Ardennes Horse - History

History

The Ardennes breed could be a direct descendent of the prehistoric Solutre horse, and is thought to be descended from the type of horse described by Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Caesar described these horses of Belgium as "rustic, hard and tireless", and recommended them for use in heavy cavalry units. The early type was used by many later Roman emperors for military applications. The breed's ancestors are thought to have been bred for 2,000 years on the Ardennes plains, and it is one of the oldest documented European heavy draft breeds. In the Roman era, the breed stood only around 14 hands (56 inches, 142 cm) high. Later, Napoleon added Arabian blood to increase stamina and endurance and used the breed in his Russian campaign. In 1780, the breed still stood only 1.42 to 1.52 metres (14.0 to 15.0 h) and weighed around 500 kilograms (1,100 lb).

Percheron, Boulonnais and Thoroughbred blood were also added, although they had little impact. In the 19th century, Belgian draft blood was added to give the breed the heavier conformation it has today. The extra weight and size was desired to turn the breed into a very heavy draft breed, after their role as an artillery horse had diminished through the advent of mechanization, as well as a desire for a meat animal. The breed increased in size from an average of 550 kilograms (1,200 lb) to their current weight, which at the same time had the consequence of reducing their vigor and endurance. Breed registries have been in existence since 1929. Today there are three separate studbooks in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, although there is extensive interbreeding between the three. The Ardennes Horse Society of Great Britain was also formed in the late 20th century to preserve and promote the horses of that country, but today is not recognized as a studbook or passport issuing organization by the British government and may not exist in any form.

It is difficult to determine when the first Ardennes horses were imported to the United States because originally, when imported to the United States, Ardennes horses were eligible for registration with the now-defunct National French Draft Horse Association of America or French Draft Horse Society. This organization published a stud book and registered six individual French draft breeds as one breed, combining the information so that no totals of individual breeds are known. Many of these horses were imported to the United States with their breed being considered simply "French draft" and no individual type being specified. Some Ardennes horses imported to the United States before 1917 were called Belgians when they were imported and subsequently registered as Belgians. Ardennes horses have continued to be imported into the United States from Belgium, with imports occurring as late as 2004.