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| Old Type |
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| Modern Type |
The Württemberg Horse originates from its namesake in Germany. They were first bred in the mid-1500's by Duke Eberhard V the Bearded and Christoph von Württemberg's stud - the very one that became Haupt-und Land-gestüt. The first breedings infused native mares with a mixture of Turkish, Suffolk, Hungarian, and Caucasian stallions. During the Thirty Years War, maintaining the stud taken a setback until the war's end in 1648. It was then when the Barb, Spanish, and East Friesian horses were introduced to the current stock. However, it suffered greatly during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) due to the loss of horses. Later, in the late 1800's, the Arab, Thoroughbred, Anglo-Norman, and Trakehner were introduced. The Württemberg breed society was founded in 1895. However, after WWII, Sporthorses became the desirable steed and tractors took over the plow. The modern type Württemberg began to develop in 1958, by crossbreeding heavily with the Trakehner - with Julmond as the main stud at Marbach (1960). Later in 1979, The Westphalian and the Hanoverian were introduced as reinforcers. Since then, the Thoroughbred, Holsteiner, Oldenburg, and more Trakehner have been used to further develop the new type.
Considered rare due to the rise of the Modern Type, the Old Type Württemberg was originally bred as an all-around horse, with a heavy emphasis in carriage driving and farming. They had a stockier build, resembling that of a Cob and had shorter legs than their modern counterpart. Being bred for sport, the Modern Type Württemberg is leaner, but still maintaining the same average height: 16.1hh; and the Cob-like features.
Both types come in the basic Bay, Black, Chestnut colors; with minimal white markings allowed, such as up to a sock for leg markings and up to a stripe for facial markings.
References:
https://www.horsebreedspictures.com/wurttemberg-horse.asp
http://www.theequinest.com/breeds/wurttemberger/
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_napoleonic.html
"International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds" by Bonnie Hendricks (book)
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