The Breeding Policy of Dansk Varmblod

Towards the 21st Century
The breeding policy is updated continuously. Formerly, the emphasis has been on conformation and over a period of three or four breeding generations, by using stringent selection procedures, Dansk Varmblod has been able to develop a strong basis for breeding high class riding horses. The current breeding plan was focuses primarily on breeding specialized dressage and show jumping horses with a high degree of capacity and rideability, while at the same time maintaining the modern, noble, and expressive sport horse type, which is the trade mark of Dansk Varmblod.

The breeding objective
We aim to breed a noble, leggy, and supple riding horse with high rideability and a strong health. It has capacity in either jumping or dressage to compete on international level.

See the breeding objective in full.

Achieving the breeding objective
Dansk Varmblod is able to achieve this new breeding objective because we:

• Do not insert a stallion in breeding before he has passed through an approved field test. This ensures that only stallions with high rideability and extraordinary competition skills become sires of the next generation

• Focus on goal-oriented breeding, emphasising on either dressage or showjumping talent

• Hold ridden performance tests and saddle gradings, in which the mares are trained by their owners or at a training centre, and all 4-year old Dansk Varmblod mares, geldings, and stallions can undergo an ability test. One of the conditions of winning a medal at the Elite Mare Show is that the mare concerned must have performed well in one of these tests or have proven herself in competition

• Approve the use of a very limited number of absolutely high class foreign stallions

• Attach great importance to international co-operation and exchange of experience, this being guaranteed by Dansk Varmblod's membership of the WBSFH (World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses). The WBFSH is a worldwide federation of breeding societies that produce sport horses for the Olympic disciplines. Since 2000 the presidency and the general office of WBFSH has been managed by Dansk Varmblod

• Cooperate closely with Videncentret for Landbrug | Heste (the Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre - Department Horses) who issues pedigree certificates and maintain the National horse database, containing all Danish breeds. Using the immense amount of information generated from breed results, riding results from young horse performance tests and competition results, genetic evaluations and other statistics are made accessible

• Are recognized officially by EU and the Danish Agricultural Ministry