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The Westphalian |
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The Westphalian Horse |
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Like its neighbouring state Hanover , Westphalia has a jumping horse upon its coat of arms and in both states horse breeding has a long standing tradition . In 1826 the state stud at Warendorf was founded and in 1904 in Muenster , the Westphalian Breed Registry opened. In the beginning the Westphalian was bred based upon Oldenburg blood and also Anglo - Normandy stallions were used. Since 1920 , the Westphalian warmblood horse breeding was based upon Hanoverian blood. During the Roman period , horses were already being bred in Westphalia. In the course of the centuries , wild horses survived in the marshy parts unsuitable for farming. Five of these wild horse herds existed up until the 19th.century. |
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The last of these regions today is the "
Merfelder Bruch " near Duelman , known far across the borders of
Westphalia ( featuring the last herd of ( semi ) - wild horses in
Germany ) . The annual catching of the young stallions and
the subsequent stallion auction is a public attraction. Many clueless attempts by the breeders which lasted until the turn of the 19th. century did not form a unique and stable horse breed and it wasn't until 1826 and the founding of the state stud that a planned breeding programme began. A breed based on Oldenburg and Anglo - Normandy blood commenced in 1900 but alas ended with the first world war , as those horses were not suited to the Westphalian soil. ( The draft horse breed which was also founded at the same time did however gain world wide recognition until the second world war ) . After the first world war , warmblood horse breeding was started again , based upon Hanoverian blood with some Thoroughbred and Trakehner warmblood influence and which was very successful . The breeding goal was for a character - wise flawless , large riding horse with a quiet temper and usable for shows as well as pleasure riding. Lately , some excellent show jumping horses of Westphalian breed have been found , an important factor when marketing and promoting this breed. Also in the most difficult sector ( in combined training and in the military ) , Westphalian warmblood horses have shown their high quality. Breed Characteristics Coat Colour : All colours . The exterior of the Westphalian warmblood horse is similar to the Hanoverian warmblood horse. Size ; 165 to 175 cm. Noble head , long neck , long sloping shoulders. High withers , well muscled back , long muscular croup. Strong legs with very large joints. Usage : Sport , Show Jumping and pleasure horse for all purposes.
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