The Swedish Warmblood is a stellar jumper and athlete. Courtesy Carol Reid
Swedish Warmblood Association of North America
P.O. Box 788 Socorro, New Mexico 87801
www.swanaoffice.org
Breeders of the Swedish Warmblood Horse have good reasons to be proud: they and their predecessors have developed a sound, intelligent horse proven to be internationally competitive in all disciplines of equestrian sport and representing a well established type. The brilliance of the Swedish Horse is derived from a highly selective breeding program established more than a century ago. Only the very best stallions are approved for breeding after passing scrupulous tests and evaluations.
Originally the breeding was focused on producing durable cavalry horses, but at an early stage, more focus on top level sport horses began. Today Sweden has a long tradition in the latter field, along with a tradition of patience among breeders and trainers. Young Swedish Warmbloods are allowed to mature without stress and thus are able to work at their full potential for many years. Olympic statistics provide significant evidence of this fact.
Sweden’s elaborate performance and progeny testing of stallions is based on both scientific analysis and practical experience. It stands as a guarantee for the further development of the breed. Credit is not only given to the breeding work done by Sweden’s forefathers, but also points to performance based selections followed by sophisticated progeny testing. The result is the ability of the Swedish Warmblood to provide stellar performances in dressage, show-jumping, or three-day eventing, due to its rare combination of soundness, character, and heart—qualities appreciated by any rider.
History
The Swedish Warmblood is one of the oldest warmblood breeds in the world. Archeological evidence has been found showing the existence of horses in what is now Sweden dating to 4000 BC. Its history closely follows that of Scandinavian settlers. It was a simple working animal, meeting the basic needs of the people trying to survive the difficult conditions of the era and environment. The Scandinavian horse was small; as late as the sixteenth century it was 12 to 14 hands tall. It was a high-spirited and hardy breed, primarily used on farms.
In the sixteenth century, a program began to improve the quality of the native horses. The major centers of Swedish Warmblood breeding at that time were at the royal stud farms of Kungsör and Strömsholm. By royal decree, stallions were prohibited in large areas around the stud farms. Friesians were then imported from the Netherlands to increase the size of the native stock, and during the seventeenth century, Spanish horses were introduced for size and elegance.
In 1658 following the peace treaty with the Danes in Roskilde, Denmark, the Swedish king, Carl X Gustaf, ordered a royal stud to be established at Flyinge, now part of Sweden. Horses had previously been bred at Flyinge when it was Danish since the twelfth century when the Danish archbishops held a fortified stronghold with mounted troops there.
Sweden was plagued by unusually severe weather in the 1600s, even for this cold country, making it difficulty to produce quality horses. During this time, there was also heavy warfare, and the military campaign required about seven thousand horses. The demand for cavalry horses quickly exceeded the breeding capability of the little nation. Although Swedish horses had earned the reputation as resilient and dependable animals, Swedes were producing horses considerably smaller than those in the rest of Europe, and warfare necessitated large, robust horses.
The growth and shaping of the horse occurred more precisely with its use in the cavalry, which is when the history of the Swedish Warmblood truly began. By carefully selecting Thoroughbred and other warmblood horses for fresh blood, the Swedish military bred stallions which produced comfortable riding horses for the army. Farmers owned the mares and the army bought offspring suitable for its activities. The larger draft breeds were excluded. Due to increasing differences in needs between the two largest users of horses in Sweden—the army and farmers—the Swedish breeding program was divided. For centuries, the breed continued and was specifically developed for riding, while most other warmblood breeds at times were bred to be draft horses for farm work.
In the early 1800s, the Swedish government ordered the implementation of an organized breeding program for the nation. By this time, Sweden had adopted a policy of neutrality while most of Europe was occupied with the Napoleonic Wars. This translated to very little foreign stock available for breeding, with only Russia agreeing to sell two hundred horses to Sweden. This resulted in thirty-two stallions being sent to Flyinge and Strömsholm during this time.
A former cavalry officer and veterinarian, Clas Adam Ehrengranat, served as head of Flyinge from 1817 to 1837 and influenced the evolution of Swedish horses well beyond the Russian imports. Under his leadership, stallions were provided to cavalry units for their own military breeding stock as well as to farmers to increase horses in the country. Ehrengranat introduced horse biomechanics to Sweden, and his articles on horse movement helped mold Sweden’s warhorse into the sport horse of modern times. They also helped preserve the French art of riding, a foundation to dressage, after it was nearly lost during the French Revolution.
As technology of war changed, so did the military role of the Swedish horse. The influence of outside breeds began with Thoroughbred imports, which increased significantly during the 1830s and were embraced for their rideability. This contributed to the final departure from the work horse Sweden had bred for so long. The military also began importing Anglo-Norman (now known as Selle Francais), Hanoverian, and Trakehner stallions to improve their stock. In order to direct the breeding efforts and consolidate the different breeds, the Swedish government began an examination system in 1874. This resulted in several excellent saddle breeds, including the Swedish Warmblood.
A complete register of broodmares and their foals was instituted in 1894 and the first official stud book for the Swedish Warmblood in which inspected and approved stallions and mares were entered was also published in the late 1800s.
At the turn of the century, the role of the cavalry diminished, and the Swedish horse had to adapt to new demands from the armed forces. Officers now wanted a lighter, more elegant horse for the new style of riding that became popular in the early 1900s, eventually known as dressage. The army also reduced their warmblood force by more than 60 percent, forcing farmers to consider producing work horses to stay in business. Since the Swedish army was the primary market for warmbloods, it established rider associations to educate Swedish breeders on training and breeding sport horses. This was an incentive to market trained horses, increasing the production of warmbloods in large numbers instead of work horses. A new sport horse type was developed with the goal of competition in jumping, dressage, and eventing circles.
The Swedish Warmblood association, Avelsföreningen för Svenska Varmblodiga Hästen (ASVH), was formed in 1928 by breeders, with encouragement from the army, to promote the development of uniform mares of high standard. In the period between the world wars, the ASVH continued to focus on the production of excellent riding horses at a time when other warmbloods were bred primarily as agricultural draft horses. The Swedish cavalry remained the dominant force in international competitions throughout the first half of the twentieth century, until the army stopped using horses in 1972. Since then, the breeding program in Sweden has been fully overseen by the ASVH. Today the ASVH, which is also a registry, supports the development of the Swedish Warmblood.
In the last century, two stallions that have had the most influence on the modern Swedish Warmblood type were Humanist, born in 1916 in Trakehnen, Germany, and imported to Sweden in 1927, and Utrillo, born in 1962 in Hanover, Germany, and later imported to Sweden. Combined, these two stallions are responsible for much of what has made the Swedish Warmblood famous. The internationally renowned stallion, Gaspari, born in 1949 in Sweden (sired by Parad, son of Humanist), is probably the most famous Swedish sire. Gaspari was widely sought after in his day and produced many Olympic horses in several different countries.
There are currently about 5,000 mares bred in Sweden every year, resulting in approximately 3,500 Swedish Warmblood foals born annually just within Sweden. From this number, ASVH still manages to stay in the top ten in global stud book rankings for dressage and jumping.
In the United States
Dr. Jan Philipsson of Sweden was the first to promote Swedish Warmbloods in North America, and in the late 1970s, Anne Gribbons became the first representative for ASVH in North America. By 1981, there were enough Swedish Warmbloods in North America to hold the first ASVH inspection there, and increased interest led the ASVH to appoint more representatives in North America. In 1994, the Swedish Warmblood Association of North America (SWANA) was formed and became a sub-organization under the direction of ASVH.
Highly versatile, Swedish Warmbloods have a competitive spirit in eventing. Courtesy Carol Reid
SWANA continues the traditions of ASVH, employing its breeding committee for inspections to maintain consistency of the breed. Yearly inspections by ASVH representatives are now held in several locations in North America. Approximately 150 horses are registered annually in the United States, and the future of the Swedish Warmblood horse in North America looks bright.
As a Performance Horse
In numbers, this is a small breed compared with other European breeds, yet Swedish Warmblood horses are competing well in the world. Mostly recognized as world-class dressage horses, more Swedish Warmblood competitive jumpers are taking the stage. Large numbers of these horses are reaching the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI, the governing body for international competition) levels in competition every year, a direct result of centuries of skillful management.
Olympic statistics provide the most striking proof of excellent performances by Swedish Warmblood horses on the international scene. Ever since the equestrian sports were introduced into the Olympic Games by Swedish horseman Clarence von Rosen in 1912, Swedish horses have been very successful, especially in dressage and three-day eventing. In total, Swedish horses have captured no less than seven individual gold medals in dressage and four in three-day eventing.
So far, there have been few Olympic Games or World Championships without Swedish Warmblood horses in the top ten. A Swedish team became the European Champions in three-day eventing in 1983. In the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, thirteen Swedish Warmbloods competed in dressage, and six won medals.
Swedish teams in single-horse carriage driving have dominated the sport globally in the last few years. Also, a driving team of Swedish Warmbloods won the gold medal in the Four-In-Hand Combined Driving event at the World Equestrian Games 1990 and the World Championships in 2000.
Show jumpers bred in Sweden today compete with success and have taken team silver medals in both the European Championship 2001 and the World Equestrian Games 2002. Swedish Warmblood, H&M Butterfly Flip was third in the World Cup finals in Las Vegas 2003.
Breeding Program
To meet the needs of competition and recreational riders, the ASVH breeding program has developed into what is perhaps the most sophisticated of its kind in the world. It has an efficient selection system utilizing modern genetic principles rather than closed book breeding. The three cornerstones of the program are the stud book, selection procedure, and progeny testing of the stallions.
In contrast to most other riding breeds of Europe, the Swedish Warmblood has a unique tradition of a consolidated type specifically developed for the purpose of riding. Thus the breeding result is very predictable. The stud book is also open to acceptance of carefully selected individuals of other breeds. No matter what the breed—Thoroughbreds, Hanoverians, Trakehners, or Anglo Normans—the individual must serve the purpose to preserve the desired type and performance qualities.
This superlative-looking stallion is a good example of the Swedish Warmblood. Courtesy Carol Reid
Since 1983, the ASVH has extended its services to North America, which now has its own mares, foals, and stallions recorded in their own part of the stud book. Mares and stallions are listed under their dams until approved for breeding, at which time they receive their registration number.
Registry Overview
ASVH is a performance-based sport horse breeding program. Its goal is to produce noble, correct, durable, warmblood horses with rideability, performance-minded temperaments and good gaits and/or jumping ability that can compete successfully at the international level in both dressage and jumping.
The Swedish Warmblood Horse breeding standard of today is the result of selective breeding for more than a century. The current breeding program is a progressive mixture of tradition, experience, and scientific approaches aiming at a continuous improvement of the breed for all disciplines of riding.
In order to give the best service to American and Canadian breeders and owners, the association performs an inspection tour of North America on an annual basis. Some of the most experienced and knowledgeable judges are used for this purpose, and their advice is invaluable for keeping high standards of breeding in North America.
Breeders have unique scientific tools at their disposal for selecting the appropriate horses for breeding. Data collected from the Three-Year-Old Test, the Quality Test, and the Stallion Performance Test (SPT), along with competition results, are computed into the BLUP index (best linear unbiased prediction) of each potential breeding horse. These indices are published on the internet.
The stud book contains about five thousand mares, which are entered after having a foal by an approved stallion that has been judged. Foals by licensed Swedish Warmblood stallions out of registered Thoroughbred mares, as well as those of several other warmblood breeds with four known generations, can be registered.
There are approximately 145 living licensed stallions in Sweden and 35 in North America. Every year around two hundred pre-selected three-year-olds are tested in Sweden for soundness, gaits, jumping, and rideability, after which ten or twenty are chosen. In North America, similar inspections are held annually throughout the continent.
Stallions are continually evaluated based on their offspring’s performance. In Sweden this is done through so-called quality tests like stallion approvals and through the recording of the offspring’s show performance. Approximately fifteen thousand horses have participated in Quality testing, and the average score for all stallions is 100. Scores are given for conformation, gaits (dressage), jumping, and temperament. The overall score is computed and published as soon as a stallion has had fifteen of his get (offspring) tested.
Quality test scores are, in most instances, well correlated to the ranking by the offspring’s show performance. The scores are calculated as BLUP, which nowadays, in the Swedish breeding evaluation, refers to Quality testing. The Quality testing is not performed in North America for geographic reasons and is substituted by the Three-Year-Test, which is suitable for North America and was introduced in the year 2002.
All horses to be registered must be DNA tested, as must their biological parents. Qualified horses can be branded with the ASVH crown logo, but it is optional.
Standards
Swedish Warmbloods come in all colors, but mostly chestnut and bay. Buckskins and palominos are rare. Most horses stand between 15.3 and 16.3 hands, with the average being about 16.2 hands. The breeding goal of ASVH uses conformation, gaits, and jumping ability as its criteria, regardless of size and color.
A horse of international quality is one that is noble, correct, and sound. It excels in its competitive temperament, rideability, and movement and/or jumping ability. Considering the breed’s principal qualities, it is a highly versatile horse that has been shown successfully and distinguishes itself in all major equestrian disciplines: dressage, jumping, three-day eventing, and carriage driving.
The character of the Swedish Warmblood is friendly and sensitive, yet also competitive. It shows a positive attitude, but does demand a certain amount of “horse sense” from its rider. If treated right, the Swedish Warmblood will try its best, whether at a local, lower-level show, or in the Olympics.
Stallions: There are no specific defects present in the Swedish Warmblood, but there are, and have been for many years, strict guidelines to ensure that no stallions with osteochondrosis (OCD) are allowed to breed. Stallions with other potential genetic defects, such as testicular hernias, are prevented from breeding as well.
The relatively new, revised selection program for breeding stallions focuses on selecting talents in either jumping or gaits, thereby keeping up with modern demands for more specialized horses.
Three-year-old stallions undergo a three-day SPT that includes a veterinary inspection, judging for conformation, free jumping, and gaits under their own rider. They are graded for type, head, neck and body extremities, walk, and trot. Approved stallions receive a one-year breeding permit. Other stallions are judged on further criteria and are awarded breeding allowances accordingly. Owners can decide whether the stallion should continue to be tested for dressage or jumping. Dressage stallions are shown in gaits and jumping stallions are shown jumping.
For each stallion, a separate index for its performance in dressage and in jumping is computed. Approved stallions are presented on the day of keuring and at ASVH stallions show. All entering stallions have their pedigree carefully evaluated by the inspection committee, and this information is incorporated in the overall impression of the horse.
Mares: Mares are judged in-hand when three years old and judged on conformation, free canter, free jumping, and a simple riding test. The riding test is optional, but in order to receive a diploma, the horse must be shown under saddle. The test serves as a training goal for the young horse and is also a valuable tool in selecting young mares for breeding. The best mares in dressage and jumping qualify to go to the Sport and Breeding Championships held in Flyinge, the Swedish National Stud.
Swedish Warmbloods are dynamic performance horses. This one is doing the extended trot. Courtesy Carol Reid
At four and five years of age, the mare is examined through the Quality Test. It is judged on health, conformation, gaits under a rider, and either jumping under a rider or free jumping. Rideability and temperament are also evaluated. The owner receives valuable advice from veterinarians and judges on the horse’s future potential and suitability for either dressage or jumping disciplines, as well as information on how to proceed with its training.
Five-year-old mares that have had a foal are especially welcomed to be shown at the Quality Test, which is ultimately a performance test for mares. The best mares qualify for the Sport and Breeding Championships.
Credit: Swedish Warmblood Association of North America