Characteristics
According to the written standard, the Austrian Warmblood is built on a mare base of old Austrian cavalry horses such as the Nonius, Furioso-North Star, Shagya and Gidran. Foreign warmblood sport horse bloodlines have been and will continue to be used to produce a horse more suitable for modern-day dressage and show jumping. Refinement comes from Thoroughbred, Shagya Arabian and Trakehner blood. The combination of the plain Nonius type and the Arabian-influenced Shagya and Gidran suggest a broad range of distinctive types, particularly about the head. Stock breeds such as Quarter Horses, Lipizzaners, Kladrubers, ponies, trotters, gaited horses and other specialty breeds are not permitted in the pedigrees of Austrian Warmbloods.
The Austrian Warmblood is bred for dressage and show jumping, but also for recreational riding by amateurs, following strict selection procedures that keep horses that do not fit the standard from breeding. The standard reads:
"Desirable is a noble, long-lined, correct and powerful Warmblood horse with good movement and jumping ability, suited to any type of recreational riding. The breeding aim shall be achieved through a comprehensive system of performance tests for mares and stallions, leading to improved selection for dressage or jumping qualities. Of great importance for the Austrian Warmblood breeders are rideability, good character, willingness, and balanced temperament."
While all breeding stock must measure at least 158 cm (15.2 hands high) at the withers, the ideal height is from 164 to 168 cm (16.0 to 16.2hh). Shagya Arabians are an exception, as they are permitted so long as they reach 150 cm (14.3hh). The ideal cannon bone circumference is 20 to 22 cm (7.9" to 8.7").
While the AWÖ does not disallow any colors or markings, the Old Austrian Warmbloods tended to be of uniform color, allowing them to be matched better in harness configurations. For instance, the Nonius is almost uniformly dark and unmarked, the Gidran is entirely chestnut, the Shagya largely grey, and so on. Therefore, coat colors apart from the usual black, brown, bay, chestnut, and grey would likely need to be introduced from an outside source. While there is a Pinto studbook under the ZAP, none of the stallions presently standing for Austria are of unusual coat colors.
In the past, Austrian horses had little variation in registered names. Most horses had their family's name (Furioso, for example) and a combination of Roman and Arabic numbers. Today, an Austrian Warmblood colt has a name beginning with the same letter as his sire's name (Belmondo by Belluno), and a filly has a name beginning with the same letter as her dam's name (Dragona out of Dravida).
The most reliable way to recognize an Austrian Warmblood is by the brand, which is given to foals on their left hip and is in the form of a stylized "A".
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