Warmblood registries: Where are they from, where are they going?

If you've read even a little, you know that warmbloods are not breeds the way, say, the thoroughbred is a breed. In order to be a thoroughbred, both the mother and father must also be a registered thoroughbred. Not so with most warmblood registries. Registries are more about developing a type of horse; they are not usually concerned with purity of bloodlines (whatever that means these days). However, to be included in a registry a horse owner must be able to establish the horse's bloodlines and pedigree for three or four generations.

I've read a couple of books on warmblood registries, including International Warmblood Horse : A Worldwide Guide to Breeding and Bloodlines and The Warmblood Guidebook. I wanted to get some history and background, sure, but mostly I wanted to figure out why there are different warmblood registries, aside from historical precedent. Can you tell one type of warmblood from another? Why do some people seem to prefer a particular type of warmblood?

Why ask why?
I started my research out of self-interest, as a potential warmblood horse buyer -- which type of warmblood would suit me best? But after several years of reading, going to inspections, and attending breed shows, it's easier for me to see differences among bloodlines than among the various registries. However, many breeders maintain that there are differences, though they're subtle. My eye may not be developed enough, or maybe I just don't know enough yet.

What is true is that that different registries run their breeding programs differently. Each registry has its own standards, practices, and goals. It stands to reason that the horses in each registry would be different -- doesn't it? So how would, how should, the horse buyer use this information to inform his or her horse purchase? This is going to be a multi-part series on warmbloods, focusing on what makes each registry unique.

Coming up next: German warmbloods: A brief and mostly accurate history...