Knabstrupper Origin

Knabstrupper horses derive their name from the Knabstrup Estate, which is located between Kalundborg and Jyderup in Denmark. Back in the late 1700s and early 1800s, the owner of the estate, Christian Ditlev Lunn took interest in horse breeding and began producing consistent and uniform type.

​

In the larger historical perspective, it was shortly after the Royal Frederiksborg Stud closed down and the horses from the Stud sold at auction. Two mares from the Royal Frederiksborg Stud auctions were purchased by the Knabstrup Estate.

​

The beginning of the 19th century was marked by wars in Europe (the Napoleonic Wars), and the Spanish auxiliary troops came to Denmark. Some of the troops were in Zealand, and the story that has been told is that a butcher named Flæbe from Holbæk bought a mare from a Spanish officer.

​

The mare was later bought for the Knabstrup Estate after Christian Ditlev Lunn had seen what the mare could produce when she was owned by Flæbe. The mare was described as chestnut with a white mane and tail with small white spots scattered on her body but most notably on the loins where she also had a few reddish brown spots.

​

The mare did not quite fit the type of the other horses on the estate, but after seeing what she could produce, she was put into breeding. In 1813 she produced her first foal, named Flæbe stallion, after a Frederiksborg stallion from the nearby Løvenborg Estate.

​

The Flæbe mare turned out to be a good breeding mare. She passed on good qualities to her descendants as well as the color, which at this time, however, was not considered attractive.

​

The traits that were considered "characteristic" of the breed were that they were easy keepers and hardy, lived long and healthy lives, hard working with a temperament that was unmatched. 

​

In terms of color, they were often red or bay based with white blankets or near leopard patterning. They often had white sclera surrounding the iris of the eye with mottled skin around the areas of eyes, muzzle and genitals. They often had a thin mane and tail. However, some of the horses that were solid in color did not carry these color specific traits at birth but often changed color at 3-4 years old.

​

The stallion Thor (also called Old Thor) was born in 1847. He is often considered the true founder of the breed. He was well known in his time and sired a number of offspring and won many prizes both locally and nationally.

​

The Stud at Knabstrup was at its peak around the Schleswig Wars, especially the Three Years Wars 1848 - 50. The Knabstrup Estate lent horses to the King for the war including stallion Mikkel and the mare Nathalia. In the years after the Schleswig wars, there was decline in the breed and fewer Knabstruppers were exhibited at shows. The decline in breeding at Knabstrup Estate culminated one summer evening in 1891 when lightning struck a thatched and partly clay-lined, half-timbered barn, which quickly caught fire killing 22 horses. Very few of the original Knabstrup horses survived.

​

In March 1897, to great surprise, a black leopard spotted filly was born. The mare produced a quality stallion that was eventually used in breeding, bringing more leopard spotted foals to the Estate again. However, the interest was not the same as before. It is not known if this was due to the painful memories of the fire or due to the fact the later descendants of Christian Ditlev Lunn may no longer have had interest in horses.