Horse Breed Profile
The Old Kladruby Horse

An introduction to the Old Kladruby horse.

The Old Kladruby Horse

The Old Kladruby, a handsome coach horse similar to the Lipizzan, originated in the Czech Republic at the Bohemian Court Stud Farm in 1579, by Rudolf II, son of Maximillian II. It was derived from the Spanish Horse and the Old Neopolitan Horse from Italy. They also had other breeds, such as Holstein, Andalusian, heavier Czech and Oldenburg horses, mixed in. The Old Kladruby Horse is also known as the "Kladrubsky" (Czech) and the "Kladruber (German). The intent of creating this breed was to produce a heavy and beautiful carriage horse, mainly for presentation ceremonies.

Charles VI, who had a great interest in horses, had the original buildings at the Bohemian Court Stud Farm, demolished and in their place, a whole new set of buildings, as well as a castle, built. These are still in place today. During that time, there were more than 1,000 horses at the farm. Today, it is a rare breed, with currently only about 90 mares (as of 1995) left in the gene pool. Being very inbred, it is particularly at risk. The Lipizzan is occasionally used to revitalize the white line of the breed.

The stud farm evacuated to Hungary during the Seven Years War. A fire in 1757 destroyed all documentation of the horses used at the stud farm, so little is known about those individuals today. The horses did not fare well in Hungary and were eventually moved back to Kladruby, several years later.

At the beginning of the 18th century, a well known horse artist named Wouwermann, painted a large number of paintings featuring the Kladruby horse. Today these works still hang at the Slatinany Hippo Logic Museum.

The Kladruby is a large, warm blood horse. It comes in black and white and they typically sport an impressive flowing mane and tail. They have a concave profile to their face, with a large eye, a highly arched neck and a high stepping gait. They are wide through the barrel and chest, a very powerful horse. They are generally long lived.

The white Kladruby, was founded by a stallion named Generale who was born in 1787. The black Kladruby, was founded by two lineages: Sacramoso who was born in 1799, and Napoleone who was born in 1845. The white Kladruby line is a bit lighter in build, yet larger than the black. The black Kladruby is smaller and heavier than the white, and has a different shape to it's head and neck. It is also shorter in the croup. The blacks were commonly used as carriage horses for dignitaries.

Both the white and black lines today are used for sport driving, as well as under saddle sports such as dressage, and pleasure riding.

Please Click Here to see all Old Kladruby Horse Art.