Gelderlander

From HelpWiki

The people of the Netherlands love their horses and have developed a number of popular breeds such as the handsome jet-black Friesian and the powerful and athletic Dutch Warmblood. But have you ever heard of the Gelderlander? This large horse with the high stepping trot is an elegant carriage horse that originated in the province of Gelderland, located in the middle of the Netherlands. the ancestory comes from crossing native mares of this region with many types of successful driving horses from Europe. The Hackney and the Norfolk Roadster from England contributed to the bloodlines of this horse as did the Holsteiner and Oldenburg from Germany, the Andalusion from Spain and the anglo-norman from France just to name a few. In the north of Holland, sticky clay soils required large, powerful horses to pull a plow or vehicle through the mud. But, in the farther south, in Gelderland, the soil is sandy, so the horses who developed there have a lighter fram and more energetic way of moving which makes them eye catching. Gelderlanders come in most colours including pinto with chestnut and grey being most common. They usually stand between 15.2hh and 16hh. They often have flashy white markings on their faces and legs. Their heads may best be described as plain, sometimes sporting a roman nose and they have longish bodies and shortish legs. But Gelderlanders have beautifully arched necks and pwoerful hindquarters. They are becoming known for their jumping ability as well as their talents in harness.