The Trakehner Horse

In 2010 the Trakehner breed will celebrate its 278th anniversary making it the oldest riding horse breed in Germany bred in accordance to the principles of the original pure breed. The name derives from Trakehnen, the site of the Main Stud (de:Gestut Trakehnen) in Purussia (since 1945, Yasnaya Polyana, Russia).

Breed History

In 1732 King Fredrick William I of Purssia established the Main Stud Trakehnen at the East Prussian town Trakehnen.  In 1739 the king gave it to crown prince Frederick II of Prussia who often sold stallions for profit.  After his death in 1786 the stud became state property.

Between 1817 and 1837 the stud added Arabian and Thoroughbred horses to improve their breeding, keeping the breed true to type.  One Thoroughbred was Perfectionist, by Persimmon, who won the Epsom Derby and the St Leger in 1896.  He was also the sire of the great Trakehner stallion Tempelhuter.  Most Trakehners can be traced back to these two stallions and are branded with OstpreuBische Elchschaufel moose antlers, the brand of a pure bred Trakehner.

East Prussian farmers were also encouraged to bring their mares by then known for their hardness and quality, to Trakehen's stallions.  This enabled the rapid transformation of the breed into much sought-after army remounts:- sure-footed intelligent and athletic.  By 1918 60,000 mares were bred to East Prussion stallions each year, and recorded in a stud book.

In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles limited Germany's army to 100,000 troops and so the breed's focus was again turned to producing suitable horses for farm duties, therefore heavier sires were used. It was during the 1920's and 1930's that the breed was seen for the true performance horse it was.  Trakehners won gold and silver medals in two Olympics, and won Czechoslovakia's notoriously challenging Velka pardubicka steeplechase nine times.  In 1930s there were more than 10,000 breeders and 18,000 registered Trakehner mares in Trakehnen, and more than 6,033 hectares were used for breeding and spelling Trakehners.

The Trakehner was again used as mounts in World War II.  Sadley when Soviet troops advanced from the East, the main stud and local residents were given permission to evacuate on 17th October 1944.  Their journey West, known as Der Treck (The Flight), sent the horses and their owners on a dangerous journey in sub zero conditions across the frozen Vistula lagoon.  This is still considered the toughest test to which an entire breed of horse has ever endured.

Many refugees were bombed while on the ice, sadly only a small number of people and horses ever made it to safety.  After the war ended, the breed which numbered tens of thousands was reduced to less than 100 broodmares and stallions. The last original Trakehner was Keith, born Trakehnen in 1944, he died just before his 35th birthday.

On th 23rd of October 1947 the East Prussian Studbook Society was dissolved and the Association of Breeders and Friends of the Warmblood Horse of Trakehner Origin, known today as the Trakehner Verband.  This organization faced unlike anyother German horse breed, as the Trakehner had no mother state and could not depend on government funding.

The Modern Trakehner

Today in Germany the breed is considered a federal responsibility, with its governance falling under both the Trakehner Verband and the Trakehner Gesellschaft, the later handling the business operations.

Since 1945, in accordance with the principles of 'the pure breed' and using the genetic share of the original Trakehners still alive after World War II, the Trakehner Verband mission has been to continue to promote this breed by breeding through appropriate action, by adding only the best Thoroughbred and Arabian blood lines, to ensure the best possible progress in breeding  a performance horse true to Trakehner type that is not only rideable and talented for many uses but still maintains the original Trakehners interior values. They are particularly valued as dressage mounts and show jumpers.

Trakehners Australia  started by a group of breeders that wanted to raise the profile of this breed here in Australia and preserve the bloodlines that existed from imported horses over the past 30 years.  I am extremely proud to be an active comittee member, working towards closing the gap between Australia and Germany, to hopefully one day become a daughter association.

The Trakehner Verband are the keepers of the parent stud book of the Trakehner breed worldwide.  Trakehners Australia, for which I am proudly a committee member, has recently been able to have certified persons from the Trakehner Verband in Germany visit Australia and assess potential horses giving owners the opportunity to register their horses, if found to be true to type, entered or eligible for entry into the parent stud book (moose antler branded) or eligible to be entered as a Trakehner Sport Horse (branded with an S and a single moose antler). This is a huge step and has taken several years to make it possible, well done to all those at Trakehners Australia!

Breed Characteristics

Owing to its Thoroughbred ancestery, the Trakehner is of rectangular build with a long sloping shoulder, good hindquarters, short cannons, and a medium-long crested and well-set neck.  The head is often finely chiseled, narrow at the muzzle, with a broad forehead.  It is known for it's 'floating trot' - full impulsion and suspension.  The Trakehner possesses a strong, medium-length back and powerful hindquarters.

Trakehners are athletic and trainable, with good endurance, some are more spirited than other warmblood breeds of horses.  Trakehners are bred true to type, due to the purity of their bloodlines making them valuable if used in breeding to upgrade other warmblood lines as they are considered the lightest and most refined of all warmblood breeds due to its closed stud book which allows entry of only Trakehner horses and selected Thoroughbred and Arabian lines.

The Trakehner typically stands between 15.2 and 17 hands high (1.57 to 1.73m).  They can be any colour, with bay, gray, chestnut and black being the most common.