Heavy warmbloods are almost a thing of the past in most European countries. Their popularity waning when trotting and heavy coach horses fell out of favor. The Altwurttemberg breed was carefully but not purposely bred and without a purpose they were eventually phased out.
A Little Backstory
Established by the Wurttemberg Prince House in the late 19th century using a base of Norman animals, crossed with Thoroughbred, Holsteiner and Oldenburg bloodlines. As they didn’t serve a specific purpose the breed was not well received, so the program pivoted towards a Sport Horse type.
This caused the Altwurttemberg’s numbers to fall almost into extinction after mid 20th century. Luckily, the German government stepped in during the late 80’s to preserve their lineage and a small herd of them survives today at the Marbach Stud.
What Makes Them Special
Generally when money is put into breeding a horse, there is a purpose driving the program. Without purpose, a domesticated horse breed is doomed. As there are so dreadfully few of them, each one among their numbers is truly special. While a portion of their genetics lives on in the Wurttemberg Sport Horse also bred at the Marbach Stud. To learn more about them, be sure to check out the Altwurttemberg breed page.
Quick Facts
Native to Germany.
Their studbook does not appear to be public.
The DAD-IS lists them as critical and as of 2023 they list them at 67.
The German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food also lists them at 67 in 2023.