Horse Illustrated Magazine

Danish Warmblood

Profile:
The Danish Warmblood is the youngest of all the European warmblood breeds, beginning in 1962. There were two Danish saddle horse breed associations—the Danish Sport Horse Society and the Danish Light Horse Association. But these were later merged in 1978 to form the Dansk Varmblood (the Danish Warmblood Society) in Denmark. To create the perfect sport horses, breeding animals were carefully chosen from among European stallions of various breeds, including warmblood and Thoroughbred, and put to Danish mares. Although the studbook remains open, Denmark is very choosy with the inclusion of stallions. The stallions must be easily ridden and have a strong competitive aptitude. Prior to 2004, the goal of the Danish Warmblood Society has been to breed an all-around sporthorse, but now breeding is more specifically pinpointed to create a top show jumper or dressage horse.

Characteristics:
The Danish Warmblood is a large, elegant riding horse, very similar to the Thoroughbred but with a more substantial build. Horses are found in all solid colors, most predominately black, chestnut, bay and dark brown, and stand 15.3 to 17 hands high. Danish Warmbloods are branded with a wave topped by a crown.

For more information:
North American Danish Warmblood Association, www.danishwarmblood.org