The Warlander is a horse of
Baroque type, produced by crossing
Friesian horse
The Friesian ( in Dutch; in West Frisian) is a horse breed originating in Friesland in north Netherlands. The breed nearly became extinct on more than one occasion. It is classified as a light draught horse, and the modern day Friesian hor ...
s with horses of a
purebred
Purebreds are cultivars of an animal species achieved through the process of selective breeding. When the lineage of a purebred animal is recorded, that animal is said to be pedigreed. Purebreds breed true-to-type, which means the progeny of l ...
registered
Iberian horse
The Iberian horse is a designation given to a number of horse breeds native to the Iberian Peninsula. At present, some breeds are officially recognized by the FAO, breed such as the
Andalusian,
Lusitano
The Lusitano, also known as the Pure Blood Lusitano or PSL (''Puro Sangue Lusitano''), is a Portuguese horse breed. Horses were known to be present on the Iberian Peninsula as far back as 20,000 BC, and by 800 BC the region was renowned for ...
, or
Menorquín.
History
For much of the sixteenth century, the
Low Countries
The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...
were under Spanish rule; Iberian horses brought there from Spain may have influenced the development of local horse types including the Friesian.
The Classical Sporthorse Stud in Western Australia named the breed after their association with veterinarian Warwick Vale in the late twentieth century.
The Warlander is not listed by the
Universal Equine Life Number foundation. A bred standard is published by the , which has a UELN number.
Characteristics
Significant debate exists over whether a Warlander will only obtain genetic benefit if it is an
F1 hybrid
F1 hybrid (also known as filial 1 hybrid) is the first filial generation of offspring of distinctly different parental types. F1 hybrids are used in genetics, and in selective breeding, where the term F1 crossbreed may be used. The term is somet ...
.
[ A crossbred animal is likely to enjoy ]hybrid vigor
Heterosis, hybrid vigor, or outbreeding enhancement is the improved or increased function of any biological quality in a Hybrid (biology), hybrid offspring. An offspring is heterotic if its trait (biology), traits are enhanced as a result of m ...
and therefore have genetic gains over both of its parents.[ However, there is uncertainty over whether an F2 horse - produced by a Warlander-Warlander, Warlander-Andalusian, or Warlander-Friesian pairing - would be likely to suffer from genetic ]atavism
In biology, an atavism is a modification of a biological traits structure or behavior whereby an ancestral genetic trait reappears after having been lost through evolutionary change in previous generations. Atavisms can occur in several ways, ...
.[ The statistically tiny number of F2 and subsequent generation Warlander horses bred internationally has meant empirical resolution of this question has not yet been possible.][Maharaj, Akaash (2011). A 21st Century Breeding Programme for the 21st Century Cavalry. Toronto: UNICEF Team Canada] The Warlander Studbook Society acknowledges that the following genetic defects are known to come from the base breeds of the Warlander and WSS breeders must notify the society if any horses show the following - Cryptorchidism, Monorchidism, Dwarfism, Fallen Crest, Water head/crown head foals (hydrocephalus) and Mesocolic Rente.
References
External links
Warlander Studbook Society
International Warlander Society and Registry
{{as of, April 2015 is live but may move soon
Bavarian Specialist Breed Registryhistory link
Horse breeds