The modern Zweibrücker is an elegant, large-framed, correct sport horse with powerful, elastic gaits suitable for dressage, show jumping, eventing and combined driving.

[2] The Rhineland-Palatinate state-owned stud facilities of Zweibrücken house the smallest number of state stallions[3] in Germany, but the region's horse-breeding history is rich.

The modern city of Zweibrücken, meaning "two bridges", was a county throughout the Middle Ages and then later on became a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire.

When Christian IV returned to Zweibrücken, he financed the establishment of "royal facilities" throughout the region, populating them with noble stallions and mares.

[3] Christian IV's successor, Charles II August, continued to improve horse-breeding in politically influential Zweibrücken by decreeing that the horses bred there ought to be "good, handsome and useful".

[citation needed] The region became widely known for its refined cavalry horses which combined the size and speed of the Thoroughbred with the more tractable temperament of the Arabian.

The first half of the 20th century was marked by increasing demands for a heavier all-purpose farm horse, which were used extensively in the first World War for pulling artillery wagons.

Gradually, sires from Hanoverian and Holsteiner bloodlines joined the noble Trakehners, accelerating the local horse-breeding efforts towards the production of a warmblood riding horse.

The PRPS cooperates with similar associations in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony and Thuringia, collectively licensing and approving breeding stock.

At the age of 3, fillies may be upgraded from the foal register to the herd book through a process called Stutbuchaufnahmen or "Marebook Recording".

The breeding objective, based on market demands, is currently a horse suitable for dressage, jumping, and eventing, though combined driving is also mentioned.

In motion the gaits are correct - no deviations when viewed from the front or rear - and expansive with a pure rhythm and suggestive of great work ethic.

Suspension and elasticity are effects of the ability of the horse's joints to store energy and absorb shock, thus are influential in soundness.

Zweibrücken, especially stallions, are typically evaluated over fences through free jumping, where the horse is let loose in a chute with specifically measured obstacles.

The rhythm of the canter should remain unchanged while the horse adjusts his stride length to leave the ground from the correct place.

As part of the approval process, stallions and often mares are evaluated in controlled conditions on their personality traits or "interior qualities".

The horses with the best marks for interior qualities have kind, personable temperaments, are uncomplicated to ride, strong-nerved and reliable but alert and intelligent.