Gelderlander
Dutch breed of horse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gelderlander is a Dutch breed of warmblood horse. It was bred in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands as a carriage horse capable also of farm work. In 1965 it was one of the foundation breeds of the Dutch Warmblood or KWPN, the other being the heavier Groninger horse from the north.[3]: 462 [4] It is registered in a division of the Royal Dutch Sport Horse stud-book, which also has divisions for the Dutch Warmblood and for the Dutch Harness Horse.[3]: 462 [5]
In harness, four-in-hand | |
| Conservation status | |
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| Other names |
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| Country of origin | Netherlands |
| Standard | KWPN |
| Use | competitive carriage driving |
| Traits | |
| Weight |
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| Height | |
| Colour | most often chestnut |
It is an endangered breed;[1]: 83 [6]: 168 in 2017 the breeding population numbered 600 mares and 35 stallions.[2]
History
The Gelderlander was bred from the late nineteenth century in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands as a carriage horse capable also of farm work, and with some capability as a heavy riding horse.[7]: 125 Local mares were cross-bred with imported stallions of a wide range of breeds and types, among them Alt-Oldenburger and Ostfriesen, Anglo-Arab, Arab, Cleveland Bay, English half-bred, Furioso, Hackney, Nonius, Norfolk Roadster, Orlov and Orlov-Rostopchin.[7]: 125 [8]
In 1969 the Vereniging tot bevordering van de Landbouwtuigpaardenfokkerij in Nederland,[a] which registered the Gelderlander, was merged with the Nederlands Warmbloed Paard stud-book, which registered the Groninger, to form the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland or Royal Dutch Sport Horse stud-book.[9]: 159 In this, three breed types were registered: riding horses (the Dutch Warmblood); harness horses (the Dutch Harness Horse); and the Gelderlander.[5]
In 2005 a new breeders' association, the Gelderlander Paard Associatie, was formed to preserve the original type of the Gelderlander.[10]
Characteristics
Uses
The Gelderlander is much used in competitive carriage driving; it jumps well and reliably but is not fast.[9]: 159
Notes
- roughly "association for the promotion of agricultural harness horse breeding in Holland"
