Ardennais

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Ardennais (disambiguation).

Ardennes horse
Ardennes stallion
Other names
  • Ardennes
  • French Ardennais
  • Belgian Ardennes
  • Cheval de Trait Ardennais
Country of origin
  • Belgium
  • France
  • Luxembourg
Traits
Distinguishing featuresDraft horse breed
Breed standards

The Ardennais or Ardennes is one of the oldest breeds of draft horse, and originates from the Ardennes area in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. They are heavy-boned with thick legs and are used for draft work.

Their history reaches back to Ancient Rome, and throughout the years blood from several other breeds has been added to the Ardennes, although only the Belgian breed had any significant impact. The first Ardennes were imported to the United States in the early 20th century, and the first breed registry was established in Europe in 1929. The horses have been used throughout history as war horses, both as cavalry mounts and to draw artillery, and are used today mainly for heavy draft and farm work, meat production and competitive driving events. They have also been used to influence or create several other horse breeds throughout Europe and Asia.

History

Grazing Ardennes

Their history reaches back to

Arabian blood to increase stamina and endurance and used the breed in his Russian campaign.[1] In 1780, the breed still stood only 1.42 to 1.52 metres (14.0 to 15.0 hands) and weighed around 500 kilograms (1,100 lb).[4]

Percheron, Boulonnais and Thoroughbred blood were also added, although they had little impact.[5] In the nineteenth century, Belgian draft blood was added to give the breed the heavier conformation it has today.[1] 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 (1,210 lb) to their current weight,[6] which at the same time had the consequence of reducing their vigor and endurance.[7] The first breed registry was established in Europe in 1929.[1] Today there are 3 separate studbooks in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, although there is extensive interbreeding between all three. The Ardennes Horse Society of Great Britain was also formed in the late 20th century to preserve and promote Ardennes horses in Great Britain,[6] but today is not recognized as a studbook or passport issuing organization by the British government[8] and may not exist in any form.

The first Ardennes were imported to the United States in the early 20th century, but it is still not known precisely when. Originally, when imported to the United States, Ardennes horses were eligible for registration with the now-defunct National French Draft Horse Association of America[9] or French Draft Horse Society. This organization published a stud book and registered six individual French draft breeds as belonging to a single 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.[10] Some Ardennes horses imported to the United States before 1917 were called Belgians when they were imported and subsequently registered as Belgians.[11] Ardennes horses have continued to be imported into the United States from Belgium, with imports occurring as late as 2004.[12]

Characteristics

In France, Ardennes stallions stand about 1.62 metres (16

Black is very rare and is excluded from registration.[3] White markings are small, usually restricted to a star or blaze. The breed matures early, and they are said to be easy keepers, economical to feed despite their size. The Ardennes is a free-moving, long-striding breed, despite their compact body structure.[6]

Uses

An Ardennes horse in harness

Horses from the Ardennes region were used as

Marshal Turenne as remounts for his cavalry.[7] In the French Revolution, they were considered to be the best artillery horse available, due to their temperament, stamina and strength.[15] Napoleon used large numbers of Ardennes horses to pull artillery and transport supplies during his 1812 Russian campaign. They were said to be the only breed used by Napoleon that was hardy enough to withstand the winter retreat from Moscow, which they did while pulling a large amount of the army's wagon train.[5] They were also used to pull artillery in World War I, when they were depended upon by the French and Belgian armies. Their calm, tolerant disposition, combined with their active and flexible nature, made them an ideal artillery horse.[6] The breed was considered so useful and valuable that when the Germans established the Commission for the Purchase of Horses in October 1914 to capture Belgian horses, the Ardennes was one of two breeds specified as important, the other being the Brabant.[16]

Today, the breed is used mainly for meat, due to its extensive musculature.

therapeutic horseback riding.[6] The breed is known for its ability to work in rough, hilly terrain.[3]

Ardennes horses have been used as

Trait Du Nord was created through a mixture of Ardennes and Belgian blood.[5]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ardennais.
  1. ^
    ISBN 0-671-66068-3
    .
  2. ^ Hewitt, Mrs J.C. (October 1998). "A Brief History of the Ardennes Horse". The Joy of Horses. Archived from the original on 19 May 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ardennes". Oklahoma State University. Archived from the original on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2007.
  4. ^ Moll, Louis; Gayot, Eugène Nicolas (1861). La connaissance générale du cheval : études de zootechnie pratique, avec un atlas de 160 pages et de 103 figures (in French). Didot. p. 545.
  5. ^
    ISBN 1-56458-614-6
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 0-85236-401-6
    .
  7. ^
    ASIN B000UEYZHA
    .
  8. ^ "Horse passports- organisations issuing horse passports" (PDF). Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 31 August 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  9. ^ Bailey, Liberty Hyde (1910). Cyclopedia of American Agriculture:A Popular Survey of Agricultural Conditions, Practices and Ideals in the United States and Canada (3rd ed.). Macmillan. pp. 460–461.
  10. ^ Harper, Merritt Wesley (1913). Management and Breeding of Horses. Orange Judd Co. p. 183. Ardennais horse united states.
  11. ^ Annual Report. New York (State) Dept. of Agriculture. 1917. p. 73.
  12. ^ "Horses of a Different Culture". St. Petersburg Times Online. 18 June 2004. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  13. ^ a b L'Ardennais Union des éleveurs de chevaux de la race ardennaise. Les Haras Nationaux, 2010. (in French) Accessed August 2011 "The Ardennais"
  14. ^ Standard de la race Stud-Book du Cheval de Trait Ardennais (in French) Accessed August 2011 "Breed standard"
  15. ISBN 1-59228-990-8
    .
  16. ISBN 0-8153-3351-X
    .
  17. ^ Johnson, Michael (19 June 2008). "Hungry for Horse Meat". New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
  18. ISBN 0-671-66068-3
    .
  19. ASIN B000UEYZHA
    .

Related articles

  • Pfalz-ardenner
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ardennais&oldid=1216920295"