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TrakehnerFrom West Germany, formerly East Prussia |
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TrakehnerFrom West Germany, formerly East Prussia |
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The Trakehner was formerly known as the
East Prussian. It is a warmblood from East Prussia that stands about 16.1 hands high and is usually seen in dark colors. The Trakehner's head is broad between the eyes, and tapering to the muzzle. It has a long straight ned and prominent withers. The girth is deep and the hind quarters are flattish. A feature of the Trakehner is its extravagent action. It is intelligent, active, and loyal and it has a good-temperament. Influences include the Oriental, Schweiken and
Thoroughbred.
Germany once had the largest number of specialized warm-blood breed of horses in western Europe and the most valuable of them was the 'Trakehner' or East Prussian. The Trakehner is the most valuable and the most outstanding.
The stud at Trakehner in East Prussia was founded in 1732 with a collection of stallions belonging to a number of different breeds, although the greater percentage were East Prussian.
The Thoroughbred stallion Perfectionist was imported from England to Trakehner as a four-year-old and although he was at stud only three years (he suffered a fatal accident in his box stall), he sired a hundred and thirty-one foals. Of these, thirty-two were stallions and thirty-seven were brood mares, and his blood appears in all pedigrees of present day East Prussian, Trakehner, Masuren and Russian Trakehner horses. Between the two World Wars, 32,000 horses were exported from East Prussia.
As Soviet troops entered East Prussia in January and February 1945, the inhabitants had to leave hurriedly. They harnessed their in-foal mares to their wooden field wagons, and under the most appalling conditions and difficulties, these incredibly courageous animals brought their owners to safety in the west, after a trek of nine hundred miles. Most of the foals were born dead through starvation. Fewer than a thousand pure-bred Trakehner and East Prussian horses escaped, and they covered the distance unshod and with very little to eat in snow, frost, and under bombing in about two and a half months. During this time, most of them stood outside during the night and were never unharnessed. This is the greatest endurance test that horses of any kind have ever been asked to undertake. About thirty-three stallions in the care of an old groom and two boys were driven to the west. With this nucleus in western Germany, breeding of Trakehner horses, which is a fixed breed, is continued.
It has become a lighter, more elegant saddle horse, but still with plenty of bone. Studs are at Schmoel, Rantzan and Planker in Schleswig-Holstein and at Zweibviicken in the Pfaiz. The main stud in Solling, western Germany, breeds stallions for use in other warm-blood breeds, particularly for the Hanoverian, which has now become the most important breed of light horses in West Germany.
The Trakehner horses are capable of great endurance and are invaluable for all kinds of mounted sports, and in their native land, are used in harness and in agriculture.
Color and Characteristics: No odd colors; well-made saddle horse; good shoulder and quarters; Thoroughbred head, sometimes lop ears; beautiful action and a good jumper. Delightful disposition. Height 16 to 16.2 hands high.
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For more information on Trakehners, visit:
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© 1997-2007
NW Breyer Horse Club & Refiner of Gold Creations Equinealities in place since 1997, Section in place 2001, Updated 3/13/2007 |
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