What Kind of Horse Originated in Czechoslovakia?

Not one, but six breeds of horses originated in what used to be called Czechoslovakia, but what are now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Empress Maria Theresa passed horse breeding laws for the area in 1763. The area had very fertile soil excellent for horse breeding according to "Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds." Out of the six horse breeds, only the Czech warmblood is found outside of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in any significant numbers.

  1. Breeds

    • The six breeds are the Kladruber or Kladruby; the Czech coldblood or Cesky cladnokrevnik; the Czechoslovakian small riding horse; the Czech warmblood or Cesky teplokrevnik and the Slovak or Slovakian warmblood. The oldest breed is the Kladruber, beginning in the 1500s, while the newest breed is the Czechoslovakian small riding horse, which began in 1980, according to "Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds."

    Sizes

    • Horse breeders the world over use the hand, or four inches, as the standard unit of measurement. Horses are measured from the ground to the highest point of their withers (shoulders.) The largest is the Kladruber at 16.1 to 17 hands. The average size of the Czech coldblood, Czech warmblood and the Slovakian warmblood is 16 hands. The smallest breed is the Czechoslovakian small riding horse is 13.2 to 13.3 hands.

    Functions

    • Each breed, except for the two warmbloods, was bred for different purposes. The two warmblood breeds were created to compete successfully in horse sports such as jumping and dressage. The Czechoslovakian small riding horse was to also be quiet but competitive in horse shows for small children. The Czech coldblood was bred for heavy pulling in farms and in the logging industry. The Kladruber was originally bred to be a stylish carriage horse for the upper class.

    Population

    • With the exception of the Kladruber, there are no breed registries for the other five Czech or Slovakian horse breeds. The two warmblood breeds can be registered in various national or international warmblood or sport horse registries, depending on the restrictions of that particular registry. It is unknown how many of each breed survives, but in 2009 there were fewer than 1,000 Klaudrubers throughout the world.

    Speculation

    • Many breeds from Spain, Italy, Europe and the Middle East came together in the former Czechoslovakia to create the six breeds. However, due to wars and economic problems, all of the breeds have become rare. Many of the two warmblood breeds are exported to other countries. In order to keep all of the breeds healthy and athletic, other breeds may have to be added in the future.