This page has been sourced from REC.EQUESTRIAN, the body of the text has been unaltered as far as possible. The information is for use at own risk. Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1993 15:05:57 CET From: Dr. Lutz Massonne Newsgroups: rec.equestrian

Bavarian Warmblood

Bayrisches Warmblut

The old Bavarian "Rottaler" breed was used to form the Bavarian warmblood, modelled to the modern sporthorse type. The breed is based on the lighter type of the Hanoverian. Also English Thoroughbred and Trakehner stallions were used. Since 1963 the Bavarian warmblood is registered as separate breed, breeding goal is an elegant warmblood horse with large flat strides, usable for all equine sports.

Exterior: Elegant large warmblood horse, similar to the Hanoverian. Well set large neck, heavy chest, long sloping shoulder and high withers. Well muscled, long back, strong legs with massive hocks. Size: Up to 170 cm Colour: Mainly bay and chestnut Usage: Multi-purpose sport horse with good character and large, flat strides.

The Bavarian warmblood has its home in the state to Bavaria. The breeding goal is a riding horse for sport and pleasure purposes. Bavaria is one of the oldest horse breeding regions in Germany and was known in the past for the local Rottal horse. Already at the times of the crusades the 'Rottal chestnuts" were praised as good riding horses. At the end of the 18th century Holstein stallions with Neapolitan and Andalusian bloodlines and in the 1st half of the 19th century half-breds of Norfolk, Zweibruecken and Normandy blood were mixed in. As the breed aimed mainly at military usage, the horses became too light for farming use.

The desired strong calibre horse breed was achieved by using Normandy and Oldenburg stallions. The Rottal heavy warmblood horse for carriage and field use was very much in demand until the second world war. However, todays Bavarian warmbloods are mainly based on Hanoverian and Westphalian blood, which dominates their appearance. Small doses of Thoroughbred and Trakehner blood were also used for refinement. After the abandoning of the Landshut state stud the stud at Schwaiganger ("Haupt- und Landgestuet") became the centre of the Bavarian breeding.