Horse breeds · from TrotleyTrakehner weight and height: a lighter warmblood and how to feed it
Trakehners stand 15.3 to 17 hands depending on the source, and with Thoroughbred and Arabian blood behind them they sit between two feeding types that Merck treats differently.
Short answer
Trakehners stand 15.3 to 17 hands, and a fair weight estimate is about 1,250 pounds.
The American Trakehner Association’s breeding goal is 160 to 170 cm at the withers (15.3 to 16.3 hands), and its regulations, quoted by the International Museum of the Horse, call the breed a large horse of 16 to 17 hands. No source opened for this page gives a Trakehner weight, so the estimate sits between the University of Minnesota averages for Thoroughbreds (1,184 pounds) and warmbloods (1,300 pounds).
American Trakehner Association, International Museum of the Horse and University of Minnesota Extension (the weight is an estimate from group figures)
| Source | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| American Trakehner Association (breeding goal) | 160 to 170 cm (15.3 to 16.3 hands) | Not given |
| International Museum of the Horse, quoting the association’s regulations | Generally 16 to 17 hands | Not given |
| University of Kentucky | 16 to 17 hands and above | Not given |
| University of Minnesota, 100 Thoroughbreds and 89 warmbloods (not Trakehners) | 65 and 66 inches on average | 1,184 and 1,300 lb on average |
The association’s goal is what it breeds for, and the regulations describe the breed as it stands. Oklahoma State University also gives 16 to 17 hands.
Goal and description differ by a hand
The breeding goal tops out at 16.3 hands, while the regulations and Kentucky describe a breed that reaches 17 hands and above. Oklahoma State also says 16 to 17 hands. For a single horse, the pedigree matters less than a measured height and a tape or scale reading.
Daily hay for a 1,250 pound Trakehner
With no Trakehner weight to use, the arithmetic uses 1,250 pounds, the midpoint of the two Minnesota group averages rounded to the nearest 50. Replace it with your own horse’s weight.
Merck gives 2 to 2.5% of body weight in feed dry matter as the usual starting range for a healthy adult, with at least half from forage, 1.5 to 2% as the goal for a horse that needs to lose weight when laminitis is not a worry, and 1.25% as the floor. The figures below are our arithmetic from 1,250 lb, counting hay as 90% dry matter, which is our assumption.
- 1.5% of body weight: 19 lb (9 kg) of dry matter, about 21 lb (9 kg) of hay
- 2% of body weight: 25 lb (11 kg) of dry matter, about 28 lb (13 kg) of hay
- 2.5% of body weight: 31 lb (14 kg) of dry matter, about 35 lb (16 kg) of hay
A weight tape example for a Trakehner
The horse weight calculator runs the adult equation from the Merck Veterinary Manual: measure heart girth and body length in inches, square the girth, multiply by the length and divide by 330 to get pounds. A heart girth of 77 inches and a body length of 67 inches gives 77 x 77 = 5,929, times 67 = 397,243, divided by 330 = about 1,204 lb (546 kg). Those measurements are our illustration of the formula, not a real horse.
Merck says the equation and tapes tend to underestimate weight, and the Minnesota study found draft horse and warmblood owners about 115 pounds, or 7%, off on average. Use a scale when you can, and measure the same way each time.
Hard keeper or easy keeper?
The association says the breed carries high percentages of Thoroughbred and Arabian blood. Merck puts maintenance energy at 0.03 Mcal of digestible energy per kilogram a day for easy keepers, including warmbloods, and 0.04 for hard keepers, which it says includes Thoroughbreds and related breeds. At 567 kg that is about 17.0 against 22.7 Mcal a day (our arithmetic).
No source classes the Trakehner itself, so judge your own horse by its condition rather than its pedigree, and let your vet or a nutritionist set the plan.
Energy without a starch overload
Merck says feeding more than half the ration dry matter as high starch or sugar concentrates raises the risk of laminitis, colic and gastric ulcers. The University of Georgia adds that large amounts of grain can lead to colic and ulcers, and that replacing some carbohydrate with fat can benefit horses in hard work.
Hooves that promise soundness
The association’s breeding goal asks for well-shaped hooves that promise soundness and long years of use. Merck sets trimming at 4 to 8 weeks and names hoof cracks, thrush and white line disease as problems to catch early, so a schedule with your farrier protects what the breeding goal describes.
Body condition
Merck advises a score of 4 to 6 on the 9 point Henneke scale. The Minnesota Thoroughbreds averaged 5.0 and the warmbloods 5.2. Score your horse by feel monthly and log the score with each weight.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Trakehner weigh?
No source opened for this page gives a Trakehner weight. The University of Minnesota’s Thoroughbreds averaged 1,184 pounds and its warmbloods 1,300, so roughly 1,250 pounds (567 kg) is an estimate.
How tall is a Trakehner?
The American Trakehner Association’s goal is 160 to 170 cm, or 15.3 to 16.3 hands, and the Museum of the Horse quotes its regulations as generally 16 to 17 hands, which is 64 to 68 inches.
How much does a Trakehner eat a day?
For a 1,250 pound horse, 2% of body weight is 25 pounds of dry matter, about 28 pounds of hay, and 2.5% is about 35 pounds. These figures are our arithmetic and a starting point.
Can a Trakehner carry a 175 pound rider?
The University of Minnesota reports that an average adult light riding horse can comfortably carry about 20% of its ideal bodyweight, rider and tack included. For 1,250 pounds that is about 250 pounds, so a 175 pound rider with 25 pounds of tack is inside it. Fitness and conformation change the answer.
Sources
- American Trakehner Association, Breeding Goals
- International Museum of the Horse, Trakehner (archived copy)
- University of Kentucky Equine Programs, Horse breeds
- Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Trakehner Horses
- University of Minnesota Extension, Estimating actual and ideal bodyweight of adult horses
- University of Minnesota Extension, Guidelines for weight-carrying capacity of horses
- Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Horses and Other Equids
- Merck Veterinary Manual, Feeding Practices in Horses and Other Equids
- Merck Veterinary Manual, Foot Care of Horses
- University of Georgia Extension, Feeding strategies for peak performance in horses (B 1365)
Checked on October 2, 2026.
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See TrotleyMore in Horse breeds
- HanoverianHanoverians stand 16 to 17.2 hands, and warmbloods as a group average 1,300 pounds.
- ThoroughbredA typical Thoroughbred weighs about 1,000 pounds and stands about 16 hands.
- ArabianAn Arabian usually weighs 800 to 1,000 pounds and stands 14.2 to 15.2 hands.
- HolsteinerHolsteiners stand 16 to 17 hands, and warmbloods as a group average 1,300 pounds.
- American Paint HorseA Paint Horse stands 14.2 to 15.2 hands and weighs about what a Quarter Horse does, 1,000 to 1,300 pounds.
- American Quarter HorseMost Quarter Horses weigh 1,000 to 1,300 pounds and stand 14.2 to 15.2 hands.
- Horse weight calculatorFree tool: Estimate a horse’s weight from heart girth and body length with the formulas in the Merck Veterinary Manual, for adults, yearlings and weanlings.
