Heavy horse stud farm

There is a long tradition of breeding cold-blooded horses in the Rhineland. Originally, the “Rheinisch-Deutsches Kaltblutpferd” (Rhenish-German Coldblood), as the breed was officially called from 1920, was used as a draft horse in agriculture, industry and trade. Rhenish-German Coldbloods were most widespread in the second half of the 19^th century.

In the 20^th century, the breed lost much of its importance due to increasing motorization and its population dwindled to a few specimens. Whereas there were 26,990 mares and 735 stallions in 1946, the population had shrunk to just eleven mares and two stallions by 1975!

Due to the commitment of a few specialized breeders, it was possible to preserve at least a small part of the original population. In 2017, these cold-blooded horses numbered 138 mares and ten stallions. There have been heavy horses at Haus Bürgel for centuries. Today, an average of ten draft horses are housed in the stables, ensuring the continuity of their breed with regular offspring. This agricultural tradition is thus also contributing to making Haus Bürgel a place where history lives.