For a while I always thought to get a Warmblood one crossed a hot-blooded horse with a cold-blooded horse. It made sense to me. Hot + Cold= Warm, so a hot-blooded Thoroughbred with a cold-blooded draft should make a Warmblood horse, riight? Wrong. Here is the textbook definition of a Warmblood: A Warmblood is a horse with at least 5 generations of recognized sport horse bloodlines and that has been inspected and registered by world-recognized breeding associations to excel in the sports of dressage and/or show jumping. Thank you Sonesta Farms for this definition. Now, wait one minute folks. I have a book,  Storey's Horse Lovers Encyclopedia, it's 472 pages of perfection. Upon my perfect books definition, a Warmblood is as follows: "A type of horse traditionally developed in Europe from 'cold-blooded' draft horses and 'hot-blooded'  Thoroughbreds and Arabians. There are a number of individual breeds of these tall horses, and all have smooth, elastic gaits and striking presence.",   but websites I've read said that a Warmblood is NOT a cold-blooded horse crossed with a hot-blooded horse. I leave it up to Warmblood owners to explain to me. Until then, lets continue to a description of the Warmblood and a bit of background. Warmblood horses tend to be dark in color and tall, although I've seen pintos and other colors, with few white markings. Warmbloods are popular in the show ring and used for Dressage, combined driving events and show jumping. Something new Warmblood owners don't always know or mind when purchasing a Warmblood is that these horses need more time to mature than lighter breeds. In Europe, where they hail, they often aren't started under saddle until they are five or six years old. If fed too much protein as foals and ridden too early, Warmbloods can develop hock and other joint problems. Some Warmblood horses are sstubborn and prone to fits of temper,making them hard to handle. Especially when Young. A few specific breeds are the Dutch Warmblood; Hanoverian; Holsteiner; Selle Francais and Trakehner.

Warmbloods are a European breed found mostly in Germany. The horses you see in the Olympics and Jumping competitions are typically Warmblood horses. As you can see they're large, dark, tall, agile and handsome.

I'm still confused as to what truly defines a Warmblood but I imagine I'll figure it out soon. Until then, have a happy Easter and a happy ride :)