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The Dole Gudbrandsdal is a draft horse that stands
around 14.2-15.2 hands high. It can vary in colors from black, brown, and bay,
with luxurious dark brown or black manes and tails.
The National Dolehorse Association was founded
in 1967.The foundations of the breed, originated in the Gudbrandsdal Valley in
Norway, are ancient and probably descended from Dutch Friesian horses. These
horses are somewhat similar to the native British Fells and Dales and it is
likely that they all came from the same stock. There are two main types of the
Dole horse- the heavier Dole Gudbrandsal and the lighter Dole trotter, although
today they are interbred quite commonly. The Dole Gudbrandsdal got most of its
current characteristics from a stallion called Brimen. They are usually used for
agricultural and pack work. With mechanization advancing, the number of these
horses began to decline, but with the establishment of their breeding
center, they started to increase in number again.
Both types of Dole horse
have to undergo tests and grading and the heavier Dole is judged on its pulling
power and trot. The lower legs and feet are x-rayed to determine any
weaknesses that would prevent the horse from being used for breeding purposes.
The lighter horses, the Dole Trotters, have to have performed well on the
racetrack to be used for breeding purposes. The trotting strain of the
Doles developed through experimentation through different breed crosses. One of
the most successful ones involved an English horse named Odin, who had been
described as both a Thoroughbred and a Norfolk Trotter.
Odin produced a lighter
type of horse with a better trot stride that maintained the power of the
hindquarters. Odin is in all modern Dole pedigrees. Other stallions to influence
the trotter were Balder, the grandson of Odin, the Arabian Mazarin, Toftebrun
and Dovre, who is registered as being the foundation sire of the Dole Trotter.
The Dole Trotter is a little bit larger than the heavier Dole Gudbrandsdal and
has a more refined head, but the types are similar in many ways. Typically, the
Dole breeds have a crested neck with strong, powerful shoulders and
hindquarters, with the inclination of a long back. The heavier Dole has short
legs with short, dense cannon bones with moderate feathering. The Dole Trotter
is noted for its stamina and endurance.
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