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Dutch Warmblood (KWPN) Overview

A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland (Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands (KWPN), which governs the breeding of competitive dressage and show jumping horses, as well as the show harness horse and Gelderlander, and a hunter studbook in North America. Developed through a strictly controlled breeding program that began in the 1960s, Dutch Warmbloods are some of the most successful sporthorses horses developed in postwar Europe.

Dutch Warmblood History: Prior to World War II, there were two types of utility horse in the Netherlands:
(1) Gelderlanders – Gelderlanders are bred in the south under the Gelderlander Horse Studbook (1925). A heavy warmblood breed of horse that was developed in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. Gelderlanders are often chestnut with flashy white markings. Their heads are long and flat with a straight or convex profile and the neck is well shaped and muscular with an arch. Their withers are prominent and broad, and their backs are relatively long but running smoothly into a level croup. The tail is usually set high, the chest is full and deep, the shoulder long and sloped, and the legs are muscular with long forearms and strong, broad joints. Hooves are usually broad and strong. This breed of horse usually stands at 15.2-16 hands high at the withers. Gelderlanders tend to have high-stepping action, particularly at the trot.
(2) Groningen Horses - The Groningen Horse is bred in the north under the NWP (1943) and is a Dutch horse breed developed for light draft and agricultural work. It is closely related to heavy warmblood breeds like the East Friesian and Alt-Oldenburger. The breed was nearly lost in the mid-20th century because a significant number of mares were used for crossbreeding to create the Dutch Warmblood, leaving few purebreds. The Groningen Horses are almost unwaveringly solid black, brown, or dark bay. The topline is level, muscular neck set on fairly high, and the loins and haunches are broad and powerful. The head is workman-like and the hooves large and sound. Ideally, the Groningen stands between 15.3 and 16.1 hands high at the withers.
These two registries merged to form the Royal Warmblood Horse Studbook of the Netherlands (KWPN). After the Second World War, the Gelderlander and Groninger were replaced by tractors and cars, and horses began to become a luxury rather than a necessity. As early as the 1950s, stallions like the French-bred L'Invasion and Holsteiner Normann were imported to encourage a change in the type of Dutch horses, followed soon after by the Holsteiner Amor and Hanoverian Eclatant. The carriage-pulling foundation stock contributed their active, powerful front ends and gentle dispositions to the Dutch Warmblood.
Today the KWPN comprises four sections: the Gelderlander, the Tuigpaard or Dutch Harness Horse, and riding horses bred for either dressage or show jumping. Indeed, the KWPN was the first studbook to regulate such specialization amongst its sport horses.

Contact: Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands - www.kwpn-na.org
Information and Photos Courtesy of Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands and Wickipedia