Gelderlander
The Gelderlander is a Dutch breed of warmblood horse. It was bred in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands as a carriage horse capable also of farm work. In 1965 it was one of the foundation breeds of the Dutch Warmblood or KWPN, the other being the heavier Groninger horse from the north. It is registered in a division of the Royal Dutch Sport Horse stud-book, which also has divisions for the Dutch Warmblood and for the Dutch Harness Horse.
It is an endangered breed; in 2017 the breeding population numbered 600 mares and 35 stallions.
History
The Gelderlander was bred from the late nineteenth century in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands as a carriage horse capable also of farm work, and with some capability as a heavy riding horse. Local mares were cross-bred with imported stallions of a wide range of breeds and types, among them Alt-Oldenburger and Ostfriesen, Anglo-Arab, Arab, Cleveland Bay, English half-bred, Furioso, Hackney, Nonius, Norfolk Roadster, Orlov and Orlov-Rostopchin.In 1969 the i=no, which registered the Gelderlander, was merged with the italic=no stud-book, which registered the Groninger, to form the italic=no or Royal Dutch Sport Horse stud-book. In this, three breed types were registered: riding horses ; harness horses ; and the Gelderlander.
In 2005 a new breeders' association, the italic=no, was formed to preserve the original type of the Gelderlander.