Under its former owner, Gräfin von Eisenstein, the manor house which was built by the same architect as the Vienna Volksoper, had been a home for art. During the summer months, the Gräfin put the studio at the disposal of young artists, and among others, Franz Alt, Emil Jakob Schindler, Hugo Darnaut and Egon Schiele all came and painted there.

In 1967, when the brothers Ewald and Milos Welde were looking for a place to breed horses, the manor house became their first choice. They bought 'Gschwendthof', which they thought to be perfectly situated for breeding horses, but was at the time in very poor structural condition. During the reconstruction of the decayed buildings and the restoration of the manor house, they laid the foundation stone for their horse breeding programme. Ewald Welde's first love was for the sport of carriage driving, Milos Welde however, was more attracted to the art of dressage riding. They therefore decided to breed a horse which they thought would be suitable for both disciplines - a middle-sized, well-balanced and steadfast horse with a good action.

They found their 'dream'horse in England at the stud of Pauline Taylor: the Welsh Cob.
In 1994, Ewald Welde - well known as a 'horseman' throughout Europe, and father and mentor to the Gschwendthof dream - tragically died in an accident. This tremendous loss caused Milos Welde to retire from the public eye for a while, but today, with the help of a small group of dedicated friends, he continues the traditions established at Gschwendthof by Ewald and himself.

By combining the horses with art and social activities, Gschwendthof has become a paradise for horses and humans, therefore realising the Welde brothers' dream.