In France, the national stud farms [Les Haras Nationaux], founded by Colbert in 1665, are responsible for promoting  and developing horse-breeding and activities related to horses, in partnership with other public and private bodies.

In the area of breeding, rigorous conservation of breeds, expertise in animal care and technical progress through the collection and processing of economic information are riding high. This is not excessive in order to manage about 500,000 members of the horse family in France (which is eight for every 1,000 inhabitants) among which 41 breeds of horse, donkey and ponies are recognized and bred.

Determination to preserve breed diversity

"The national stud farms make their skills permanently available to horse breeders and users in every region. They contribute to a policy of balanced national land management by providing high quality technical support services. They have devised a system of identification and information and meet the needs expressed by breeders’ associations in the area of genetic improvement, notably through public standardization," explains their managing director, Christian Ferte.

Since its creation, this institution has constantly evolved, often working against the tide of fashion of the day, with the determination to preserve breed diversity and the specific features of French horse-breeding, over and above the usefulness of the animal. It is mainly through its work in the field that it has been possible to maintain the major breeds of draught horses and donkeys (see box) to the present day.

Historically, after the search for strong horses for the army, the demand for types suitable for harness work was highest until the appearance of the car, which ruined the trade in utility horses. Only the work of the national studs in the field made it possible to encourage the transformation of the "carriage horse" into a saddle horse (mainly through the classification of brood mares - it is said that character and build are passed on more through the mare than through the stallion - and the selection of thoroughbreds and half-breed crosses).

Now focused on partnership, this institution has been largely reformed since 1999, in order to create a government supervised public establishment under the Ministry of Agriculture. The national stud farms now find their legitimacy in their federator role, working through their strategic orientation, scientific, technical, economic and genetic forecasting committees. They work in four sectors: sport, leisure, racing and as draught horses. Nonetheless, for all those involved in French horse-breeding, their main contribution on the ground is their twenty-three stables of stud stallions, which are a fine example of decentralization.

The Pompadour stud (Corrèze) is one of the most prestigious, with its stallions (pure bred and draught horses), and La Rivière national brood-mare farm, the only one in France. The site is world famous as the birthplace of the Anglo-Arabian breed. Courageous but sensitive, willing but sometimes fearful, this horse, endowed with excellent balance, is the delight of experienced riders.

Since the 1950s, the primary driver of saddle horse breeding in France has been competitive showjumping, the activity most commonly practiced by the 412,000 registered members of the French Riding Federation (France has a total of 650,000 riders).

Normandy, showcase of French horse-breeding
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While Normandy is established as the finest showcase of French horse-breeding, nowadays every region is active in this field and an encyclopaedic census would have to be undertaken to establish an overview of national associations of horse-breeders.

The life blood of the riding world rests on this branch of the business, with its total of 40,000 breeders who own 93,000 brood mares (including 13,000 of the French saddle horse breed alone). On the other hand, there are only 1,000 professional breeders, who work mainly in the area of racing. This branch of horse-breeding has a total of 24,000 brood mares (18,000 for trotting and 6,000 for running).

The main region for thoroughbred breeding is Lower Normandy, particularly around the famous Haras du Pin (Orne), the Mecca of all French national stud farms, where the first thing visitors see is a column in memory of the stallion Furioso, a thoroughbred who left some very fine bloodlines behind him.

In 2001, 4,320 births were recorded while only 383 thoroughbred stallions were listed. Numbers are rising as a result of the good health of the racing sector (in France, it is the Ministry of Agriculture which has overall authority over horse-racing and racecourse betting, a total of 6.5 billion euros mainly from bets taken by the PMU*) and the rapid increase in horse sales.

For all keen race-goers, Deauville (Normandy) is synonymous with yearlings (eighteen month old foals). The main sales take place in August and the bids are spectacular: in 2001, one colt was sold for over a million euros and 80% of the horses were sold (in five years the Arc de Triomphe prize was won three times by star horses sold at Deauville).

An excellent barometer of what is happening in horse-breeding, the number of auction sales of racehorses has also increased. Less reported in the media are Fence sales, held every September at Bois-le-Roi (stronghold of the showjumping trainer, Marcel Rozier), now regularly attended by some crowned heads - and prices are rising.

More than a passion, horse-breeding is a job requiring care, rigour and perseverance. The particular species of the horse family (horse, pony, donkey, etc.) and the breed (French saddle horse, Friesian, Ardennais, etc.) determine the job of the breeder, often torn between two conflicting demands: satisfying his or her passion to breed and rear a top quality animal, and selling it and thus meet the demand of the market.

Members of the horse family in France

There are eight breeds of French thoroughbred. Some are racehorses, thoroughbreds and French trot horses; others are saddle horses: Selle Français, Anglo-Arabian, Arabian, Camargue, Mérens and Castillon.

• Nine draught horse breeds, all originating from northern France, like the Percheron and the Ardennais.

• Seven foreign breeds of saddle horse: Trakehner, Lipizzan, Apaloosa, Shagya, Barbe, Lusitanian, Quater horse.

• Twelve breeds of pony, including French breeds like the Landais and the Pottock.

• Six breeds of donkey: Poitou, Provence, Cotentin, Pyrenean, etc....

donkey.jpg

Whatever the breed, the animal owes a great deal to French breeders and the national stud farms for its preservation and recognition. From 400,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, the number of donkeys had fallen to 20,000 by the 1980s. Enjoying a considerable reserve of popularity among the general public and especially children, the donkey has since recovered and is on the way back up, leaving behind it the hard work which was once its daily lot. As a pet, very useful for trekking, its numbers have risen again to 40,000 animals. But there is still much to do, there are barely more than thirty or so Poitou donkeys in France.

 


Breeds symbolic of our heritage

French saddle horse: energetic, calm and a good jumper. It is the natural heir to the Norman horse. Its stud-book (the breed record) has existed since 1958, when this method of record-keeping was first introduced in order to list all "half-breed" horses born in France.

Camargue: rustic and strong, this famous small white horse from the Rhône camargue.jpgdelta, popularized by the story of Crin Blanc, was, it seems, very much admired by Julius Caesar.


Ardennais: this draught horse has such determination that Napoleon used it for military purposes, especially during the Russian campaign. The breed has been recognized since 1929.

Percheron: the best known of French heavy horses. Docile and very willing, it is nonetheless elegant despite its imposing stature. Originally from Perche (in the south of Lower Normandy), it owes its pace and appearance to its Oriental ancestors.

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 The Percheron breed