P F
ublisher’sWelcome Cool to be Hot
iſteen years ago, I decided to visit a large breeding farm that stood half a dozen Warmblood stallions. Needless to say, I was in heaven. Te breeding manager was very friendly and gave me a personal tour of the
facility including the farm’s impressive young colts and fillies. His background was managing Toroughbred breeding farms, and this was his first job managing Warmblood stallions. He looked as though he had at least 40 years of horse experience under his belt. “Tis has been quite a transition for me, working with these Warmbloods,” I remember him casually remarking as we took a
ride in a golf cart. “Oh, yeah? Why is that?” I asked. His reply wasn’t quite what I was expecting. “Toroughbred stallions have more respect. Aſter one or two reprimands, they give in and will do almost anything I ask, and they will remember it for next time. Tese Warmbloods are not like that. I reprimand them and they act like they don’t care, no matter how oſten I get on their case! I call them Dumb-bloods.” It probably wasn’t the wisest comment to make to a prospective buyer of one of these so-called “Dumb- bloods,” yet he did have a point. Since my first Warmblood was a little like this, slow to react and not afraid of much, I decided my next Warmblood should have
at least a quarter Toroughbred blood in order to jazz him up and be lighter on his feet. However, I didn’t want to sacrifice the quality of his gaits for extra pizzazz. I also wanted him to be quicker to respond to my aids and overall easier to train and ride. Does any of this sound familiar? My needs and desires were right in line with what the sport horse market was demanding. Te breeds needed to become truly warm—less cold with just the right amount of heat added. At that time the well-known exception to the more-cool-than-warm Warmblood was the Trakehner. Tese horses were
considered hotter and their reputation wasn’t always favorable. But as time marched onward, my personal opinion of many of the breeds, including the Trakehner, has changed and rightly so. Breeding sport horses has evolved into more of a global market, and Americans are much more educated today about breeding and training for their particular sport. As a result, I have become more open-minded about what each breed has to offer. Tis is one reason that I’m particularly excited about this year’s introduction of the breed-sponsored sections in the magazine.
It’s a great opportunity to learn more about a specific breed’s history, goals and accomplishments, but at the same time we promise not to bore you! In the previous issue we explored the Holsteiner breed, and this issue is the Trakehner, which like most breeds, has a unique history and a passionate following of owners and breeders. In our recent reader survey, one reader wrote, “Why don’t you cover Toroughbreds? Aſter all, they have had more influence
on Warmblood breeding than any other breed.” Suddenly it occurred to me that I was not as open-minded as I thought I was. (Now who’s the dumb-blood?) From a breeder’s perspective, it might be advantageous to learn which Toroughbred bloodlines are excelling in our sports of jumping, eventing, and dressage. Clearly they have been a big part of the sport horse scene adding heart and athleticism, the extra “heat” that the old style Warmblood needed. In this issue, as usual, we present you with a variety of inspirational and informational stories about these fabulous horses.
Tey have brought joy and sometimes heartache into the lives of so many in this issue. And based on how things are going in our industry, I think it’s safe to say that our horses aren’t dumb-bloods any more.
Our Mission: Warmbloods Today is the only magazine in North America focused on the entire spectrum of Warmblood breeds. It’s a place where people from all aspects of the sport horse community can come together: amateurs, owners, trainers and breeders. Each issue contains interesting, informative and often heart-warming stories of peoples’ experiences with their horses, along with thought-provoking opinions from various professionals and amateurs. We cover all horses from European descent bred for the sports of jumping, dressage, eventing and driving including the Iberian breeds and American Warmbloods.
8 July/August 2011
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