German Trotter

German Trotter

Conservation status	FAO (2007): no data[1]: 9  DAD-IS (2024): unknown[2]
Other names	Traber Deutsche Traber
Country of origin	Germany
Traits
Height	average 160 cm[3]: 468
Equus ferus caballus

The German Trotter or German: Traber is a German breed of trotting horse. It is used mainly for racing in harness to a sulky, but may also run in saddled trotting races.[4]: 37 

History

The German Trotter derives principally from the Orlov Trotter, with later influence from the French Trotter and the American Standardbred.[3]: 468 

A stud-book for trotting horses in Germany is documented from 1896; it is now kept by the Hauptverband für Traberzucht e.V., formerly the Hauptverband für Traber-Zucht und -Rennen e.V., which also regulates all aspects of harness racing in the country.[5][6] Registration is subject to a performance test, which includes a minimum time of 90 seconds over a distance of 1000 m; horses that run the distance in 80 seconds or less are registered in a separate section of the stud-book.[3]: 468 

In 2018 there were approximately 10000 horses registered, consisting of about 5700 mares, 2300 stallions and 3000 geldings.[4]: 15 

Characteristics

The horses stand between 1.55 and 1.70 m at the withers, with an average of about 1.60 m.[7]: 200 [3]: 468  The coat is solid-coloured or grey.[3]: 468 

References

1. Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
2. Breed data sheet: Trotteur Belge / Germany (Horse). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed November 2024.
3. Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
4. Satzung und Ordnungen des HVT ( in German). Berlin: Hauptverband für Traberzucht e.V. Archived 18 May 2024.
5. Wir über uns ( in German). Berlin: Hauptverband für Traberzucht e.V. Archived 16 May 2021.
6. Breed description: Ukrainian Grey. Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. Archived 19 May 2008.
7. Élise Rousseau, Yann Le Bris, Teresa Lavender Fagan (2017). Horses of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691167206.