Trakehner

The Trakenner originated in the former East Prussia, which is now part of Lithuania, and is an extremely ancient breed. Very early settlers to this area were the Scythians who were great horseman, and bred a tough and stocky type of horse to act as their transport and for use during battle. These very early horses were based on a combination of the local native Schweiken breed, which is now extinct., Mongolian ponies, and possibly Turkmenian blood. While that ancient original breed bears no comparison to the modern Trakehner, it is likely that the Trakehner owes its toughness, endurance and stamina to those early forefathers.

The Trakehner has been very skillfully developed as a breed and, although a large amount of Thoroughbred blood has been used, there have always been efforts made to maintain the Trakehner sense and temperament. One early Thoroughbred who was to have a great influence on the breed, was Perfectionist, son of Persimmon, who ran to fame winning the Epsom Derby and the St. Leger in 1896. Perfectionist sired the stallion Templehuter, and most modern Takehners can be traced back to these two horses. There has also been a steady use of Arab blood on the breed, which was considered to offset any possible flaws the Thoroughbred might pass on, and in some cases the Arabian heritage is still visible in the modern Trakehner.

The Trakehner of today has become one of the most versatile competition horses of our time and is recognized as such on the an international scale. They have competed in virtually every ridden sphere at the very highest levels of competition, and have proved themselves to be both excellent dressage and jumping horses. Through selective and carefully monitored breeding, the Trakehner has become an animal of excellent conformation and great quality. They naturally have great stamina, are very courageous and have a quiet , but energetic temperament.

In appearance, the head shows the influence of the Thoroughbred, and is finely modeled and very attractive. They have a well-made and elegant neck set to powerful sloping shoulders, which allow for their excellent free-flowing movement. They have a strong and muscular frame, which denotes speed and athleticism, with sturdy and hard legs. They are deep and wide chested, have a nicely rounded barrel and compact back, with very powerful hindquarters. The tail is set and carried high, and adds to their overall presence and elegance. Any solid color is permissible and they range in height between approximately 16 hh and 16.2 hh.

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