Meet The Endangered Black Forest Horse Of Germany ‎

Horses have immense strength, but they are also gifted with incredible patience and a gentle temperament. This makes them an ideal choice for first-time or novice horse owners. These gorgeous horses are typically used for driving, but many rely on them for pleasure, too, such as carriage riding.

The appearance of the Black Forest Horse is somewhat

Noriker, but these native horses of Germany are well-suited for the intense climate of their native highlands.

Some other names for these horses are: Schwarzwälder Füchs, Schwarzwälder Kaltblut, Wälder Horse, and Saint Märgener.

As of 2017, it was recorded that there was a population of 88 stallions and 1,077 mares. Thankfully, these horses are reported to have a high fertility rate. And through careful breeding, there are hopes to see those numbers increase in the near future. There are many individuals dedicated to growing the breed’s numbers so they will never become a thing of the past.

According to TheEquinest.com, an association was formed in Germany in 1896 to preserve and protect this rare breed of horse. The association standardized and documented this beautiful breed, and established that only Belgian draft blood was to be permitted when breeding to increase the size of the horse.

The world-famous Marbuch Stud horse farm in Germany has been in existence since the Middle Ages and is directly responsible for preserving this special breed of horse. Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck, who is affiliated with the prestigious stud farm, says:

“Marbach is a very old stud with almost 500 years of history. We have not only been breeding Warmbloods and also Arabs, we are also involved in a breeding program for local horse breeds that are threatened—like the Schwarzwälder Kaltblüter (the Black Forest cold blood) and the heavy Warmblood, the Altwürttemberger. Marbach owns about 300 horses, and 200 horses are raised for breeders.”

Black Forest farmers sometimes refer to these elegant and beautiful horses as the “Pearls of the Black Forest”—and it’s easy to see why.