).

Characteristics common to quality sport horses include the following:

Breeds

Many Warmblood breeds were specifically developed for use as sport horses, particularly for use in dressage and show jumping. Thoroughbreds are also commonly used as sport horses, particularly in eventing, and some have been bred specifically as sport horses, rather than as race horses. Such Thoroughbreds tend to have a heavier sport horse build, rather than the leaner conformation of a race horse. However, there have also been many instances of former race horses being retrained as successful sport horses. Thoroughbreds are often crossed with warmbloods and draft horses to create sport horses, and such crosses were also the historic foundation of most warmblood breeds. One example is the Irish Sport Horse, [2] a cross between the Thoroughbred and Irish Draught breeds.

Additional breeds, such as the assorted Baroque horse breeds, American Quarter Horses, Arabian horses, Morgans, several pony breeds, and even some gaited breeds such as the American Saddlebred are sometimes used as sport horses. Representatives of many different breeds have been successful at the highest levels, although in international competition, horses with warmblood or Thoroughbred ancestry are in the majority.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse breed</span> Selectively bred populations of domesticated horses

A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a limited geographic region, or even feral "breeds" that are naturally selected. Depending on definition, hundreds of "breeds" exist today, developed for many different uses. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods," such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods," developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trakehner</span> Breed of horse

Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name. The state stud was established in 1731 and operated until 1944, when the fighting of World War II led to the annexing of East Prussia by Russia, and the town containing the stud renamed as Yasnaya Polyana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warmblood</span> Middle-weight horse types and breeds

Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds primarily originating in Europe and registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport. The term distinguishes these horses from both heavy draft horses and refined light saddle horses such as the Thoroughbred, Arabian, and Akhal-Teke. Although modern warmbloods are descended from heavier agricultural types systematically upgraded by hotblood influence, the term does not imply that warmbloods are direct crosses of "cold" and "hot".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanoverian horse</span> German breed of warmblood horse

The Hanoverian is a Warmblood horse breed originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and has won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the Warmblood breeds. Originally a cavalry horse, infusions of more Thoroughbred blood lightened it to make it more agile and useful for competition. The Hanoverian is known for a good temperament, athleticism, beauty, and grace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse show</span> A judged exhibition of horses

A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and international championships in a given discipline or breed. Most shows consist of a series of different performances, called classes, wherein a group of horses with similar training or characteristics compete against one another for awards and, often, prize money.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldenburger</span> Horse breed

The Oldenburg or Oldenburger is a warmblood horse from the north-western corner of Lower Saxony, what was formerly the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. The breed was built on a mare base of all-purpose farm and carriage horses, today called the Alt-Oldenburger. The modern Oldenburg is managed by the Association of Breeders of the Oldenburger Horse, which enacts strict selection of breeding stock to ensure that each generation is better than the last. Oldenburgers are tall sport horses with excellent gaits and jumping ability. The breeding of Oldenburg horses is characterized by very liberal pedigree requirements and the exclusive use of privately owned stallions rather than restriction to a state-owned stud farm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selle Français</span> Breed of horse

The Selle Français (SF) is a breed of sport horse from France. It is renowned primarily for its success in show jumping, but many have also been successful in dressage and eventing. An athletic horse with good gaits, it is usually bay or chestnut in color. The Selle Français was created in 1958 when several French riding horse breeds were merged into one stud book. The new breed was meant to serve as a unified sport horse during a period when horses were being replaced by mechanization and were transforming into an animal used mainly for sport and leisure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holsteiner</span> Breed of horse

The Holsteiner is a breed of horse originating in the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany. It is thought to be the oldest of warmblood breeds, tracing back to the 13th century. Though the population is not large, Holsteiners are a dominant force of international show jumping, and are found at the top levels of dressage, combined driving, show hunters, and eventing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch Warmblood</span> Breed of horse

A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland (Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands, which governs the breeding of competitive dressage and show jumping horses, as well as the show harness horse and Gelderlander, and a hunter studbook in North America. Developed through a breeding program that began in the 1960s, the Dutch are some of the most successful competition horses developed in postwar Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgian Warmblood</span> Belgian breed of horse

The Belgian Warmblood or Belgisch Warmbloedpaard is a Belgian breed of warmblood sport horse. It is bred principally for show-jumping, but is also suitable for dressage and for three-day eventing. It is one of three Belgian warmblood breeds or stud-books, the others being the Zangersheide and the Belgian Sport Horse – to which last it is quite similar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westphalian horse</span> Breed of horse

The Westphalian or Westfalen is a warmblood horse bred in the Westphalia region of western Germany. The Westphalian is closely affiliated with the state-owned stud farm of Warendorf, which it shares with the Rhinelander. Since World War II, the Westphalian horse has been bred to the same standard as the other German warmbloods, and they are particularly famous as Olympic-level show jumpers and dressage horses. Next to the Hanoverian, the Westphalian studbook has the largest breeding population of any warmblood in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bavarian Warmblood</span> Breed of horse

The Bavarian Warmblood is a horse breed of southern Germany that developed from an older Bavarian heavy warmblood breed called the Rottaler. Since mechanization in the mid-20th century, the Bavarian Regional Horse Breeders' Society has concentrated on producing a riding horse for the Olympic disciplines and recreational riding based on other European warmblood bloodlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German Riding Pony</span> Breed of horse

The Deutsche Reitpony or German Riding Pony is a very popular pony breed in Germany. It is described as a "miniature warmblood" with refined, horse-like characteristics that make it suitable as both a children's pony and as a mount for sport horse competition in Europe. Originally bred in Germany and later throughout Western Europe, the breed is relatively new to North America.

An Austrian Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Warmblutzucht in Österreich. Although the studbook is made up of jumping and dressage horses from many other countries, the mare base consists of native horses with a long history. The AWÖ keeps an open studbook, in which mares and stallions must pass rigorous inspections before becoming breeding stock.

Studbook selection is a process used in certain breeds of horses to select breeding stock. It allows a breed registry to direct the evolution of the breed towards the ideal by eliminating unhealthy or undesirable animals from the population. The removal of individuals from a population is called culling, and does not suggest killing the animal in question. Typically, culls are castrated or they and their offspring are unable to be registered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhenish Warmblood</span> Breed of horse

The Rhinelander, also known as Rhineland Riding Horse, Rhenish Warmblood, Rheinisches Warmblut and Rheinisches Reitpferd, is a German warmblood breed of sport horse. It was registered with the Rheinisches Pferdestammbuch until 2014, when the Hannoveraner Verband took over management of the stud book. It is traditionally bred around Warendorf State Stud, which it shares with the Westphalian, and is bred to the same standard as the Westphalian and other German warmbloods, such as the Bavarian Warmblood, Mecklenburger, Brandenburger, and Württemberger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zweibrücker</span> Breed of horse

The Zweibrücker is a type of German warmblood horse bred in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. Traditionally, the breeding of Zweibrücken was centered on the onetime Principal Stud of Zweibrücken but since 1977 has been under the jurisdiction of the Horse Breeders' Association of Rhineland-Palatinate-Saar (PRPS). The modern Zweibrücker is an elegant, large-framed, correct sport horse with powerful, elastic gaits suitable for dressage, show jumping, eventing and combined driving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German warmblood</span> Breed of horse

German warmblood may refer generally to any of the various warmblood horses of Germany, or more specifically to a warmblood registered with the nationwide German Horse Breeding Society. Beneath the umbrella term German warmblood are several regional variations on a singular standard; individual German warmblood types are not necessarily considered "breeds", because they have an open stud book and freely exchange genetic material between each other, with other warmblood types, with Anglo-Arabians, and with breeds like the Thoroughbred, Arabian, and Trakehner. All horses that are warmbloods and bred in Germany are named after the region in which they are born in. There is an exception to this and that is the Trakehner breed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of equestrian terms</span> List of definitions of terms and concepts related to horses

This is a basic glossary of equestrian terms that includes both technical terminology and jargon developed over the centuries for horses and other equidae, as well as various horse-related concepts. Where noted, some terms are used only in American English (US), only in British English (UK), or are regional to a particular part of the world, such as Australia (AU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American Sportpony</span> Breed of horse

The North American Sportpony is a relatively new pony breed in the United States. Its origins are from a diverse group of breeds, because the "Sportpony" is not derived from specific bloodlines, but rather is a conformation type, akin to the American Warmblood.

References

  1. Koenen, E.P.C; Aldridge, L.I; Philipsson, J. (2004). "An overview of breeding objectives for warmblood sport horses". Livestock Production Science. 88 (1–2): 77–84. doi:10.1016/j.livprodsci.2003.10.011.
  2. "Discover the Irish Sport Horse" FEI. Retrieved 2024-04-16.