Warmblood

What is a Warmblood?

A category rather than a breed. "Warmblood" describes the European sport horse studbooks - the Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Oldenburg, Westphalian, KWPN (Dutch), Selle Français, Danish and others - which are open studbooks that admit horses on inspection and performance rather than on pedigree alone.

The term comes from the distinction between "hot blood" (Thoroughbred and Arabian) and "cold blood" (draught). A warmblood is the deliberate mixture.

A horse advertised simply as "a warmblood" with no studbook named and no papers is telling you nothing. Ask which studbook, and ask for the passport.

History and origins

Each studbook grew from a regional agricultural and cavalry horse - the Hanoverian from the Celle state stud founded in 1735, the Holsteiner from the marshes of Schleswig-Holstein - and was converted after mechanisation into a sport horse programme.

The defining feature is the inspection and performance-testing system: stallions are graded on conformation, movement, jump and rideability, and mares are inspected too. It is the most rigorous quality control in the horse world.

Appearance and size

160-175cm, 500-700kg. Large, powerful and athletic, with good bone, elastic movement and a substantial frame. Any solid colour.

Type varies by studbook: Holsteiners tend toward jumping, Dutch and Hanoverian toward dressage, though every book produces both.

Temperament and personality

Selected for rideability, which is a specific thing: willingness to work, tolerance of pressure and a straightforward attitude. A well-bred warmblood is forward without being sharp.

They are big and powerful, and a young one is a great deal of horse. Temperament varies more between individuals than the marketing suggests.

Intelligence and trainability

Very trainable, and bred for it. They learn quickly, tolerate repetition better than a Thoroughbred, and hold their work.

They mature slowly - often not fully developed until seven - and the modern tendency to compete young horses hard is a real cause of the soundness problems below.

Children and other pets

An experienced adult's horse. The size, the power and the value all argue against a novice.

Usually easy in a herd and straightforward on the ground, having been handled professionally from birth.

Health problems

Mostly wear and conformation rather than inherited disease, and mostly consequences of being bred for athleticism.

Hock and stifle arthritis, and osteochondrosis (OCD) in young horses - loose cartilage fragments in joints, particularly hocks and stifles, strongly associated with fast growth and heavy feeding of youngstock. This is the single commonest finding on a pre-purchase radiograph.

Navicular-type front foot pain and tendon injury from jumping.

Gastric ulcers, very common in horses in hard work on concentrate feed and stabled routines.

Kissing spines, over-represented in sport horses, and a common reason for a horse being sold cheaply with vague "he just needs a different job" explanations.

Twenty-two to thirty years, though competition careers are much shorter.

Daily care routine

A working sport horse is a daily job: mucking out, turnout, feeding two or three times, ridden work six days a week. Legs felt by hand every day. Farrier every five to six weeks, usually shod all round.

Most are on part or full livery because the routine is not compatible with a full-time job.

Grooming and coat care

Clipped through winter, rugged accordingly, groomed daily in work. Saddle and back checked by a qualified fitter at least twice a year and after any change in condition.

Exercise needs

Very high and structured. Six days a week for a competing horse: schooling, hacking, jumping and fitness work.

Feeding and diet

Forage first, then conditioning feed matched to the work, a balancer and electrolytes in the competition season. Feeding a horse in hard work is a technical job and getting it wrong shows up as ulcers, tying-up or no energy.

Youngstock should be grown slowly. Fast growth on heavy feed is directly implicated in OCD.

Price

£8,000-£25,000 for a competent competition horse, £30,000-£150,000+ for a proven performer at national level and beyond. Unbacked three-year-olds from £5,000.

Keeping one costs £6,000-£15,000 a year on part or full livery, before competition expenses, and insurance on a horse of this value is substantial.

Buying advice

Ask which studbook and see the passport and papers. A branded, registered horse with a performance pedigree is a different asset from an unregistered "warmblood type".

Commission a five-stage vetting with a full radiographic set - hocks, stifles, front feet - and have your own vet do it. At these prices it is not optional, the insurer will want it, and OCD and hock changes are exactly what it finds.

Ask directly about kissing spines and about any history of back treatment.

Ride it twice on separate days, and jump it or school it properly rather than hacking round a field. Ask why it is for sale and ask for the vet practice name so your vet can request the history.