Comtois Horse - History

History

The Comtois horse breed is an old breed of horse that is believed to have descended from horses brought by the Burgundians of northern Germany to France during the fourth century. It is believe that they have been bred at the Franche-Comté and in the Jura Mountains since the sixth century. In the Middle Ages they were used as war horses. They were bred at the Franche-Comté and in the Jura Mountains During the 16th century, the Comtois breed was used to improve the Burgandy Horse. In the 19th century, other draft horses such as the Norman, Boulonnais, and Percheron were bred into the Comtois, and more recently the Ardennes was used to produce a stronger horse with better legs. Today, they are second only to the Belgian draft horse in number in France.