The Rhinelander, or , is a German

warmblood Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds primarily originating in Europe and registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sp ...

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

of sport horse. It is traditionally bred at the , which it shares with the Westphalian, and is bred to the same standard as the Westphalian and other German warmbloods, such as the

Bavarian Warmblood The Bavarian Warmblood is a horse breed of southern Germany that developed from an older Bavarian heavy warmblood breed called the Rottaler. Since mechanization in the mid-20th century, the Bavarian Regional Horse Breeders' Society has concentr ...

Mecklenburger The Mecklenburger is a warmblood horse bred in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region of north-eastern Germany. The breeding of these horses has been closely linked to the State Stud of Redefin. Historically influenced by Arabian and Thoroughb ...

Brandenburger The Brandenburger is a German horse breed, breed of warmblood sport horse from the states of Germany, state of Brandenburg in north-eastern Germany. From the 1960s – when Brandenburg was in East Germany – it was included in the stud-book ...

, and

Württemberger The Württemberger, Baden-Württemberger or Württemberg is a Warmblood horse breed originating in Germany. They are primarily riding horses, and are selectively bred for dressage and show jumping. Breed History The breed registry studbook was ...

History

Until the mid-twentieth century, horse-breeding in the

Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...

was centred on the Rhenish German Coldblood, the heavy agricultural workhorse of the region. With the

mechanisation of agriculture Mechanised agriculture or agricultural mechanization is the use of machinery and equipment, ranging from simple and basic hand tools to more sophisticated, motorized equipment and machinery, to perform agricultural operations. In modern times, po ...

and after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

draft horse A draft horse (US) or draught horse (UK), also known as dray horse, carthorse, work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred to be a working animal hauling freight and doing heavy agricultural tasks such as plowing. There are a number o ...

s were no longer needed and numbers fell sharply. When the Wickrath State Stud at

Schloss Wickrath Schloss Wickrath is a moated castle complex in Wickrath.Stefan Frankewitz: ''Der Niederrhein und seine Burgen, Schlösser, Herrenhäuser entlang der Niers''. Boss, Geldern 2011, , pp. 89–108. The castle is located on the river Niers. The origin ...

closed in 1957, breeding riding horses had been gaining economic and cultural importance in Germany. From the 1970s Rhenish breeders and farmers began to develop a new warmblood breed based on Westphalian,

Hanoverian The adjective Hanoverian is used to describe: * British monarchs or supporters of the House of Hanover, the dynasty which ruled the United Kingdom from 1714 to 1901 * things relating to; ** Electorate of Hanover ** Kingdom of Hanover ** Province of ...

and

Trakehner Trakehner () is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name. The was established in 1731 and operated until 1944, when the figh ...

stock. The new breed was registered with the (established in 1892) until 2014, when the Hannoveraner Verband – the German

breed association Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members ...

of the Hanoverian – took over management of the

stud-book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry, the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders w ...

. In 1997 there were just over brood-mares registered in the stud-book, with 178

stallion A stallion is an adult male horse that has not been gelded ( castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cre ...

s in natural service; in 2020 the breeding population consisted of 618 mares and 8 stallions.

Characteristics

The breed standard calls for a horse of correct sport horse type that is ''long-lined'', fitting into a rectangular outline rather than a square, and ''noble'', a term that suggests aesthetic appeal that does not entail extreme refinement. In motion, the Rhinelander should portray boldness, a long stride, and an elastic quality at the

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...

trot The trot is a two-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is som ...

, and

canter The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait pos ...

. The temperament, character and rideability of the Rhinelander make it suitable for any type of recreational or competitive riding. These horses are primarily bred for

dressage Dressage ( or ; , most commonly translated as "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrianism, equestrian sport defined by th ...

and

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows ar ...

References

External links

Pferdezuchtverband Rheinland-Pfalz-Saar e.V.
orse breeding association Rhineland-Palatinate-Saar e.V.*

Breed registries A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry, the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders w ...

for Rhinelander horses: *
Hannoveraner Verband e.V.
(Germany website, in English) *
American Hanoverian Society
*
British Hanoverian Horse Society
*
Hanoverian Horse Society of Australia
*
New Zealand Hanoverian Society
Horse breeds originating in Germany Warmbloods {{bots, deny=Citation bot