The rare breed for this week comes from Germany, although this breed is a rare sight even in it’s hometown. The Altwurttemberg breed was started by the Wurttemberg Prince House, although sadly they were created without an obligatory breed goal.
Careful Breeding
Although they had no real goal, the bloodlines used as their foundation were top notch. About thirty horses from Normandy were used between 1872 -1888, crossed with English Thoroughbreds, Holsteins & Oldenburgs. Through this careful breeding the Altwurttemberg horse was established.
This is a strong, beautiful & individual breed, even without a clear goal in life.
Falling Out of Favor
Unfortunately, the Altwurttemberg type was not greatly received or appreciated. Instead the Wurttemberg Sport Horse was developed as a superior sport animal & was highly prized for a time. After 1950 the Altwurttemberg had completely fallen by the wayside & was threatened with extinction. Luckily in 1988 government inititives were started to preserve the breed & they exist in very limited numbers today.
Learning More
Be sure to check out our own Altwurttemberg page, as well as the Association for the Conservation of Altwürttemberger horse for more information.
Have Pictures?
As of now we have very few images of the Altwurttemberg for our informative page on them. If you have images (or information about the breed – including an official website) you’d be interested in sharing, please get in touch today.