Trakehner

About the breed

The Trakehner is a warmblood riding and sport horse from former East Prussia whose studbook is kept today by the Trakehner Verband, based in Neumünster, Germany. Its breeding can be traced without interruption to the Trakehnen main stud, founded in 1732, which is why the Verband calls it the oldest riding horse breed in Germany. The breeding goal is an elegant, large-framed and versatile horse standing 160 to 170 cm at the withers, and every colour is accepted.

The Trakehnen stud: from 1732 to the Olympic Games

The Trakehner takes its name from the main stud at Trakehnen in East Prussia, established in 1732 by the Prussian king Frederick William I. The American Trakehner Association (ATA) describes the original East Prussian horse as stocky and strong but lacking size and refinement. In the early 1800s the breeders at Trakehnen therefore began to introduce English Thoroughbred and Arabian blood into the local mare herd. The aim was an athletic endurance horse for the cavalry that could also work on farms in peacetime.

According to the Verband's history, producing cavalry horses long remained the main task of East Prussian horse breeding, and in the early 20th century the stud director von Oettingen relied on Thoroughbred stallions such as Perfectionist xx, sire of the famous stallion Tempelhüter. The toughness and willingness to work of these horses proved a real advantage for sport riding after the First World War. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Trakehner horses won six gold medals and one silver, the Verband states; the gelding Nurmi, who carried Ludwig Stubbendorff to gold in the military (eventing), became a legend.

The 1945 trek and a new beginning

Today's population descends from a small number of horses that survived the end of the Second World War. The Verband's history records that on 17 October 1944 the order came to evacuate Trakehnen, and in January 1945 people and horses set out on a flight of about 1,000 km to the west. Losses on the trek across the frozen Frisches Haff (Vistula Lagoon) were severe; in places the horses pulled wagons through icy water up to their bellies. Of the whole Trakehner population, which once numbered 30,000 horses, only 1,500 remained, scattered across Germany, and only 27 mares from the main stud itself were saved.

Breeders gave priority to rescuing their best mares, and some of them became the foundresses of mare families. In the territory that later became the GDR there were around 660 Trakehners after the war, including 489 mares and four stallions with full papers. The Trakehner Verband was constituted in Hamburg on 23 October 1947, and the first Trakehner stallion market was held in Neumünster in 1962. According to the Verband, the former Trakehnen now lies in the Russian part of former East Prussia and is called Yasnaya Polyana; in agreement with the Russian authorities, a friends' society of the Trakehnen stud has begun restoring the west wing of the stud director's house (Landstallmeisterhaus), a primary school since the 1940s. Trakehners are bred elsewhere too, for example in Lithuania, where a 2026 study recorded a 25 % decline in the population in recent years.

A closed studbook: outside blood from only four breeds

What sets the Trakehner apart from most warmblood breeds is its closed studbook. The Verband's breeding programme states that all breeding is based on pure breeding that permits only the genes of four breeds: the English Thoroughbred, the Arabian, the Anglo-Arab and the Shagya-Arabian. According to the breeding goal, the Trakehner is the only riding horse breed bred on pure-breeding principles with high genetic proportions of these breeds. The ATA puts it even more plainly: the studbook is closed, and only Trakehners, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Shagya-Arabians and combinations of them are permitted.

How large those proportions are was calculated by a University of Kiel study of 13,793 pedigree records: the active breeding population carried 22.3 % Thoroughbred genes and 11.7 % Arabian genes. A genomic analysis of 942 stallions from four German warmblood breeds found that Trakehners form a distinct cluster and have the highest number of runs of homozygosity, which the authors link to the breed's historical bottleneck. The Verband has also introduced a "Classic Breeding" passport marking for foals conceived without embryo transfer or other modern biotechnological methods and carried and raised by their own dam.

Height at the withers, weight and conformation

The Trakehner is a large riding horse: the Verband's breeding goal sets a target height of 160 to 170 cm at the withers, and the ATA gives the same range. The studbook does not specify a weight, and there are no reliable breed-specific weight measurements. Purely as a general guide for warmbloods, a Danish field study weighed 38 adult warmblood horses (breeds not specified) on a scale and recorded 478 to 718 kg, with a mean of 640 kg. An individual Trakehner can be noticeably lighter or heavier depending on height, calibre and condition.

The standard asks for an elegant, large-framed, harmonious horse with expression, nobility and presence. The head should be dry and expressive with a large eye, and the neck of medium length, tapering towards the head. The breeding goal stresses a large, sloping shoulder, prominent withers reaching well into the back, a functional back, a long, slightly sloping and strongly muscled croup, and clean limbs with correct, large joints and well-formed hooves. The ATA adds that, despite its substance and bone, the Trakehner shows surprising refinement, perhaps more than any other European warmblood.

Colours and the double moose antler brand

A Trakehner can be any colour, since the breeding goal simply lists "all colours". The breed's best-known outward sign is not a colour but its brand: the double moose antler, a design protected by the Trakehner Verband. With the ATA, branding is optional and eligibility depends on bloodlines; purebred Trakehners may receive the double moose antler, while part-bred Trakehners receive a different mark.

Movement: an elastic trot and a thoughtful jump

Movement is one of the Trakehner's main strengths. The breeding goal asks for energetic, rhythmic, ground-covering basic gaits in which the movement comes elastically from the hindquarters, passes over a freely swinging back and reaches forward freely from the shoulder. Trot and canter should show a clear moment of suspension, and some knee action is desired. For dressage the ATA singles out a light, springy "floating trot" and a soft, balanced canter. Over fences the standard looks for an elastic, scopey and deliberate jump that shows composure and intelligence, with a clearly rounded back over the obstacle.

Temperament: intelligent, but not for everyone

According to the breeding goal, the Trakehner is an uncomplicated, sociable, willing, strong-nerved and reliable horse that gives an alert, intelligent impression and shows a calm, balanced temperament. Horses that are difficult to handle, nervous, anxious or timid are undesirable. The ATA adds that the Trakehner is keen and bright yet very stable and eager to please.

A breeding goal describes a direction, not a guarantee for every horse. The Trakehner is a large sport horse with a lot of Thoroughbred blood, so individuals vary in sensitivity and energy. It suits beginners only conditionally: an experienced, well-schooled and calm horse can be a good schoolmaster, whereas a young or very sensitive Trakehner needs an experienced rider and trainer. The same applies to children, who should ride only a suitable horse and under supervision.

Dressage, eventing and show jumping

The Trakehner is bred for dressage, eventing and show jumping, and it is also used in driving. Because of its early focus on endurance and later on sport, Trakehner stallions influenced several German state breeding programmes after the war, according to the Verband, which also states that the Rhineland, Zweibrücken and Hessian breeds are based on Trakehners. Among recent successes, the ATA names the mare TSF Dalera BB, on which Jessica von Bredow-Werndl won individual Olympic dressage gold in Tokyo and defended it in Paris in 2024, as well as Tsetserleg TSF and Vandiver, who represented the United States at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. For leisure riding the Trakehner works well when its rider has enough experience and the horse gets regular, varied work.

Trakehner vs Thoroughbred: what is the difference?

The Trakehner and the Thoroughbred share many genes, but they are bred for different purposes. Slovenia's breeding programme states that the Thoroughbred is bred exclusively for flat racing and gives it a height of 155 to 165 cm and a lively temperament. The Trakehner is a warmblood riding and sport horse bred for dressage, eventing and jumping, with a target height of 160 to 170 cm. The Thoroughbred is admitted to Trakehner breeding as an improver, and the ATA describes the Trakehner as a horse with substance and bone that is at the same time surprisingly refined. Trakehner breeding places its emphasis on movement, jumping ability and rideability rather than speed on the racecourse.

Health, genetics and lifespan

We found no large breed-wide disease studies for the Trakehner, but a few inherited variants that entered the breed with outside blood are documented. Because Trakehner breeding has used Arabian blood for decades, the ATA adopted a policy in 2012 on three recessive disorders common in Arabians: cerebellar abiotrophy (CA), severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and lavender foal syndrome (LFS). Since 3 November 2012, all newly approved ATA stallions must be tested before studbook entry unless both parents have tested negative. The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory found a CA allele frequency of 0.68 % in Trakehners, and the carriers were at least half-Arabian. In an international screening for WFFS (warmblood fragile foal syndrome), one of 64 Trakehners tested was a carrier.

There are no lifespan statistics specific to the Trakehner, so the general figure for horses applies: the Merck Veterinary Manual states that horses live 25 to 30 years on average, depending on health, care and size. This information is for general guidance; the health of an individual horse and any genetic tests are best discussed with a vet.

Housing, feeding and exercise

As a herd animal, the Trakehner needs the company of other horses. The UK Code of Practice for the welfare of horses (DEFRA) notes that horses live in stable social groups in the wild and that isolating a horse from other horses can have a negative psychological impact. Horses evolved to spend 16 to 20 hours a day grazing and browsing, so they should have almost constant access to forage such as grass, hay or haylage, plus continuous access to fresh water. Concentrates and supplements make sense only when the horse needs them because of work, age or condition, and changes to the diet should be gradual. Daily turnout in a field or paddock benefits every stabled horse, and a sport Trakehner also needs regular, carefully progressed training.

Care: hooves, teeth, vaccination and worming

Caring for a Trakehner is moderately demanding and similar to caring for other sport horses. The DEFRA code says hooves should be trimmed or re-shod as advised by the farrier, usually every 4 to 8 weeks. Teeth should be checked by a vet or equine dental technician at least once a year, and older horses may need more frequent checks. A vaccination and infectious disease control programme and a parasite control programme with faecal worm egg counts should be agreed with a vet. Regular brushing of the coat, mane and tail is worthwhile, as it quickly reveals small wounds, swellings or skin changes.

Who the Trakehner suits

The Trakehner is a good choice for a sport rider or an ambitious leisure rider looking for an elegant, bright horse with fine movement for dressage, eventing or jumping. It is less suited to a complete beginner without a trainer or to an owner who cannot give the horse regular work. It needs a stable with daily turnout, other horses for company, forage-based feeding and regular visits from the farrier, the vet and a dental technician. Keeping a record of farrier visits, vaccinations and dental checks helps keep the horse's care history at hand.

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