Horses

At the middle of the 19th century, breeders in the Netherland Province of Gelder began developing the Gelderlander, crossing native mares with foreign stallions with the aim of producing an elegant carriage horse, that would also double as a riding horse, or even as a farm horse. Equable temperament was considered imperative in this new breed.

Many stallion breeds were used by the Dutch to create the Gelderlander, including: Cleveland Bays, Roadsters, half-breds; Arabs; Anglo-Arabs, Nonius, and Furioso half-breds; Oldenburgers; East Prussians as well as Orlov and Orlov-Rastopchin Trotters.

The best of the progeny from this wide genetic pool with interbred to obtain a fixed type, later improved by adding more Oldenburger and East Friesian blood, as well as some Hackney blood.? More recently, there has been some addition of Anglo-Norman blood to the breed.

Characteristics
Today's Gelderlander is an impressive carriage horse, it has a lofty, rhythmic action (good shoulders now being part of the fixed type) and a tail carried high on much improved quarters. They are powerful, with short, very strong limbs carrying no feather.? They are not flashy, and have more a sensible than elegant head with a straight or slightly convex profile. Unlike the bay /brown Groningen, the Gelderlander is chestnut (or very occasionally grey), usually with white markings on the legs and face. It stands at about 1.68 m (16.2 hh).

The Gelderlander is very successful in competition driving with Gelderlander teams featuring prominently in international events. They are still be used as weight-carrying riding horses, and a few specimens have become reliable though not speedy show jumpers.