The Rottal (also known as 'Rottaler') is one of the oldest native German horse breeds, which is named after the Rottal district in Bavaria, Germany, where it originated. It is an endangered breed bred primarily in Bavaria.

The old breed from Bavaria:
The Rottal was created in the 10th century, when Bavarian breeders crossed Mongolian horses with Celtic ponies. The breed was kept pure for centuries, and was used for pulling carts and performing light draft work, while also serving as a riding and cavalry horse.

That lasted until the first half of the 20th century, when the increasing demand for heavy farm horses led Rottal breeders to cross their horses with the heavier Alt-Oldenburg, in order to make the Rottal breed stronger. As such, in the 1940s, Rottal horses were used for farm work, in addition to riding and driving.

The Bavarian Warmblood and the downfall of the Rottal:
Things started to go south in the 1960s, when the demand for heavy horses plummeted while the demand for athletic horses spiked. This led Rottal breeders to cross their Rottal horses with Hanoverians, in order to create a lighter breed.

The new breed, called 'Bavarian Warmblood', was essentially a lighter version of the Rottal, and became favored over the old Rottal breed. In the following years, almost all of the Rottal horses that were in Germany were crossed with Hanoverian horses, and this constant crossbreeding almost eliminated the purebred Rottal.

Saving the old Rottal:
The Rottal was saved thanks to breeders who refused to cross their Rottal horses with other breeds and insisted on maintaining their purity. In addition, the German government also decided to promote the preservation of this old German breed, by giving financial incentives to breeders who bred pure Rottal horses.

The Rottal today:
Today, the Rottal is an endangered breed, with only around 80 horses found in Germany, partucularly in Bavaria. Its breeding program now focuses on the good temperament of the breed, with the goal of making the Rottal horse more popular. It is used for both riding and driving.

Conformation:
Rottal horses are heavy warmbloods and have the conformation of a heavy sport horse. Their neck is broad at the base, connecting to a deep chest and a broad body. The legs are muscular and have broad joints. The mane is short or medium in length, but the tail can grow long.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Rottals in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases, horses might have metrics outside of the range. Breeders can produce horses that are beyond this range.

Speed: 16.1-17.5, 16.8 (0.3), 0.05.
Sprint: 58-70, 64 (2), 0.48.

Accel: 0.92-1.08, 1.00 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 1.02-1.16, 1.09 (0.03), 0.01.

Jump: 5.18-5.46, 5.34 (0.06), 0.01.
Pull: 2.83-3.45, 3.14 (0.12), 0.02.

Turning: 48.39-62.28, 55.79 (3.2), 0.63.
Reverse: 2.6-3.1, 2.8 (0.1), 0.02.

Stamina: 52.05-55.29, 53.88 (0.73), 0.14.
Reaction: 0.75-0.83, 0.79 (0.02), 0.00.

Coats & Height:
Colors: bay, brown, black, chestnut, and grey,

Additionals: flaxen, sooty, dark mane & tail. The coat is alawys solid and preferably has little to no white markings.

Height: 15.3hh to 16.1hh