Horseman and ©:
Silke Frisch Branderup
       >>>>

The stud farms stock of horses exists of pure-bred Knabstrup horses (both spotted and of one colour), which can be traced back to the 1600 century. Seeing that there unfortunately is not many of these Knabstrup horses left, we are considering to mix Frederiksborg horse with the same qualities.

The classic Knapstruphorse originates from a Spanish mare and a Frederiksborg stallion. Apart from that we think it is very important that the horse has natural bearing and we find it very important that the horse is teachable and sociable. We believe that many breeders today put to much importance on the exterior instead of the interior, for what use do you have of owning the most beautiful horse in the world , if it from lack of intelligence and bad temper is impossible to ride.

History

The horses that were to be found in Europe around 1600 - 1800 century was the result of several hundred of years of serious breeding. In Europe's early history they fought man to man on horseback and ones life was therefore depending on the horses skill to perform some of the training most difficult exercises.Therefore  the result of the breeding work became a very intelligent and ready to collaborate horse with natural bearing, which should be the riding horse primary quality. Unfortunately most of the breeding work were lost at the same time as the riding horse purpose
disappeared in the end of the 1800 century, when it at the time was no longer vital to have a highly educated riding horse. In the military they no longer had use for a  horse which lithely could perform the difficult training exercises but on the other hand now needed a horse that could run fast and therefore they mixed the stock with english thoroughbred to gain backward push from the hind legs instead of bearing. apart from that the horse was used in agriculture which made it to heavy to perform the academic training.
Unfortunately today many modern horse breeds has a tendency to offer backward push from the hind legs instead of bearing, what separates both the racehorse and the coach horse from the riding horse is that their primary goal is to offer backward push from the hind legs. If you like to read more about these fantastic horses which were to found in Denmark  around 1600-1800 century, we strongly recommend that you read the book:
" Knabstrupperen, en dansk hesterace" written by Bent Branderup.

Breeding goal

There has existed spotted horses from prehistoric time, but only in recent time a race was founded, whose distinctive features is the spotted exterior:
The Knabstrup Horse.
Among the Knabstrup horse ancestors there where a vast number of spotted horses, that not only in response to this exterior features was popular, but also because they in so many context showed great ability and endurance.Major Villars Lunn on Knabstrup manor house founded the Knabstrup horse breed and managed as one of the few to see results of his breeding work in the form of a  new horse breed, though it was based on centuries proud Danish breeding traditions.

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Exterior

The classic Knabstrup horse is a little horse around 155 centimetre (61 inch)
(various between 148 - 160 centimetre - or 58 - 62 inch).

The head is of medium size with an attentive and intelligent almost proud look.
The back of the nose is straight or with a faint convex. Has a good free throat strap. The neck is well set up, high set and appropriately long and goes back to the lance mark.

The body is square with sloping shoulders. rounded loin and a low disposition of the tail. the mane and tail are plumb. The foundation is light and dry. The movements are rhythmical and underneath moving with bearing in all gaits. The trot is spacious and with a high foreleg movement.
The gallop is combined as if  the horse were going uphill.