The British Warmblood is British inspection-based stud-book of sport horse. Like other warmblood stud-books it is commonly considered to be a breed. It derives from European sport horses including the Hanoverian, the Dutch Warmblood and the Danish Warmblood.
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
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Use | |
Traits | |
Height |
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Colour | usually bay, chestnut or black |
It is bred mainly for dressage, but also performs well in show jumping. Some have been exported to other countries.
History edit
The British Warmblood Society was established in 1977 and opened a stud-book for sport horses; as with other warmblood stud-books, registration was based on inspection but not pedigree or performance testing.[1]: 447 [2]: 33 under the management of the British Warmblood Society, establishing a horse registry open to inspection.[1]: 447 The intention was to register horses suitable for competition in dressage, eventing and show-jumping and also for everyday riding.[3]: 88 [2]: 33 [4]: 54
Early registrations included imported European warmbloods including some Hanoverian, Dutch Warmblood and Danish Warmblood stock, as well as Thoroughbred crosses with various British horses.[2]: 33 [5]: 66 [6]: 185 Separate sections of the stud-book were maintained for the Hanoverian and Trakehner.[1]: 447 Since 2008 it has used the name Warmblood Breeders Studbook UK.[7]
The creation of approval criteria for mares dates back to 1982.[8]
The society was registered as a private limited company in 1986,[9] and in 1994 was approved by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to issue horse passports.[10][5]: 185 Since 2008 it has used the name Warmblood Breeders Studbook UK.[7]
In the early 2000s, more and more British breeders turned to this type of horse,[11] with a record number of registrations in the stud-book in 2007.[7]
Description edit
The British Warmblood is a sport horse[1]: 447 difficult to characterise,[6]: 66 insofar as its pattern resembles that of other European Warmbloods,[3]: 88 constituting a type, not a true breed.[4]: 54
Height at the withers is variously given as 1.55–1.70 m,[6]: 66 as 1.58–1.78 m,[4]: 54 and as 1.60–1.70 m.[12]
The legs are long, the neck medium-sized, the chest deep and the withers deep.[6]: 66 The coat is solid colour,[1]: 447 generally bay in all shades, chestnut or black.[6]: 66
Selection and health edit
The stud-book association, Warmblood Breeders Studbook UK, is affiliated to the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH), and organises an annual show every summer.[13] Its aim is to breed the best possible sport horses.[14] Animals are branded, the brand representing a crown surmounted by a cross.[15] Stallions and mares are strictly inspected twice a year.[4]: 54 The association is entirely private, with no funding from the British government.[16]
Anecdotally, a 12-year-old mare belonging to this stud-book was examined for a giant superficial tumor present in her tissues.[17]
Uses edit
Intended for equestrian sports,[1]: 447 these horses are present in show jumping and dressage competitions,[6]: 66 [3]: 88 and are primarily devoted to dressage, thanks to their free, elevated movements.[4]: 54 They can also be used for pleasure riding.[4]: 54
In September 2019, the British Warmblood stud-book ranked 30th in the world in this discipline, its best show jumper being Diamonte Darco, ranked 265th in the world with his rider Lucas Porter.[18]
On 5 October 2017, a British Warmblood horse won the British national hunter riding competition.[19]
Spread of breeding edit
This stud-book is unique to the UK,[6]: 66 but has spread widely outside its country of origin, notably through transactions involving horses destined for Olympic-level sporting competitions.[4]: 54 Conversely, warmblood horses from other European countries are also sent to the British Isles.[20]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
- ^ a b c Susan McBane, Gillian McCarthy (1991). The Competition Horse: Breeding, Production, and Management, first American edition. New York: Howell Book House. ISBN 9780632023271.
- ^ a b c Fitzpatrick, Andrea (2016). The Ultimate Guide to Horse Breeds. Kit Houghton. Book Sales. ISBN 978-0-7858-3467-0.
- ^ a b c d e f g Wright, Liz (2020). Beautiful Horses: Portraits of champion breeds. Ivy Press. ISBN 978-1-78240-779-9. OL 29418714M.
- ^ a b Valerie Porter, Ian Lauder Mason (2020). Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties (sixth edition). Wallingford; Boston: CABI. ISBN 9781789241532.
- ^ a b c d e f g Rousseau, Élise (2016). Guide des chevaux d'Europe. Illustrator: Yann Le Bris. Paris: Delachaux et Niestlé. ISBN 978-2-603-02437-9.
- ^ a b c "18/05/2008 UK Warmblood Breeders Studbook". wbfsh.org. World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ Horses, British Warm-Blood. "Mare Grading | warmblood stud-book uk stallion horse breeders | British Warm-Blood Horses". bwbs.co.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ British Warm-Blood Horses Company Limited: Company number 02032201. Cardiff: Companies House. Accessed November 2023.
- ^ Horse passport issuing organisations that manage studbooks in the UK and are based in Great Britain. London: Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs. Accessed November 2023.
- ^ Costantino, Maria (2004). The handbook of horse breeds. Barnes & Noble Books. p. 245. ISBN 0-7607-5659-7. OCLC 56104811. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ Kidd, Jane (1986). International encyclopedia of horse breeds. HPBooks. p. 92. ISBN 0-89586-393-6. OCLC 13254040.
- ^ Horses, British Warm-Blood. "About WBS UK | warmblood studbook uk stallion horse breeders | British Warm-Blood Horses". bwbs.co.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ Horses, British Warm-Blood. "warmblood breeders society studbook uk stallions | British Warm-Blood Horses". bwbs.co.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ Turner, Jacky (2010). Animal Breeding, Welfare and Society. Routledge. p. chap. Pedigrees and purity. ISBN 978-1-136-54187-2.
- ^ Ensminger, M. Eugene (1991). Animal science digest. Interstate Publishers. p. 615. ISBN 0-8134-2893-9. OCLC 22875209. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ Cian, Francesco; Whiteoak, Sarah; Stewart, Jennifer (2016). "A case of giant cell tumor of soft parts in a horse". Veterinary Clinical Pathology. 45 (3): 501–504. doi:10.1111/vcp.12377. ISSN 1939-165X. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ "WBFSH world ranking list - Studbooks - Jumping" (PDF). WBFSH. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Clark, Aimi (5 October 2017). "'The best working hunter in the country': warmblood does the double at HOYS - Horse & Hound". Horse & Hound. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ Clayton, Michael (2004). Endangered species : the story of modern foxhunting. Swan Hill. p. 132. ISBN 1-904057-49-7. OCLC 56650117. Retrieved 13 March 2020.