The Brandenburger is a

warmblood Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds primarily originating in Europe and registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport. ...

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

originating in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Characteristics

The Brandenburger is a well-balanced horse with a lively temperament, an easy to get along with character, and is known for being energetic with little tendency to nervousness. The typical height is 16.1 hands. They have medium size heads, well-set necks with long and straight backs. They are very muscled with strong legs. The most common color is bay, and they usually have dark markings on the ankles and legs; sometimes with a white marking on the forehead. Their coat is shiny with thick skin.

History

Horse breeding was first mentioned in documents in the Brandenburg March in the 15th century although at that point, there was not a uniform or standardized breed. The development of the modern Brandenburger sport horse during the mid-20th century was achieved by utilizing

Trakehner Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name. The state stud ( :de:Hauptgestüt Trakehnen) was established in 1731 and ...

s, Hanoveranians and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

s. The national and state stud of Neustadt/Dosse, which was founded by King Frederick Wilhelm II in 1788, had substantial influence on the development of the Brandenburger.

Bloodlines, breeding, and prominent sires

Following reunification with the former

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

(East Germany), stallions from Hanoverian bloodlines and lines which came via

Redefin Redefin is a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europ ...

gained a big influence on the Brandenburg breed. These included inter alia the: * Detektiv line (via Duell by Duellant, Dollarprinz by Dollart, Dispondeus by Direx), * Goldschaum xx line (via Gottland by Goldstein), * Adept line (via Abendwind by Adept, Akzento by Arzano). The stallion Komet who came from

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin ...

, and who miraculously escaped the enforced castration that was the rule for unapproved stallions in East Germany at that time, later became a great sire and produced a series of successful

showjumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows ...

sires such as Kolibri by Kobold and Kogani I by Kobold I. A comprehensive blood rejuvenation has taken place since 1990, through the newly founded breeders' association. Since then, mainly

Holsteiner The Holsteiner is a breed of horse originating in the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany. It is thought to be the oldest of warmblood breeds, tracing back to the 13th century. Though the population is not large, Holsteiners are a do ...

s from the Ladykiller xx line and the

Cor-de-la-Bryère-SF Cor de la Bryère (23 April 1968 – 27 April 2000), nicknamed "Corde", is one of the most influential sires in modern warmblood breeding. He is known as the "Reserve Stallion of the Century", second only to Landgraf I. He stood . Pedigree Cor d ...

lines, but also stallions from

Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to: Places *Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica *Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany **Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony *Olde ...

have gained predominance. In 1999, the breeding stock encompassed 1,927 registered broodmares and 76 sires. The Neustadt/Dosse state stud is the breeding centre. This is where the stallion approval takes place in October every year.

Uses

Brandenburgers are to be found in all spheres of riding and

driving Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to fol ...

sports as well as in

pleasure riding Pleasure riding is a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, absent elements of competition. In horse show competition, a wide variety of classes are labeled pleasure classes with judging st ...

Poetin Poetin (1997 - December 2005) was a world-class dressage horse that was the 2003 World Young Dressage Horse Champion in the six-year-old division, and sold for a record amount at the PSI Auction in Germany. Breeding Poetin was of excellent blo ...

, a Brandenburger mare, was a successful

dressage Dressage ( or ; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined b ...

horse and sold for a record amount at auction: 2.5 million Euros.

References

* Brandenburg Horse - Brandenburger,. (2013). Retrieved March 11, 2016, from http://www.mypets.net.au/brandenburg-horse-brandenburger/ * Brandenburger. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2016, from http://horses.petbreeds.com/l/111/Brandenburger
Brandenburger Horse
{{German horses Horse breeds Horse breeds originating in Germany Warmbloods