Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger
The most famous of the heavy warmbloods was the Oldenburg. Today's Oldenburg is bred for sport, and so the old type is designated as such: Alt-Oldenburger. The history of the Oldenburg is almost indistinguishable from that of horses bred in nearby East Frisia. Though there are two names (Old-Oldenburg and East Friesian), the horse is quite the same, having always exchanged genetic material. The plow horses of the Frisian marshes had to be powerful to work through the heavy soil, and so were significantly heavier than farm horses in other parts of Europe. Organized horse breeding began in Oldenburg under Count Anton Günther (1603–1667), who brought popular stallions from Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Poland. Later on, Cleveland Bays were introduced as well, and the result was a solid, good-natured mare base from which came the Karossier.
The Karossier were considered luxury items, noble carriage horses with high-stepping gaits, and so they were purchased by State Studs for use in other regions of Germany, but were also sent to Poland, Austria and Hungary, France, Denmark, and the Netherlands. War and the appearance of the horse-powered tractor in the 20th century increased the demand for heavier horses, which Oldenburg and East Frisia supplied. By the 1960s, such horses were obsolete, and their breeders had to adapt. From these horses was born the modern Oldenburg, and the old types were in danger of disappearing.
In the 1980s a new preservation society was formed, and with the help of horses from Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Moritzburg State Stud, the breed was saved. Today there are 20 approved stallions and 160 broodmares, all primarily black or dark bay in color. They are powerful and sound, but very gentle horses.
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