The chief breeder and the keeper of the studbook is the National Stud at Kladruby nad Labem in the Czech Republic where Kladrubers have been bred for more than 400 years.

Bred in the stud at Kladruby nad Labem, the Kladruber breed is almost 400 years old, yet is remarkably rare – 492 mares in January 2011}.

The animal was first developed to be a galakarosier; a heavy type of carriage horse used to pull the imperial coach, usually in a four- or six-in-hand, at ceremonies and funerals.

Pepoli's bloodlines are still bred at the Kladruby Stud, but the herd of black horses sired by Sacromoso and Napoleone was destroyed in the 1930s, after many of the animals were sold for meat.

In 2019, the Imperial Stud Farm and the surrounding landscape was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, as an exceptional example of equestrian cultural development.

A horse of substance, the Kladruber possesses a deep, broad chest and sound legs with large joints and hooves.