[5] In centuries past, Holsteiners retained the hallmark Roman nose of the Baroque horse, but today it has been replaced by a smaller head with large, intelligent eyes.

The closed stud book and careful preservation of female family lines has ensured, in an era of globalization, the horses of Holstein have a unique character.

While the active gaits, arched neck, and attractive manner in harness of the early foundation bloodstock have been retained, the breed survived because of the willingness of its breeders to conform to changing market demands.

[7] The easiest way to identify a Holsteiner is by the hot brand on the left hip, which is given to foals when they are inspected for their papers and passport.

[2] In motion, Holsteiners retain the character of their coach driving forebears, often exhibiting more articulation of the joints than is common among other warmbloods.

[2] The acknowledged specialization for jumping capacity in the breed sometimes means the quality of the walk and trot suffer, though this is not the rule.

[3] The scope and power were inherited from the heavier old Holsteiners, but they lacked carefulness, speed, adjustability, bascule, and technique.

Improvement sires like Cor de la Bryére successively eliminated these flaws, making the Holsteiner breed internationally known for Olympic-caliber jumping.

[6] Similar to horse breeds in the nearby areas of Oldenburg, Groningen, and Friesland, traditional Holsteiners were dark-colored and minimally marked.

This tendency has evolved into a preference for black, dark bay, and brown, though lighter shades such as chestnuts and grays are also permitted.

[4] Horses with large white spots suggestive of pinto patterning or any of the traits associated with leopard-spotting are excluded from the registry.

[3] Some critics of the breed, or particular lineages within it, find that strong selection for jumping performance results in capable high-level jumpers, but at the cost of rideability.

[1] The windswept coastal marshes where the breed originated are characterized by rich, wet soil that could dry out and turn concrete-like in a matter of hours.

King Philip II of Spain routinely purchased Holsteiners to populate his stud at Cordoba.

[11] Following the Protestant Reformation, the breeding of horses was no longer the responsibility of the monks, but of local officials and individual farmers.

Cleveland Bays and their Thoroughbred-infused relatives, Yorkshire Coach Horses, were imported from Britain to refine the Holsteiner, but the breed still maintained an even temperament.

[14] Traventhal, like other state studs, provided local private horse breeders with affordable access to high-quality stallions.

In 1885, Claus Hell Senior authored a breeding goal for the Holsteiner horse: A refined, powerful carriage horse with strong bone structure and high, ground covering strides, which at the same time should possess all the qualities of a heavy riding horse.The Holsteiner stud book was founded by economic advisor Georg Ahsbahs in 1891, and within five years he helped to found the Elmshorn Riding and Driving School.

[1] So well-organized and well-protected were the 19th century Holsteiners that one of the Thoroughbred sires imported by the Duke of Augustenburg is represented by several modern descendants.

In 1926, the Federation of Horse Breeders of the Holsteiner Marshes were made to turn over their stallions to the state stud, which redistributed the sires.

[11] These stallions were soon supplemented by those belonging to another regional breeders' association, as two local societies merged in 1935 to create today's Holsteiner verband.

[15] Former state stallions were now owned by the breeders' association, a completely unique arrangement among German warmblood breeding societies.

[6] Holsteiner breeders today rarely add in foreign blood, and allow upgrading stallions based on their proven ability to contribute to the genepool.

[11] Although Holsteiners make up only 6% of the total European horse population, they represent a large proportion of successful show jumpers in particular.

[25] Holsteiners currently competing in international dressage include Liebling II (Lorentin I), Amicelli (Amigo), The Lion King B (Landos), Lanzaro (Lavall I), Samsung Cinque Cento (Cambridge), and Jamiro Rosso (Caletto).

6 sire of international dressage horses, Flemmingh, had two Holsteiner parents: Lacapo, a Landgraf son, and Texas, a Carneval daughter.

The Marlon xx son, Montevideo, was a member of the gold medal-winning dressage team in Los Angeles.

This point was highlighted in 2008 when Marius, a Holsteiner by Condrieu xx, won the individual gold medal in Beijing.

A small but significant number of Holsteiners continue their historical roles in harness by competing in the sport of combined driving.