Belgian Warmblood
Encyclopedia
A Belgian Warmblood is a warmblood
type of horse registered with the Belgisch Warmbloed Paard vzw (Belgian Warmblood Studbook (BWP)) or Studbook sBs. The traits given the greatest importance in the breeding aim of the Belgian Warmblood are performance in show jumping
and dressage
, as well as subjective conformational correctness and robust health.
in the Netherlands
, Germany
, and France
had been producing elegant saddle horses
for hundreds of years. However, because the Belgian government was concerned about protecting the bloodlines of the Brabant
(Belgian draft horse), it wasn't until the 1950s that breeders in Belgium were allowed to breed lighter saddle horses.
The foundation stock
of the Belgian Warmblood included jumping horses from France and the Netherlands, as well as Hanoverians
and Holsteiners
from Germany. Through studbook selection
, Belgian breeders were able to direct breeding towards their own goals.
The first stallion show for riding horses in Belgium took place, illegally, in 1953; the BWP was founded in 1955. Without native riding horses or all-purpose heavy warmblood
s, Belgian breeders had to import stallions and mares. Over the course of 50 years, the BWP accrued a mare base of over 3,500 broodmares and produced a significant number of international-quality show jumpers. In 2010, the BWP was ranked 4th in the FEI/WBFSH International Show Jumping standings, below only the KWPN-Dutch Warmblood, Selle Francais and Holsteiner studbooks.
horse, the Belgian Warmblood is characterized not by uniformity of coat color
, appearance or pedigree chart
, but by uniformity of purpose. Like other warmbloods, Belgian Warmblood breeding horses are subjected to rigorous studbook selection
.
The most reliable way to positively identify a Belgian Warmblood is by the brand on the left thigh. Belgian Warmblood foals receive this brand during their foal inspection, when they are given a passport and deemed free of obvious defects.
Between the ages of three and four years old, Belgian Warmblood stallions
are presented to a jury in a "Hengstenkeuring" or stallion licensing test. The licensing test consists of a veterinary inspection, subjective evaluation of the stallion's conformation and jumping ability without a rider, and evaluation of the stallion's qualities under saddle
. Stallions that do not achieve the desired marks in the licensing test are not eligible for the studbook. To retain status in the studbook, stallions must participate in competitions for young show jumping horses called the "Classic Cycle." Mares
take part in similar conformational evaluations, however judgement of a mare's qualities as a riding horse are elective.
The published breeding aim for the Belgian Warmblood reads as follows:
Belgian Warmbloods range in size and substance, but the ideal size for a stallion is between 16 and 17 hands
high at the withers
. Mares
are not eligible for breeding rights unless they exceed 15.1 hands high. In type, the Belgian Warmblood is similar to the Holsteiner
, Selle Francais, Dutch Warmblood
, and Hanoverian
, and less like the Trakehner
.
The BWP does not hold any regulations barring horses of certain coat colors; however, the most common coat colors are chestnut
("vos"), bay ("bruin"), brown
("zwartbruin"), black
("zwart"), and grey
("schimmel"). The modifier "donker" means a dark shade, "licht" means light. Modifiers on "schimmel" often indicate the horse's color at birth, for example "bruinschimmel" means a grey born bay. There are also tobiano
patterned pinto
("bont") Belgian Warmbloods, though they are uncommon.
Belgian Warmbloods present a unique case in that there is no indigenous warmblood
mare base. Of the 181 approved stallions listed, half were themselves Belgian Warmbloods. The remaining half were primarily Holsteiners
, Selle Francais, Dutch Warmblood
, or Hanoverian
; there were a handful of Oldenburg
, Thoroughbred
, Westphalian
, Belgian Sport Horse and Rhinelander
stallions as well.
Of the Belgian stallions, about a quarter had a Belgian sire. Another quarter had a Selle Francais sire, while a further 42% had Dutch, Holsteiner, or Hanoverian sires. The remaining sires were Westphalian, Rhinelander, Swedish
, Belgian Sport Horse, Oldenburg, or Thoroughbred.
show jumpers with the BWP brand include Big Ben
(1984), Darco (1992), Egano (1992), Jus De Pomme (1992), Joli Couer (1996), Sapphire (2008).
Over the past 20 years, research has supported observations regarding the high heritability
of jumping ability compared with that of dressage-quality gaits. Therefore, horse breeders may reliably produce exceptional jumpers in few generations, which is exactly what occurred in Belgium. The aim of the BWP has been, from day one, "'always jumping horses'".
The influence of French horses has also given the Belgian Warmblood the ability to be competitive in eventing
. Britt was a Belgian Warmblood Olympian
in eventing in 1992. In 2006 the studbook as a whole was ranked 15th in eventing by FEI
results.
Belgian Warmbloods also appear increasingly in dressage
. The FEI and World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses
ranked them 11th in 2006. There are strong numbers of Belgian Warmblood show hunter
s in North America, though their suitability for it depends very much on the individual horse.
(OCD) from their population. Stallions undergo radiographing of the feet
, fetlock
s, knees
, hocks
, and stifles
as a part of the approval process, and are not permitted to breed if they may become unsound. Furthermore, any stallion that later showed signs - through his offspring or otherwise - of carrying a genetic disorder would lose his breeding approval.
As a result, Belgian Warmbloods are not subject to the disorders that affect closed-studbook registries, and progress is being made to make Belgians Warmbloods - as other warmbloods - more sound than ever.
is reflected in the use of two separate warmblood breeding associations. The Belgian Sport Horse differs from the Belgian Warmblood only by location: breeders in northern Belgium typically register with the BWP, while those in the southern part of the country registry with the sBs. Studbook sBs was originally founded in 1920 as Societe d’Encourgement pour L’Elevage du Cheval d’Armes or "Society for the Encouragement of Breeding Army Horses," and produced cavalry
horses and remounts for the Belgian army, which at the time were primarily imported from France. Within 10 years, the use of cavalry horses had given way to demand for leisure horses, and the name of the registry was changed to Demi-Sang Belge or "Belgian Half-bred", reflecting the increased use of refined, Thoroughbred-influenced sires. Following World War II
, breeders imported substantial numbers of riding horses from France, as well as some from England, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. These horses were the foundation of sport horse breeding in the region. Success in breeding warranted another name change in 1967: the "Royal Belgian Sport Horse Society", better known as "Studbook sBs".
Warmblood
Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport...
type of horse registered with the Belgisch Warmbloed Paard vzw (Belgian Warmblood Studbook (BWP)) or Studbook sBs. The traits given the greatest importance in the breeding aim of the Belgian Warmblood are performance in show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
and dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
, as well as subjective conformational correctness and robust health.
History
Horse breedersHorse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
had been producing elegant saddle horses
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
for hundreds of years. However, because the Belgian government was concerned about protecting the bloodlines of the Brabant
Belgian (horse)
The Belgian Draft horse or Belgian, also known as Belgian Heavy Horse, Brabançon, or Brabant, is a draft horse breed from the Brabant region of modern Belgium, where it is called the or Flemish: . It is one of the strongest of the heavy breeds...
(Belgian draft horse), it wasn't until the 1950s that breeders in Belgium were allowed to breed lighter saddle horses.
The foundation stock
Foundation bloodstock
Foundation bloodstock or foundation stock are horses that are the progenitor, or foundation, of a new horse breed or a given bloodline within a breed. The term is also used in a similar manner when discussing purebred dogs...
of the Belgian Warmblood included jumping horses from France and the Netherlands, as well as Hanoverians
Hanoverian (horse)
A Hanoverian is a warmblood horse originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and have won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the warmbloods...
and Holsteiners
Holstein (horse)
The Holsteiner is a breed of horse originating in the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany. It is thought to be the oldest of warmblood breeds, tracing back to the 13th century...
from Germany. Through studbook selection
Studbook selection
Studbook selection is a process used in certain breeds of horses to select breeding stock. It allows a breed registry to direct the evolution of the breed towards the ideal by eliminating unhealthy or undesirable animals from the population. The removal of individuals from a population is called...
, Belgian breeders were able to direct breeding towards their own goals.
The first stallion show for riding horses in Belgium took place, illegally, in 1953; the BWP was founded in 1955. Without native riding horses or all-purpose heavy warmblood
Heavy warmblood
The Heavy Warmbloods are a group of horse breeds primarily from continental Europe. The title includes the Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger , Groningen, and similar horses from Silesia, Saxony-Thuringia, and Bavaria...
s, Belgian breeders had to import stallions and mares. Over the course of 50 years, the BWP accrued a mare base of over 3,500 broodmares and produced a significant number of international-quality show jumpers. In 2010, the BWP was ranked 4th in the FEI/WBFSH International Show Jumping standings, below only the KWPN-Dutch Warmblood, Selle Francais and Holsteiner studbooks.
Breed characteristics
As a warmbloodWarmblood
Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport...
horse, the Belgian Warmblood is characterized not by uniformity of coat color
Equine coat color
Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. A specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them.While most horses remain the same color throughout life, a few, over the course of several years, will develop a different coat color from that with which they were born...
, appearance or pedigree chart
Pedigree chart
A pedigree chart is a diagram that shows the occurrence and appearance or phenotypes of a particular gene or organism and its ancestors from one generation to the next, most commonly humans, show dogs, and race horses....
, but by uniformity of purpose. Like other warmbloods, Belgian Warmblood breeding horses are subjected to rigorous studbook selection
Studbook selection
Studbook selection is a process used in certain breeds of horses to select breeding stock. It allows a breed registry to direct the evolution of the breed towards the ideal by eliminating unhealthy or undesirable animals from the population. The removal of individuals from a population is called...
.
Between the ages of three and four years old, Belgian Warmblood stallions
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
are presented to a jury in a "Hengstenkeuring" or stallion licensing test. The licensing test consists of a veterinary inspection, subjective evaluation of the stallion's conformation and jumping ability without a rider, and evaluation of the stallion's qualities under saddle
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
. Stallions that do not achieve the desired marks in the licensing test are not eligible for the studbook. To retain status in the studbook, stallions must participate in competitions for young show jumping horses called the "Classic Cycle." Mares
Mare (horse)
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old; in harness racing a mare is a...
take part in similar conformational evaluations, however judgement of a mare's qualities as a riding horse are elective.
The published breeding aim for the Belgian Warmblood reads as follows:
"A noble modern and correctly-built warmblood horse with a rectangular frame, big outlines and good basic paces. The horse should be pleasant to ride and have an unobjectionable character, so that it can be used by any rider, both as pleasure horse and as a performance horse on national and international level. There has to be a balance between conformation, performance and health."
Belgian Warmbloods range in size and substance, but the ideal size for a stallion is between 16 and 17 hands
Hand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
high at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
. Mares
Mare (horse)
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old; in harness racing a mare is a...
are not eligible for breeding rights unless they exceed 15.1 hands high. In type, the Belgian Warmblood is similar to the Holsteiner
Holstein (horse)
The Holsteiner is a breed of horse originating in the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany. It is thought to be the oldest of warmblood breeds, tracing back to the 13th century...
, Selle Francais, Dutch Warmblood
Dutch Warmblood
A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the...
, and Hanoverian
Hanoverian (horse)
A Hanoverian is a warmblood horse originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and have won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the warmbloods...
, and less like the Trakehner
Trakehner
Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name...
.
The BWP does not hold any regulations barring horses of certain coat colors; however, the most common coat colors are chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
("vos"), bay ("bruin"), brown
Seal brown (horse)
Seal brown is a hair coat color of horses characterized by a near-black body color; with black points, the mane, tail and legs; but also reddish or tan areas around the eyes, muzzle, behind the elbow and in front of the stifle...
("zwartbruin"), black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
("zwart"), and grey
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
("schimmel"). The modifier "donker" means a dark shade, "licht" means light. Modifiers on "schimmel" often indicate the horse's color at birth, for example "bruinschimmel" means a grey born bay. There are also tobiano
Tobiano
Tobiano is a spotted color pattern commonly seen in Pinto horses, produced by a dominant gene. The tobiano gene produces white-haired, pink-skinned patches on a base coat color. The coloration is present from birth and does not change throughout the horse's lifetime, unless the horse also carries...
patterned pinto
Pinto horse
A pinto horse has a coat color that consists of large patches of white and any other color. The distinction between "pinto" and "solid" can be tenuous, as so-called "solid" horses frequently have areas of white hair. Various cultures throughout history appear to have selectively bred for pinto...
("bont") Belgian Warmbloods, though they are uncommon.
Belgian Warmbloods present a unique case in that there is no indigenous warmblood
Warmblood
Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport...
mare base. Of the 181 approved stallions listed, half were themselves Belgian Warmbloods. The remaining half were primarily Holsteiners
Holstein (horse)
The Holsteiner is a breed of horse originating in the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany. It is thought to be the oldest of warmblood breeds, tracing back to the 13th century...
, Selle Francais, Dutch Warmblood
Dutch Warmblood
A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the...
, or Hanoverian
Hanoverian (horse)
A Hanoverian is a warmblood horse originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and have won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the warmbloods...
; there were a handful of Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
, Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
, Westphalian
Westphalian
Westphalian may refer to:* The culture or people of the Westphalia region of Germany* Westphalian language, one of the major dialect groups of West Low German* Westphalian sovereignty, a concept in international relations* Westphalian , in geology...
, Belgian Sport Horse and Rhinelander
Rhinelander
Rhinelander can refer to:*A person from Rhineland, Germany*Rhinelander, Wisconsin, a city in the United States*Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport, an airport that serves Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA...
stallions as well.
Of the Belgian stallions, about a quarter had a Belgian sire. Another quarter had a Selle Francais sire, while a further 42% had Dutch, Holsteiner, or Hanoverian sires. The remaining sires were Westphalian, Rhinelander, Swedish
Swedish Warmblood
The Swedish Warmblood is a horse that was developed at Strömsholm and Flyinge. It descends from imported stock in the 17th century. The horses imported to Sweden were from Denmark, Germany, England, Hungary, France, Russia, Spain, and Turkey...
, Belgian Sport Horse, Oldenburg, or Thoroughbred.
Uses
The slogan of the BWP is "Bred to perform," which accurately describes the aim of the registry. Belgian Warmbloods are best known for their jumping abilities. OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
show jumpers with the BWP brand include Big Ben
Big Ben (horse)
Big Ben was a world champion show jumping horse.-Birth and Acquisition by Ian Millar:First named "Winston", Big Ben was born at the van Hooydonk Farm in Kalmthout . Although his dam was only 15 hh, Big Ben grew to be a very large horse of 17.3 hands high...
(1984), Darco (1992), Egano (1992), Jus De Pomme (1992), Joli Couer (1996), Sapphire (2008).
Over the past 20 years, research has supported observations regarding the high heritability
Heritability
The Heritability of a population is the proportion of observable differences between individuals that is due to genetic differences. Factors including genetics, environment and random chance can all contribute to the variation between individuals in their observable characteristics...
of jumping ability compared with that of dressage-quality gaits. Therefore, horse breeders may reliably produce exceptional jumpers in few generations, which is exactly what occurred in Belgium. The aim of the BWP has been, from day one, "'always jumping horses'".
The influence of French horses has also given the Belgian Warmblood the ability to be competitive in eventing
Eventing
Eventing is an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding...
. Britt was a Belgian Warmblood Olympian
Equestrian at the Summer Olympics
Equestrianism made its Summer Olympics debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. It disappeared until 1912, but has appeared at every Summer Olympic Games since. The current Olympic equestrian disciplines are Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping...
in eventing in 1992. In 2006 the studbook as a whole was ranked 15th in eventing by FEI
International Federation for Equestrian Sports
The Fédération Équestre Internationale or in English, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, is the international governing body of equestrian sports. It recognizes ten international disciplines...
results.
Belgian Warmbloods also appear increasingly in dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
. The FEI and World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses
World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses
The World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses connects sport horse breeding organizations with the International Federation for Equestrian Sports . The FEI is the International Olympic Committee-recognized federation for Olympic equestrian sports. The WBFSH publishes official rankings of horses...
ranked them 11th in 2006. There are strong numbers of Belgian Warmblood show hunter
Show hunter
The show hunter is a type of show horse that is judged on its movement, manners, and way of going, particularly while jumping fences. The horses are shown in hunt seat style tack, and are often of Warmblood or Thoroughbred type, though a hunter-style pony is also seen in youth classes...
s in North America, though their suitability for it depends very much on the individual horse.
Medical issues
The BWP is known for its progressive attitude towards eradicating osteochondritisOsteochondritis
Osteochondritis is a painful type of osteochondrosis where the cartilage or bone in a joint is inflamed.It often refers to osteochondritis dissecans...
(OCD) from their population. Stallions undergo radiographing of the feet
Horse hoof
A horse hoof is a structure surrounding the distal phalanx of the 3rd digit of each of the four limbs of Equus species, which is covered by complex soft tissue and keratinised structures...
, fetlock
Fetlock
Fetlock is the common name for the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints of horses, large animals, and sometimes dogs. It is formed by the junction of the third metacarpal or metatarsal bones proximad and the proximal phalanx distad...
s, knees
Equine forelimb anatomy
The equine forelimb of the horse is attached to the trunk of the animal by purely muscular connections...
, hocks
Hock (zoology)
The hock, or gambrel, is the joint between the tarsal bones and tibia of a digitigrade or unguligrade quadrupedal mammal, such as a horse, cat, or dog...
, and stifles
Horse anatomy
Equine anatomy refers to the gross and microscopic anatomy of horses and other equids, including donkeys, and zebras. While all anatomical features of equids are described in the same terms as for other animals by the International Committee on Veterinary Gross Anatomical Nomenclature in the book...
as a part of the approval process, and are not permitted to breed if they may become unsound. Furthermore, any stallion that later showed signs - through his offspring or otherwise - of carrying a genetic disorder would lose his breeding approval.
As a result, Belgian Warmbloods are not subject to the disorders that affect closed-studbook registries, and progress is being made to make Belgians Warmbloods - as other warmbloods - more sound than ever.
Belgian sport horse
The linguistic and cultural division of BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
is reflected in the use of two separate warmblood breeding associations. The Belgian Sport Horse differs from the Belgian Warmblood only by location: breeders in northern Belgium typically register with the BWP, while those in the southern part of the country registry with the sBs. Studbook sBs was originally founded in 1920 as Societe d’Encourgement pour L’Elevage du Cheval d’Armes or "Society for the Encouragement of Breeding Army Horses," and produced cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
horses and remounts for the Belgian army, which at the time were primarily imported from France. Within 10 years, the use of cavalry horses had given way to demand for leisure horses, and the name of the registry was changed to Demi-Sang Belge or "Belgian Half-bred", reflecting the increased use of refined, Thoroughbred-influenced sires. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, breeders imported substantial numbers of riding horses from France, as well as some from England, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. These horses were the foundation of sport horse breeding in the region. Success in breeding warranted another name change in 1967: the "Royal Belgian Sport Horse Society", better known as "Studbook sBs".