Ardennes Horse

The Ardennes is an ancient breed of horse raised mainly in the Ardennes region which gave it its name, across the north-eastern France, but also in Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden.

Known since Roman times when it was used to back the army, it was known in the early nineteenth to like horse riding and light draft who survived the Russian campaign, then became one of the favorite breeds for traction military ordnance. Numerous crosses and careful selection of breeders made it the workhorse more heavy and powerful than we know today.

It was a great improver of breeds during the golden age, which caused it to be exported to Sweden. Like other breeds of horses, the end of the horse-drawn led to the decline of livestock production.

The Ardennes enjoyed in the early twenty-first century a renewed interest due to the ecological side of its use for maintenance of parks and logging in the forest, but also for its ability on all types of terrain. In France in 2009, the fourth race of the horse represented more staffing.

Prehistory

Horse in the painted caves of Lascaux in the time of Cro-Magnon. The color is reminiscent of the Ardennes, but these horses are reproduced in the likelihood of another species.

The Ardennes is one of the oldest breeds of horses in France. It belongs to a group of races known as heavy, the recent theory “four lines” is actually a descendant of an extinct horse known as the forest, a common ancestor of many breeds of horses in Europe. One theory was it was obsolete as a direct descendant of the horse. Nevertheless, several human populations have ate these horses for food or later domesticated them.

Antiquity

The presence of horses in the Ardennes is mentioned by the Greek historian Herodote and Julius Caesar himself, writes that he found the “second India”, which belonged to the Ardennes. The population of wild horse premises was already very popular. It is also the only horse population census in Belgium.

Under the reign of Nero, they formed a team of Ardennes mares for the emperor who boasted of being one of the best drivers of the chariot. The ancestor of the horse was probably the Ardennes, as are all races before the organization of horse breeding in France. They are small (approximately 1.40m at the withers), although the skeletons of horses unearthed in the region are cited as 1.50m (those of the ancestors of the Ardennes).

The standard of the Ardennes is defined by Studbook companies in Belgium, France and Luxembourg. These standards are very close to each other and agree to define the ideal horse as cooperative yet energetic, with great gentleness and docility. They must have proper manners, be active and often compact and stocky. In Belgium, the breed standard was established in 1948 and was revised to 200,439.

Head
The head is expressive with a snub or straight profile, slightly protruding forehead depressed or flat, big eyes and small ears pricked forward, with wide nostrils.

Body
The Ardennes horse is described as stocky, squat and close to the ground with a deep chest and large, rather short back, a heavily muscled croup, wide hips, buttocks, thighs and very muscular legs, with a moderately long neck.

Legs
Members must be dry and healthy, with detached tendons, joints and large bass, good feet and upright stance.

Dresses
The most common is bay. Often the nose and eyes are tinged with gray.

Size and weight

The minimum size required by the standard of the French race is 1.54m for standard and 1.52m for juments, the average size ranges from 1.60m to 1.65m, or 1.60m for females and 1.62m for males. The weight of an Ardennes foal at birth is 50kg to 80kg.

Like all foals, growth is very rapid and an adult can weigh from 700kg to 1,000kg. The Belgian standards are different to that of the French and requires a maximum height not exceeding 1.62m for standard and 1.60m for juments.