The equine sector in Germany is one of the country's leading sporting industries, housing the largest population of horses in Europe. Germany is renowned for breeding sport horses, with the most distinguished animals originating from the Hanoverian, Holstein, and Oldenburger studbooks. The state actively supports the German equestrian sector and relies on federal stud farms. Additionally, horses hold significant cultural and religious importance in Germany.
In 1938, West Germany recorded a population of 1.5 million horses; however, this number declined steadily until the late 1960s, reaching 250,000. [1] Then, as economic development favored sport and recreational riding, [2] the number of horses increased slightly to 350,000 in 1988. [1] In 1982, with 364,000 horses, West Germany had the largest horse population in Europe. [3] In 1990, 60% of all registered German mares were saddle and sport mares, and 20% were pony mares, [2] making draft horses a small part of the West German horse population.
The German government actively supports and finances its equestrian industry at the European level; however, associations within the sector do not receive subsidies. [4] Over 1.5 million Germans ride horses, making the German Equestrian Federation a significant player on the international stage. [5] In 2017, the estimated number of riders was 1.17 million. Of these, 42% were recreational riders, 26% practiced for recreation and minor competitions, and 26% were competition riders. 697,126 of these riders have a sports license. [4]
Each year, Germany hosts approximately 3,600 equestrian events featuring 69,000 different competitions. Additionally, 2,400 German horses possess passports from the International Federation for Equestrian Sports and therefore compete internationally; [4] German dressage riders have won numerous prizes worldwide. [5]
Horse racing is managed independently by a national branch of the Jockey Club while trotting events are overseen by the Hauptverband für Traber-zucht e.V. (HVT). The racing industry is in decline. [4]
In the 2010s, Germany's horse population exceeded one million, making it the European country with the highest number of horses, though not the highest density. [5] By 2015, the equine population, which includes donkeys, was approximately 1,200,000. In 2008, the density of horses in Germany was reported at 12.1 per 1,000 inhabitants.[ citation needed ]
The warm climate, influenced by the Gulf Stream, provides a favorable environment for horse breeding in western Germany. [3] In contrast, the climate in the eastern and southern regions is less conducive to breeding. As a result, most horses are bred along the Rhine Valley. [1] Germany has 9 federal stud farms (Langestüt), financed and managed by the federal states (länder), which organize the breeding on a regional level, particularly by supporting and promoting horse breeds specific to each state. These studs act as stallions,[ clarification needed ] organize qualification events to evaluate breeding stock, and buy young foals yearly. Approximately 700 stallions are owned by the federal studs, representing about 20% of the licensed breeding stallions in the country. [4]
Sport horse breeding is the main sector, with German saddle and sport horses being especially renowned and sought after. [5] The most important studbooks are Hanoverian, Holsteiner, and Oldenburger. [4] Purebred racehorse breeding accounts for about 750 births yearly, ranking 4th in Europe. [4] Additionally, Germany has a substantial population of Arabian horses.[ citation needed ]
The Haflinger is the predominant sport pony breed in Germany. The country also breeds ponies from neighboring European countries, including the Huçul and Shetland, which have considerable populations. [4]
Germany has a wide variety of draft horses, all of which are small breeds. Among these, the South German Coldblood (Oberländer) is the most populous and, as of 2004, is the only breed not at risk of extinction; [6] it is also genetically distinct from other German draft horses.
Many German breeds are now extinct. These include the Emscherbrücher, Davertnickel, and Beberbecker.[ citation needed ]
Other German breeds, due to their poor characterization and small numbers, have been merged into the studbook of other breeds, such as the Bavarian Warmblood, Hessian, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringian Saddlebred, Württemberger and Zweibrücker.
The horse holds significant importance in Germanic beliefs. According to Marc-André Wagner, it has historically been regarded as an oracle that foretells death. [7] The omen of death was the dominant interpretation of a vision of a horse. [8] The behavior of horses in nineteenth-century Germania was also seen as meaningful: for instance, a man was believed to be at risk of death if a horse shook its harness nervously; a funeral procession was anticipated if the horse shook its head and ruffled its mane; [9] and if a horse refused to pass in front of an individual, it signified that the occupant of the house would soon die. Additionally, it was believed that anyone who saw a horse through a window would face imminent death. In the folklore of Lower Saxony and the Altmark, [10] the "Schimmelreiter" is depicted as an ominous white horse or rider, symbolizing maritime disasters that breach dikes during storms. [11] [12]
The horse is also widely associated with notions of prosperity, luck, fertility, and good news, a legacy of the divinatory practices of hippomancy. [13] The Brothers Grimm's tale of Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful tells of a man who receives a prophetic white horse that speaks, and can help and warn him. Jacob Grimm notes a Lower Saxon tradition of decorating the roof structure with wooden horse heads to protect against evil. [14]
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.
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 Friesian is a horse breed originating in Friesland in north Netherlands. The breed nearly became extinct on more than one occasion. It is classified as a light draught horse, and the modern day Friesian horse is used for riding and driving. The Friesian horse is most known for its all-black coat colour, its long flowing mane and tail, feathering on its legs, a high head carriage, and high stepping action.
The Hanoverian or Hannoveraner is a German breed or stud-book of warmblood sport horse. As with other German warmblood breeds, eligibility for registration depends on performance rather than ancestry.
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.
The Selle Français (SF) is a breed of sport horse from France. 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.
The Welara is a part-Arabian pony breed developed from the Arabian horse and the Welsh pony. It was originally bred in England by Lady Wentworth at the Crabbet Arabian Stud in the early 1900s from imported Arabian stallions and Welsh pony mares. Breeding then spread throughout North America. In 1981, a breed registry was formed in the United States, and a studbook began to be published. They are used for many disciplines of English riding, and are known for their refinement, hardiness and spirit.
The Haflinger, also known as the Avelignese, is a breed of horse developed in Austria and northern Italy during the late 19th century. Haflinger horses are relatively small, are always chestnut with flaxen mane and tail, have distinctive gaits described as energetic but smooth, and are well-muscled yet elegant. The breed traces its ancestry to the Middle Ages; several theories for its origin exist. Haflingers, developed for use in mountainous terrain, are known for their hardiness. Their current conformation and appearance are the result of infusions of bloodlines from Arabian and various European breeds into the original native Tyrolean ponies. The foundation sire, 249 Folie, was born in 1874; by 1904, the first breeders' cooperative was formed. All Haflingers can trace their lineage back to Folie through one of seven bloodlines. World Wars I and II, as well as the Great Depression, had a detrimental effect on the breed, and lower-quality animals were used at times to save the breed from extinction. During World War II, breeders focused on horses that were shorter and more draft-like, favored by the military for use as packhorses. The emphasis after the war shifted toward animals of increased refinement and height.
The Finnhorse or Finnish Horse is a horse breed with both riding horse and draught horse influences and characteristics, and is the only breed developed fully in Finland. In English it is sometimes called the Finnish Universal, as the Finns consider the breed capable of fulfilling all of Finland's horse needs, including agricultural and forestry work, harness racing, and riding. In 2007, the breed was declared the official national horse breed of Finland.
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.
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.
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.
The heavy warmbloods are a group of horse breeds primarily from continental Europe. The title includes the Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger ("Old-Oldenburger"), Groningen, and similar horses from Silesia, Saxony-Thuringia, and Bavaria. Breeds like the Hungarian Nonius, Kladruber, and Cleveland Bay are also often classed as "heavy warmbloods." They are the ancestors of the modern warmbloods, and are typically bred by preservation groups to fit the pre-World War I model of the all-purpose utility horse. Unlike the registries of the sport horses that followed them, many heavy warmblood registries maintain closed or partly closed studbooks. However, external evaluation and performance testing of the breeding stock is still a key element in these registries. Many of the heavy warmbloods are selected primarily for family-friendly temperaments.
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.
The Alt-Oldenburger and Ostfriesen are representatives of a group of horse breeds primarily from continental Europe called heavy warmbloods. The breed has two names because the same horse was bred in two regions in the most north-western part of Germany: East Frisia and the former grand duchy of Oldenburg. The name "Alt-Oldenburger" – alt meaning "old" – simply distinguishes this horse from its descendant, the modern Oldenburg, which is bred for sport.
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.
The Anglo-Norman horse is a warmblood horse breed developed in Lower Normandy in northern France. A major center of horse breeding, the area had numerous regional types that were bred to one another and then crossed with Thoroughbreds to form the Anglo-Norman. Various body types developed within the Anglo-Norman breed, two of which were split off to form the Norman Cob and French Trotter. The remaining types were eventually standardized, although there remained some criticism of the "hybrid" nature of the breed's conformation. However, it is successful as an international sport horse, especially in the sport of show jumping. The Anglo-Norman also contributed to the development of several other breeds in Europe and Asia.
The Henson horse, or cheval de Henson, is a modern horse breed from northeast France. It was created by the selective breeding of light saddle horses with the smaller, heavier Norwegian Fjord horse to create small horses suitable for the equestrian vacation industry. The breeders' association, Association du Cheval Henson, was formed in 1983. In 1995 the studbook was closed to horses not born from Henson parents, and in 2003 the breed was officially recognised by the French government agencies for horse breeding. A hardy breed of horse, each winter the broodmares and youngstock from several breeders are let loose together to graze freely in the wetland reserves in France.
Wolkentanz, also known as Wolkentanz I, was a champion Hanoverian stallion who stood at stud at the Celle State Stud in Germany. He was noted as a leading sire of dressage horses.
Horses in Slovenia are represented above all by the traditional Lipizzan breed, inherited from Austria-Hungary; like Austria, Slovenia claims the Lipizzan as its national symbol. Horses have long been present on Slovenian territory; draft horses suffered a sharp decline in the 20th century, with only the native breeds of Slovenian Cold-blood and Posavina surviving. Slovenian breeders also have sport horses, such as the Slovenian Saddlebred and the Ljutomer Trotter. Slovenians distinguish their native horse breeds from traditional breeds.
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