Jubilee publication by Dr. Cord Thormählen

This book focuses on the Holstein mare line 18 b 1. The reason for this is a breeding anniversary. In 2013, the mare line has been owned for 200 years by the Thormählen family of farmers, who live in the Elbmarsch near Kollmar. From 1813 to today, 6 breeder generations have bred over 20 generations of mares. This long period of documented breeding on the one hand and the proven continuity in a breeder family on the other hand should be quite rare if not unique in the agricultural animal breeding of Schleswig-Holstein.

Horses in earlier centuries were exposed farm animals for the farmers, but also for the military and the transport industry. Motorisation in the middle of the last century led to an abrupt change in the meaning of the horse. The horse became largely superfluous in the traditional uses. But the burgeoning competition sport created new markets for the Holstein horse. For this a radical turn from the economic horse to the sport horse had to be carried out in the breeding. In this book the author Dr. Cord Thormählen reviews this exciting development of horse breeding over two centuries using the example of his farm tribe 18 b 1.

It is also commendable that he has included older essays and lectures by his ancestors in this anniversary book. They reflect breeding problems and questions of earlier times. The intricate historical connections of Schleswig-Holstein, which are inseparably interwoven with the local horse breeding, are presented by Helmut Trede. The anniversary book is rounded off by the involvement of the experienced breeding expert Jac Remijnse from Holland, who in his essay pays tribute to the breeding and sporting achievements of the mare line 18 b 1 against the background of European sport horse breeding.