The Mecklenburger is a warmblood horse bred in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region of north-eastern Germany. The breeding of these horses has been closely linked to the State Stud of Redefin.
Historically influenced by Arabian and Thoroughbred blood, today's Mecklenburger is an athletic riding and driving horse similar to the neighboring Hanoverian. They are bred to the same standards as the other German Warmbloods, and are especially suitable for dressage and show jumping, though they are used for combined driving, eventing and show hunter competition as well.
History
The region today known as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was, until 1934, composed of the duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. However, the region was united by virtue of being under the rule of the House of Mecklenburg, so the histories of Schwerin, Strelitz and the other Mecklenburg duchies are intertwined. The history of warmblood horse breeding - that is, a horse that was neither draft horse nor Arabian nor Thoroughbred - in Mecklenburg is similar to that in the rest of Germany.
Mecklenburgers prior to World War II were all-purpose utility horses. Individual sires, families or breeders might specialize, but the most economically efficient horse was one that had many uses. Primarily, these uses were cavalry, transport, and agriculture.
The requirements for a cavalry horse were affected by three major changes: the decline of the Knight after the 16th century, the popularization of firearms in the late 19th century, and mechanization in the early 20th century. Between the Middle Ages and mechanization, the ideal cavalry horse was athletic, agile and highly obedient. Cavalry horses were typically bred for the nobility, but horses belonging to other residents were trained as "remounts." Following mechanization, the role of the cavalry horse in Europe was diminished to ceremonial use.
What was required of horses as part of transport was affected by similar advances: the advent of long-distance public stagecoach travel in the 16th century, the invention of the steam engine, and mechanization. Pulling stage coaches did not necessitate beauty, but endurance, efficiency and soundness. Large-scale train transport in Germany took hold late in the 19th century and significantly reduced the need for stage horses. More elegant carriage horses with high-stepping gaits became more popular for short-distance traveling, as did saddle horses. Once again, mechanization all but negated the horse's role in transport.
The agricultural niche filled by the horse was also affected by technological achievements. While plows became increasingly lighter and more efficient over time, the primary factor in determining the qualities of a region's plow horse was the soil. Throughout the ages, the demand for agricultural horses was also affected by the local populations, fluctuations in which altered the demand for food. Periods of high growth meant higher food demands, and more demand for plow horses. Yet again, mechanization following World War II ousted the horse from this role.
Early horse breeding in Mecklenburg
During the 18th century when many of Germany's noble houses were establishing expansive stud farms to supply their courts with horses suitable for riding, driving, and cavalry purposes, horse-breeding in Mecklenburg was chiefly motivated by large, private stud farms. Residents had some access to stallions owned by their rulers, but a state breeding program did not yet exist.
Breeding efforts of renown were, however, taking place under the Counts of Plessen by the houses of Bassewitz and Hahn. Indeed, the versatile horses bred in the region were of distinctive eastern ("oriental") type and were well known as coach, saddle, and utility horses. In horse breeding, the term "oriental" suggests the influence of horses from the Middle East, including Arabian horses and Turkoman horses. Another characteristic of Mecklenburg breeding is the early involvement with the English Thoroughbred racehorse. The first-ever race track in Germany was created in 1822 at Bad Doberan, the summer retreat of the court of Schwerin.