A category of
horses which decend from mixed
hotblooded (
Arabian or
Thoroughbred) and
coldblooded (
draft horse) ancestors. Warmbloods are one of the most popular types of
sport horses today. They combine the strength and calmness of a draft horse with the speed,
stamina, and grace of a hotblood.
Most warmbloods are old breeds from Europe, including the Holsteiner and Hanoverian from Germany, the Trakehner from Prussia, the Selle Francais from France, the Dutch Warmblood from Denmark, and the Friesian from Spain. These (among others) are the true warmbloods that have been well established for over 300 years, selectively bred to enchance the desired traits of each breed. While technically any breed that is a mixture of hotblood and coldblood can be considered a warmblood, anything other than the established breeds are considered just to be a cross breed.