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Jutland horse

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Jutland
Jutlands at pasture
Other namesJydsk
Danish
Country of originDenmark

TheJutlandhorse (Danish:Den jyske hest) is adraft horsebreed originating inDenmark,named after theJutland Peninsulawhich forms the western part of the country. Usuallychestnut,they are a compact, muscular breed known for their calm and willing temperament. The breed was originally developed for use in agriculture, but today is more often seen in urban settings and athorse shows.Some of the best known members of the breed pull beer wagons for theCarlsberg breweryaroundCopenhagen,as well as at competitions and for demonstrations. Images from the 9th century show a horse similar to the Jutland being used byVikingraiders in what is now Great Britain. The first written record is from the 12th century, when they were popular aswar horses.Some infusion of bloodlines from other breeds occurred in the 18th century, but the modern Jutland type only began about 1850 with the addition of blood from several other breeds, mainlydraft horses.Astud bookwas created in the late 19th century, and the Jutland population grew to a maximum around 15,000 by 1950. Numbers subsequently declined, and as of 2011, only an estimated 1,000 horses remained.

Characteristics

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The Jutland is typicallychestnut,but may also bebay,gray,black,orroan,and frequently has whitemarkings.In the early 1900s, most Jutlands were bay or black, but those colors are now in the minority; chestnut is now considered to be the horse's "national color" and isselectively bred.[1][2]They generally stand between 15 and 16.1hands(60 and 65 inches, 152 and 165 cm), and weigh between 1,430 and 1,760 pounds (650 and 800 kg). The breed has a convex facial profile, a short, arched neck, lowwithers,a wide chest and straight shoulder, and a slightly slopedcroup.Overall, it is a compact, muscular breed.[1]Their temperament is calm yet energetic, and they are considered by breed enthusiasts to be willing workers.[3]

Although compact in size, the Jutland is a strong, powerful horse that was used to transport carriages and heavy goods. An 1897 publication by the United States Bureau of Foreign Commerce noted the ability of the horse to pull carriages, and stated, "For this class of work and for heavy draft generally there is probably no better animal than the Jutland horse—a heavy, powerful beast."[4]

History

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Jutlands pulling a Carlsberg beer wagon in Copenhagen

The origins of the breed are not fully documented, but some evidence points to the ancestors of the Jutland being used by theVikingsduring the early 9th century. Images from the time show Viking raiders in what is now Great Britain riding horses similar in appearance to the modern Jutland. Some of those horses may have been left behind, contributing to thebase stockfrom which theSuffolk Punchwas eventually developed. Horses from Jutland were exported to England, Germany, and France during theMiddle Ages,[5]and were popular mounts forknights,especially for use injousting.[1]The first mention of the Jutland type is from the 12th century, when they are documented as war horses with many useful attributes.[6]The Jutland horse appears in the Danishballad"Svend Felding's Kamp med Risen",in which mythic heroSvend Fællinggoes on a pilgrimage to Rome and on his journey encounters a giant. Other horses prove too shy or too weak to enable him to confront the giant, so Svend obtains a Jutland horse from a passing miller, who claims that it is strong enough to carry 15skippund.Mounted on the Jutland, Svend succeeds in killing the giant.[7]

TheFrederiksborg horse,another Danish breed, influenced the Jutland during the 18th century. The Frederiksborg had a significant amount ofSpanish influence,and was used to give the Jutland more activegaits.[5]Selection for the modern-day Jutland appears to have begun around 1850, when Suffolk Punch andArdennesblood wascrossbredon native bloodstock.[1]Cleveland BayandYorkshire Coach Horse(a Cleveland Bay/Thoroughbredcross) horses were also added during the 19th century.[5]The development of the breed was significantly influenced by astallionnamed Oppenheim LXII, imported into Denmark in 1862. Sources disagree as to whether Oppenheim was a purebred Suffolk Punch or a Suffolk/Shirecross. Six generations from Oppenheim, his descendant, Aldrup Munkedal (spelled Oldrup Munkedal in some sources), was foaled. Aldrup Munkedal is considered the founding stallion of the modern breed. Most Jutlands alive today descend from two of his sons, Hovding and Prins af Jylland. [1][5]The Jutland strongly resembles theSchleswig,another heavy draft breed with similar origins that was influenced by Oppenheim LXII and his descendants.[1][5][8]With the exception of feathering on its lower legs, the Jutland also resembles the Suffolk Punch.[9]

The firststud bookfor the breed was created in 1881, and 22,000 horses were registered between then and 2007. In 1887, the first breeders' association was formed. The first stallions wereevaluatedaccording to breed standard in 1888, the same year the Cooperative Jutlandic Breeding Association was created.[3]In 1898, the "Federated Funen Horse Breeding Societies" were established inFunen,dedicated to the development of Jutland horse breeding and other heavy draught horses.[10]By the 1950s, Jutland population numbers exceeded 15,000, and 405stud farmswere devoted to their breeding in Denmark, but since that time, population numbers have dwindled.[5]Though numbers dropped, a 2008 study of the 716 Jutland horses in the Danish studbook at that time concluded that little risk of the Jutland becoming extinct existed due toinbreedingor lowgenetic diversity.The study, which also included populations of theKnabstrupperand Fredericksborg breeds, theorized that the greatest loss to genetic diversity for horses in Denmark would be through the extinction of the Jutland breed, because of its genetic distance from the other two native breeds. The level of genetic diversity of the three Danish breeds was found to be similar to other European breeds.[11]As of 2011, one Danish breed conservation organization estimates that about 1,000 Jutlands remained.[12]

Uses

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Although originally bred for use on farms,[3]few members of the breed are used for agricultural purposes today, and are now mostly bred for horse shows and working in urban areas.[5]However, theCarlsberg breweryhas used the Jutland to pull itsdrayssince 1928. The brewery owned 210 Jutlands at their peak, and today still uses about 20 for transporting beer aroundCopenhagen.The Carlsberg horses also compete and put on demonstrations at many shows, promoting the brewery and the breed.[8]

References

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  1. ^abcdefBongianni, Maurizio (1988).Simon & Schuster's Guide to Horses and Ponies.Simon & Schuster, Inc. p. Entry 102.ISBN0-671-66068-3.
  2. ^"Avlsmål (Breeding)"(Click on Avl, then Avlsmål)(in Danish). Avlsforeningen Den Jydske Hest (Breeding Association for the Jutland Horse).Retrieved2011-01-01.
  3. ^abcHendricks, Bonnie (2007).International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds.University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 243–244.ISBN978-0-8061-3884-8.
  4. ^United States. Bureau of Foreign Commerce (1897).Consular reports: Commerce, manufactures, etc.G.P.O. p.392.
  5. ^abcdefgEdwards, Elwyn Hartley (1994).The Encyclopedia of the Horse(1st American ed.). New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley. p. 275.ISBN1-56458-614-6.
  6. ^Flade, Johannes Erich (1 January 1987).The compleat horse.David & Charles. p. 202.ISBN978-0-668-06530-6.
  7. ^Northern mythology: comprising the principal popular traditions and superstitions of Scandinavia, north Germany, and the Netherlands.E. Lumley. 1851. pp.143–144.
  8. ^ab"Jutland".Oklahoma State University.Retrieved2007-12-16.
  9. ^Draper, Judith; Sly, Debby; Muir, Sarah (1 January 2003).Complete book of horses and riding: a practical training course on how to ride, with step-by-step photographs and a complete encyclopedia of horse breeds.Barnes & Noble Books.ISBN978-0-7607-4949-4.
  10. ^Faber, Harald (1931).Co-operation in Danish agriculture.Longmans, Green and Co. pp. 97–104.
  11. ^Thirstrup; J. P. Thirstrup; Pertoldil, C.; Loeschcke, V. (October 2008). "Genetic analysis, breed assignment and conservation priorities of three native Danish horse breeds".Animal Genetics.39(5): 496–505.doi:10.1111/j.1365-2052.2008.01767.x.PMID18840148.
  12. ^"Den Jyske Hest (The Horse Jyske)"(Click on Dyrene, then Jysk hest)(in Danish). Foreningen Gamle Danske Husdyrracer (Association of Old Danish Livestock Breeds).Retrieved2011-01-01.
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