This handsome fellow is one of Breyer's new mid-year models, and will start shipping in July.  The Fall Collector's Choice model was chosen by a vote of Just About Horses (JAH) subscribers, and he is really lovely!

This chestnut tobiano warmblood is based on Brigitte Eberl's model Salinero, which was first introduced in 2007.  Salinero is described by Breyer as the "Reigning Olympic & World Cup Dressage Champion," and it's only fitting that this model should be performing the piaffe, which is one of the most difficult dressage paces.  

The piaffe is basically a trot which is so collected that it is performed in place.  Cloud 9 is showing excellent form, with his weight shifted towards the rear, and his shoulders high.  The piaffe involves a lot of flexion, and there should be the same pause and suspension in the gait as if the horse were moving forward.  Video of a horse performing the piaffe and passage (a piaffe that moves forward).

Coat Color Note: Chestnut is one of the three basic horse coat colors, a reddish brown which can be differentiated from bay by its lack of dark "points."  Last time we talked about coats, we discussed the complexity of identifying a bay tobiano.  

The tobiano pattern almost always includes white legs, which makes it tricky to tell whether the horse is genetically a bay or a chestnut.  In the case of bay tobiano Pandora, the black points can be seen in his mane and tail.  By comparison if you take a look at Cloud 9, his mane and tail are the same reddish color as his coat.

You can tell that Cloud 9 is a tobiano pinto, because his white patches are aligned vertically - up and down - and they cross his spine.  In this case, at his withers.  He also has the classic dark neck and head of a tobiano, along with the normal facial markings that many tobianos have - a star and a snip.

The warmblood is an interesting case for anyone interested in horse breeds.  Most "proper" breeds use what is called a "closed stud book."  This means that in order to be that breed, both the sire and the dam must be registered as that breed.  For example Morgans use a closed stud book, so the only horse that can be called a Morgan must come from a registered Morgan sire and dam.

"Warmblood" on the other hand is more of a general category than a specific breed.  It is technically a breed which uses an "open stud book."  Warmbloods are registered through a variety of regulating agencies, but you can register any approved horse as a warmblood.  

The warmblood is a sport horse, a breed which is designed for a specific purpose rather than for a collection of physical traits like color and size.  The selection criteria for registering a warmblood is how well it has performed in the ring, its movement, and its temperament.  Each warmblood registry specializes in a particular sport, such as dressage, show jumping, endurance.  

Within the broader category of "warmblood" there are some more closed sub-sets, such as the Trakehner, Hanoverian, and Selle Francais.  These registries behave much more like traditional breeds.