by Judy Evans

Created on: May 30, 2009   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

One of the most popular of the warmblood breeds must surely be the elegant but athletic Trakehner. A warmblood comes from crossing 'hot blooded' horses (high energy purebreds such as the Arab and Thoroughbred) with 'cold blooded' horses (more docile, heavier breeds such as Shires and Percherons).

The history of the Trakehner reaches back more than 400 years to a small local East Prussian horse, the Schwaike. The versatile Schwaike had enormous stamina and was crossed with various larger stallions. The progeny were used as military mounts and for general draught and farm work.

The Trakehner has beauty and strength combined with elegant movement and a natural grace. Combined with a keen yet alert willingness, it is no doubt the Trakehner is gaining new admirers daily.

Early in the 18th century, the Prussian army saw the need for a lighter, faster cavalry mount; one that could sustain a ground-covering trot for long distances. The days of strong, heavy mounts carrying armoured knights was over. The Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm I, chose the best horses from seven of his farms and moved them to Trakehnen in East Prussia. These horses were to be the foundation stock for a new breed.

In 1787, the new manager Count Lindenau culled many of the stallions together with a third of the mares. Private breeders were allowed to mate approved mares to the stud's stallions. From 1817 to 1837, Thoroughbred and Arab stallions were introduced to improve the quality of the indigenous horses.

The practice of using high quality outside stallions is still carried on today. The modern Trakehner has an elegance and grace that gives it a competitive edge over other European warmbloods.

Between 1921 and 1936, East Prussian horses won the Great Pardubice Steeplechase nine times. Only the English Grand National is recognised as more difficult than the Pardubice, although some sources state the Pardubice is on a par with the Grand National.

The first stud book appeared in 1877. The East Prussian Stud Book Society published its own stud book in 1890. This records Trakehner horses bred by private breeders. Right up to World War II, the Trakehner excelled as a dual purpose animal, being used by the military as well as doing light draught work on farms.

As World War II came to a close, the Russians were closing in on the area around Trakehnen and the stud was evacuated. In 1945, the East Prussians fled taking some 800 horses with them, most hitched to wagons. These horses were moved

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