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The Groninger or Groningen 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 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 ...
, leaving few purebreds.


History


Foundation

The Groninger shares much of its initial foundation with the Friesian, East Friesian and Alt-Oldenburger, and
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 ...
: small native farm horses and medieval destriers were influenced by popular Spanish,
Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...
, and
Arabian horse The Arabian or Arab horse ( ar, الحصان العربي , DIN 31635, DMG ''ḥiṣān ʿarabī'') is a horse breed, breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is ...
s in the 17th and 18th centuries. Horses like England's Cleveland Bay were also utilized, producing a horse that was tall by the standards of the day, as well as reasonably elegant with deep, wide haunches and a thick, high-set neck. Although selection procedures had been in use for many years, the first Dutch horse registries weren't founded until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The North-Netherlands Warmblood Horse Studbook, or NWP, regulated horse breeding in
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
, Friesland, and
Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Nov ...
, while the NSTg did the same for the southern regions, including Gelderland. The goals of the registries were characterized by distinct differences in the soil composition: Groningen had heavy, wet, clay soil and needed a particularly stout horse to till it, while the soil in Gelderland was sandier. Nevertheless, both studbooks aimed to produce a horse that could perform farm work, retaining as much elegance as possible to make them attractive
carriage A carriage is a private four-wheeled vehicle for people and is most commonly horse-drawn. Second-hand private carriages were common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping an ...
horses. This goal echoed that of neighboring
East Frisia East Frisia or East Friesland (german: Ostfriesland; ; stq, Aastfräislound) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia ...
and
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 ...
, regions with which breeding stock were freely exchanged. The NWP also utilized Holsteiners, which were rumored to have been influenced by the horses of Dutch immigrants. In reality, all parts of the region known as
Frisia Frisia is a cross-border cultural region in Northwestern Europe. Stretching along the Wadden Sea, it encompasses the north of the Netherlands and parts of northwestern Germany. The region is traditionally inhabited by the Frisians, a West Ger ...
have ties beyond the similarity of their soil and weather. The result of these exchanges was that at the turn of the century, the Groninger, East Friesian, Oldenburger, and Holsteiner were calm, substantial farm and carriage horses with primarily dark coats. In the 1920s and 30's, horses were bred to be rather heavier, fulfilling the roles of tractor horse and artillery horse, though the lighter ''Karossier'' type was still present in all populations.


Decline

Following the wars, the breeding of heavy agricultural horses collapsed, and the breeders had to adapt. In 1964, the southern studbook opened a "Sportregister" with the aim of producing
riding horses Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
, and in 1969 the NWP and southern studbook merged to form the KWPN, the Royal Warmblood Horse Studbook of the Netherlands. There was a studbook for
riding horses Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
, a studbook for driving horses, and a studbook for Gelderlanders. All of the Groninger stallions lost their breeding approval, and mare owners were encouraged to breed them to foreign stallions. The breed was sure to disappear.


Preservation

In 1978, the last remaining NWP Groninger
stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...
, Baldewijn, was saved from the butcher. A small group of interested breeders pooled their genetic resources - 20 mares and Baldewijn - and in 1982 formed a private association. In 1985 this association, called simply "The Groningen Horse", was recognized by Royal Decree and by the European Union 10 years later. Alt-Oldenburg/East Friesian, Silesian, East-German, and Holsteiner horses of the appropriate type were used to re-establish the Groninger, as well as one Cleveland Bay stallion. Today there are 25 approved stallions and over 400 mares.


Characteristics

The breed standard calls for a correct horse; heavy, with the legs about half the horse's height, and a rectangular frame, with the body from point-of-shoulder to point-of-buttock about 10% greater than the height of the horse at the withers. 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. Ideal height is between 15.3 and 16.1
hands A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each " ...
high at the withers. In motion, the walk is diligent with a long stride, the trot is brisk and economical with some action, and the canter is of sufficient quality. The canter was not of great importance to the breeders, who did not have need for a heavy galloping horse, and so this gait is not as strong or expressive as the trot. The horses are known for their even temperaments, though they are seldom spiritless. They are described as "sober" with a tremendous work ethic. Dark colors predominate: almost 90% are black or some shade of
bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...
. A small percentage are
chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelat ...
or grey, and there are strains known for the sabino or tobiano pattern though minimally-marked horses are favored. Photographs and records show that
silver dapple The silver or silver dapple (''Z'') gene is a dilution gene that affects the black base coat color and is associated with Multiple Congenital Ocular Abnormalities. It will typically dilute a black mane and tail to a silvery gray or flaxen color, ...
coloring was present as well, though it is not known if any examples of this color have survived to modern day. The Groninger is typically shown in a white
bridle A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit. Headgear w ...
without a
cavesson A noseband is the part of a horse's bridle that encircles the nose and jaw of the horse. In English riding, where the noseband is separately attached to its own headstall or crownpiece, held independently of the bit, it is often called a cavesson ...
, traditionally braided with contrasting white and green ribbons. Fillies are named as the breeder desires, while colts are named patrilineally (e.g. Batavier by Bazalt).


Uses

The Groninger is, above all "a family horse". Their calm nature and low-maintenance constitutions make them ideal horses for leisure. They are quick to mature, sound, long-lived and easy keepers, and do not need to be worked every day to be enjoyed. Some, including approved stallions, compete in
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 ...
at the Dutch national Z-level (about USDF 4th level) or higher, and some compete in
show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrianism, equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, Show hunter, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including th ...
above 4 feet as well, though this is less common. They have found their modern niche as combined driving horses, a sport in which many, including the stallion Meinhold, compete
internationally ''Worldwide Angel'' is the second mixtape by Spanish singer and songwriter Bad Gyal. It was released on 23 February 2018 by Puro Records and Canada (company), Canada Editorial. ''Worldwide Angel'' was presented with four singles: "Blink (Bad Gya ...
.


Medical issues

The greatest concern for the breed is inbreeding. As in other warmblood registries, stallions must undergo a veterinary examination before they are allowed to breed. In consequence, the breed is sound, long-lived, and thrifty.


References


External links


The Groningen Horse AssociationVideo, Groninger horses in a driving classVideos (flash, under "K"), modern Groninger in motion
{{DEFAULTSORT:Groninger Horse breeds originating in the Netherlands Horse breeds