Trakehner Horse

The Trakehner is a horse breed that originated in East Prussia. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm The warmbloods from West Germany, where they are now bred, may be identified by the double moose antler brand on the left hind quarter. The Trakehner horse is an athletic sport horse that have been gold medalists in a variety of fields in the Olympics since 1924. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm The breed is based upon an East Prussian horse, the “Schwaike”, with a high percentage of Shagya Arabian, Anglo-Arab, Arabian, and Thoroughbred blood. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm

The Trakehner comes in all colors and stands between 15.3hh-16.3hh. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm The neck is medium long and tapers towards a refined head that has a broad forehead, smallish muzzle, and large, wide set eyes. The throat latch is clean and allows for good freedom of movement. The Trakehner has large, well defined withers that come up off a sloping shoulder and into a medium back. The horse had a deep barrel, a long sloping croup, medium long pasterns, and well shaped hooves. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm The temperament of the Trakehner is uncomplicated, friendly, and reliable. The Trakehner is noted for its floating trot. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm The movement of the Trakehner is ground eating, very comfortable, and springy.

The history of the Trakener horse goes back about 400 years to the “Schwaike” of East Prussia. King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia brought in some of the best horses from seven of his royal breeding farms to the new royal stud in Trakehner in 1732, where selective breeding began. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm Between 1817 and 1837 select English Thoroughbred and Arabian stallions were added to the breed, a practice that is still followed today. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm During WWI the population of the Trakehner was nearly halved. In 1950 the German Federal government recognized the effort being made to preserve this breed and made a move to protect the valuable mare lines from dispersion.

Today the Trakehner is a national breed of West Germany with all breeding regulated by German law. <ref> http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm The Trakehner horses of Germany are tested and only the very best are approved. From approximately 100 of the finest yearling stallions presented for approval each year, only 20-25 are so honored. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm

Trakehner history in the Western Hemisphere began in 1957 with the importation of 4 stallions. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm Three of these four stallions made major contributions to the bloodlines found in America today. There were also 12 mares imported in 1957 and then 11 more in 1963. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm In 1979, an agreement was signed between the American Trakehner Association and the West German Association that assured the American division the help and support of the West German association in maintaining and preserving the Trakehner breed. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm

Trakehner horses may be seen in dressage, three day eventing, jumping, and steeple chasing. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm In the past the horses were used by the East Prussians for general transportation and agricultural work as well as war horses. In the 18th century King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia chose the Trakehner horse to become the foundation of his cavalry horses. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm The Trakehner has earned gold medals in many of the Equestrian Olympic events and have represented several countries there including the United States, Germany, and the Soviet Union. http://americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm