This is a copy of my response on the original thread. Honestly, I am SO disappointed that this BS theory is still out there.
I am half-way through this great book “The Hanoverian” which I mention. Amazing how far back the development of the German warmblood (and specifically in the Hanover region) has changed, adapted, modified, etc.
Great book and very enlightening.
WB breeders can skip the lecture to Sunflower & her ilk, but might enjoy the historical parts…
***** TO “SUNFLOWER”: I’m sure after some 11+ pgs many, MANY people have corrected you Sunflower, because you are completely and totally wrong.
ANd what is most disappointing to me is the fact this old Cold + Hot = Warm simplistic crap is still around.
First of all, the American draft horses have always been bred to pull. Period. They were never bred as riding horses.
Now, for the actual WB in Germany, their actual appearance & intended use did vary a great deal depending on the region (with Oldenburg famous for fancy coach horses, while Trakehners & Hanoverians were ALWAYS bred primarily as riding horses.
Horse breeding in the Hanover region has been established since the Middle Ages. There are written records from before 1693 from officals in Engand, the Netherlands &Sweden praising the horses from the Hanover regions as top class RIDING horses; cavalry horses. NOT heavy animals built to pull.
A breeding station was established in Hanover in 1735 and the improvement stallions they used were acquired from HOLSTEIN, NOT TBs or Barbs or Arabs. Later on, improvement stallions were acquired from Mecklenburg (another region in Germany) & occasionally England.
The stallions were offered to area farmers for a modest fee, but although the mares were of a heavier type, they were most definitely multi-purpose.
During the early 1800’s a visiting equine expert stated “…you should visit the area of Hanover…where the broodmares owned by the farmers are often better than those to be found in the stables of princes.”
Starting in 1844, all stallions standing in Hanover had to be licensed. It was during this time that many stallions were acquired in England where they HAD been using TB stallions on heavier native mares. The result was a horse bred to pull the mail coaches.
THese horses were described as “large-framed, with substance, and possessed of great courage & endurance. They were capalbe of galloping for long periods of time without showing any signs of tiredness.”
So, again, NOT draft horses. Between 1830 & 1890 over 100 stallions of this type were imported from England to Hanover and played a large part in the development of the Hanoverian.
I could go on and on and on, but you guys can read the book yourself, “The Hanoverian” by Christian Freiherr von Stenglin (pub. 1983).
The point is that what Americans think is a warmblood (cold + hot = warm) is an inaccurate description of the term.
The actual FACTS are the German WB has been bred for 100’s of years and it’s actual breeding (genetically) is a mix that has been modified any number of times depending on the needs of the time(s).
I certainly was surprised to find out how many times the horses produced in the various regions of Germany were lightened, or improved , then modified again…bred heavily, then not so much…all depending on the time in history.
From the mid 1700’s to WWII various wars decimated the equine populations, so old stock was lost and new stock (bloodlines) had to be established. There were the famous Hanoverian cremes (actual cremellos), who were considered fancy coach horses used for State functions.
ALWAYS the goal was to produce a “purpose bred” animal, so there was no general goal to breed for “purity” like in Arabs & TBs. But the purpose was never primarily as an agricultural use animal.
The result was always to be either a fancy coach horse or riding/military type animal. The emphasis was ALWAYS on gaits, beauty, stamina and courage.
The history of the German WB is centuries old, and well documented (you know those Germans – they write everything down…:D).
To reduce it to “they bred the farmer’s draft mares to TB stallions” is not only wildly incorrect, but also fairly insulting IMHO.
So folks – all you “cold blood + hot blood = warmblood” folks out there: Spread the word!! The German warmblood is a breed in and of itself and has been cultivated and developed for centuries.
Now, since WBs became so popular (and this shows what happens when a breed is produced to service a PURPOSE and not just have a pure pedigree), just about every country in the world suddenly has a “warmblood”. And how these breeders have created them probably also varies widely.
But in each case (save perhaps here in America 
) the history is much more complicated than “I have a draft!” + “Well, I have a TB!” = (all together now!!) "Let’s make a WARMBLOOD!".
And I honestly can’t believe this BS theory is still out there…:eek::rolleyes: ****
In another country with people with a different mentality, different language, no network to be in 