Visit the National Stud Farm in Kladruby nad Labem in East Bohemia. You will see the facilities of one of the oldest still operating stud farms in Europe. Here they breed the oldest variety of Czech coach horses – the Kladruber. Over the centuries of horse breeding and training, even the countryside around the stud farm has been perfectly adjusted to this purpose. Together the stud farm and this unique countryside were registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List as of 2019.
History of the Stud Farm
The Landscape for Breeding and Training of Ceremonial Coach Horses in Kladruby nad Labem in East Bohemia near Pardubice is a unique monument that documents the centuries-old breeding and training of the white Kladruber. The Kladruby Stud Farm is also one of the oldest stud farms in the world. In 1579, Emperor Rudolf II promoted the farm to an stud farm for the imperial court and it has been the home of the Kladruber horses ever since.Kladruber horses are currently bred both in Kladruby, which is particularly well known for its white variety, and in Slatiňany, known for its black variety. The main horse herd is housed in Kladruby nad Labem – there are about 500 pedigree studs, mares, and foals.
What Is the Kladruber Like?
The white Kladruber was originally used for ceremonial purposes in royal and imperial courts around Europe, and the black Kladruber for the coaches of church dignitaries. Today, the white Kladruber is still used for its original purpose by the Swedish and Danish royal courts. At present, the Kladrubers represent the farm in draft horse show competitions, but you can also see them in standard dressage, demonstrations by the High School of Spanish Riding, and as part of mounted police forces. Kladrubers are also used in hippotherapy and leisure riding thanks to their calm nature.Tour of the Stud Farm and Chateau
The premises have been maintained in their original classicist style, and you can take part in several tours, including guided tours of the stables, the coach garage with an exhibition on the Kladruber, and the chateau. You can also see a Baroque timbered cottage – the forester’s lodge – or climb up the lookout tower and take in its view of the surrounding countryside.If you want to travel back in time to the era of Franz Joseph I of Austria and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria, start with a tour of the stable at the chateau. Walk in the footsteps of the imperial couple through 12 stylishly furnished halls and chambers, look in the church that they had built, and listen to the stories about their peculiar habits and remarkable fates.
In the coach garage, there is a coach that belonged to Ferdinand I of Austria, the state coach of the first Czechoslovak President Tomáš G. Masaryk, and other valuable coaches and sleighs. The model of the imperial eight-horse hitch that you can see there will amaze you. In the museum, you can explore the history Kladruber breeding, which spans more than five centuries.
Enjoy the Beauty of the Horses Up Close
Take a ride in a carriage pulled by real Oldkladruby horses and you will feel like a king or queen. After all, the horses of Kladruby still serve, for example, Queen Margaret II of Denmark!
Or let one of the local horses be presented to you with an expert commentary connected with the history of the horse and the pedigree of the local four-legged beauties. You can choose to have the horse demonstrated on your hands or under saddle with music.
