Belgian warmblood
Belgian warmblood | |
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Important data | |
Origin: | Belgium |
Main breeding area: | Belgium, USA |
Distribution: | Belgium, Europe, USA |
Stick measure : | approx. 160 cm |
Colors : | all basic colors |
Main application area: | Sport horse |
The Belgian Warmblood , in Dutch Belgian Warmbloedpaard (BWP), is a young horse breed, with the creation of which both equestrian sport and warmblood breeding were established in Belgium.
Background information on horse evaluation and breeding can be found under: Exterior , interior and horse breeding .
Exterior
The Belgian Warmblood is a large-framed animal of the type of the modern sport horse, which, compared to other examples of international sport horse breeds, is above average in caliber and size, as far as the nobility is concerned, but below average.
The neck and the shoulder are designed according to the requirements of a show jumping horse. The well-defined withers , the strong and stable back, the sufficiently deep chest and the strong, slightly sloping croup underline the suitability for use at international sporting events. The extremely stable foundation shows good strength. The hooves and joints are large, there are hardly any droppings .
The mechanics are sufficient in the gaits step and trot. The canter is beneficial and the jumping ability is above average.
Breeding history
The history of the Belgian warmblood is quite young. After the First World War , the decision was made to establish equestrian sports and warmblood breeding in Belgium by breeding a new breed of their own. The project was interrupted by the Second World War and the continuation only resumed in 1950.
The commitment of Pastor André de Mey , who was a strong advocate of rural breeding and equestrian sports, is worth highlighting here . The first attempts at breeding were made with the import of breeding animals from the Netherlands ( Gelderland ), Germany ( Hanoverians ) and France ( Normans ). Later, the breeding was brought to further imports in the form of excellent stallions and numerous mares, which quickly achieved success. The offspring of the breeding animals were subjected to a performance test and through selection a constant improvement in quality could be achieved.
This efficiency was later improved again by crossing Holsteiners , other Hanoverians, thoroughbreds and some stallions from France, the Netherlands and Westphalia .
The supervision and organization of this internationally competitive breed is the responsibility of the Belgian breeding association Belgian Warmbloed Paard , based in Oud-Heverlee .