TheEquine |

TheEquine : "The Oldenburg is the heaviest German warmblood breed. It was founded in the 17th century and was developed from the heavy Friesian horse as strong cart horse. Initially Spanish and Arabian blood was crossed in, and in the 19th century the breed was stabilised using Thoroughbred, Cleveland Bay, Anglo-Normandy and Hanoverian stallions. As the demand for cart horses decreased in the first half of this century, the breed changed over to a modern, powerful riding and sport horse by adding more Thoroughbred blood.

The Oldenburg is not only the heaviest German warmblood breed, but with 165 cm also one of the largest. Despite its size it is a compact horse, with short and heavy boned legs. It has a large barrel and a very broad back, and from its draft ancestors it has got the early maturity. It has a reliable, but sometimes daring, character. The common colours are black, dark bay, chestnut and grey. Today the Oldenburg has become popular again as a competition driving horse, which goes back again to the breed's roots.

300 years ago Duke Anton Guenther of Oldenburg practised a method of domestic horse breeding that can even today be called exemplary - and which led to success. The farmers got mares from the Duke's studs and the Duke's stallions were available for breeding. The desired horse type of those days was a driving horse with high knee action. The flashy trotting Oldenburg can be called the Mercedes of the time. But times change, carriage horses are in less demand and heavy riding horses are not wanted any more. "