The Austrian Warmblood is bred for dressage and show jumping, but also for recreational riding by amateurs, following strict selection procedures that keep horses that do not fit the standard from breeding.
The standard reads: "Desirable is a noble, long-lined, correct and powerful Warmblood horse with good movement and jumping ability, suited to any type of recreational riding.
The breeding aim shall be achieved through a comprehensive system of performance tests for mares and stallions, leading to improved selection for dressage or jumping qualities.
[3]: 150–1 Mezőhegyes produced the Nonius, which was similar to the western Heavy Warmbloods, used for light agricultural work and for pulling artillery wagons.
Beginning in the 1840s, Thoroughbred stallions - Furioso and North Star prominent among them - were bred to the Nonius mares to produce strains of more refined cavalry mounts and carriage horses.
[3]: 154–5 Bábolna was originally an extension of Mezőhegyes, but in 1816 the administration decided to use only Arabian and Arab-bred stallions to achieve their cavalry goals.
[3]: 76–7 The Nonius, Furioso-North Star, Shagya, Gidran, and several other strains are often collectively referred to as the Altösterreichische Pferderassen ("Old-Austrian Horse Breeds").
Mechanization set in on the heels of World War II, making the use of horses in agriculture and transportation largely obsolete.
Though the AWÖ is a young registry, their history of amending the criteria for breeding stock suggests a progressive attitude towards producing the best riding horse possible.
As yet, the AWÖ is unranked in the WBFSH standings for Jumping, Dressage, or Eventing, likely due to the small size of their breeding population.
[6] Like other warmblood registries, the AWÖ does not give breeding licenses to stallions with congenital disorders including cryptorchidism, malocclusion, osteochondritis, or impaired breathing.