Boulonnais
Encyclopedia
The Boulonnais, also known as the "White Marble Horse", is a heavy draft horse
breed. It is known for its elegant, though large, appearance and is found in many colors. The breed's origins trace to a period before the Crusades
and, during the 17th century, Spanish Barb
, Arabian
and Andalusian
blood was added to create the modern type. During the early 1900s, the Boulonnais were imported in large numbers to the United States and were quite popular in France; however, the European population suffered severe decreases during 20th century wars. There were originally two strains of Boulonnais – the smaller has died out while the larger is still bred in small numbers in Europe, mainly by studs
funded by the French government. The breed was originally used to pull carts full of fresh fish from Boulogne
to Paris
but today is bred mainly for horsemeat. It has also been used to create and refine several other draft breeds.
, and the Cauchois, in the Pays de Caux
of Upper Normandy.
The Boulonnais today stands from 1.5 metre or more. It has a short, elegant head with a broad forehead and a short, muscular neck. The breed has a full chest, rounded rib cage and a sloping shoulder. The legs are fairly short but robust and strong. Unlike other draft breeds such as the Shire
or Clydesdale, it has no heavy feathering
on its lower legs. The breed is generally branded
with a small anchor mark on the left side of the neck.
In the late 18th century, breeders of the Boulonnais preferred lighter colors and the breed changed from a predominance of blacks
and bays to one of grays
and roans
. In the late 19th century, the Boulonnais could be found in "all colours and all shades, such as bay, red roan, blue roan and dappled grey, none of which predominates". In the later years of the 20th century, breeders began to again prefer darker colors such as bay and chestnut
.
Due mostly to the many additions of Oriental blood
, the Boulonnais has an elegant appearance that is not often found in heavy draft breeds and it has been called "Europe's noblest draft horse". The fineness of the skin and delicate appearance of the veins has allowed the horse to be described as looking "like polished marble", leading to its "White Marble Horse" nickname.
, two breeders, Eustache, Comte de Boulogne
, and later Robert, Comte d'Artois
, wanted to create a fast, agile, and strong warhorse
for knight
s to ride in battle. They crossed the existing heavy French stallions with German Mecklenberg mares, similar to modern-day Hanoverians
. During the 17th century Spanish occupation of Flanders
, a mixture of Spanish Barb
, Arabian
, and Andalusian
blood was added to the breed, to create the modern Boulonnais type. By the 17th century, horse dealers were coming from Picardie
and Haute-Normandie
to the Boulonnais region to buy the local horses, which enjoyed a good reputation among breeders. In 1884, the Boulonnais was called the "largest and most valuable of that kind of horse in France". At that time, they were used to move heavy blocks of building stone in Paris, with six to eight horses drawing blocks of several tons.
During the early 20th century the Boulonnais was imported into the United States in large numbers, where it was registered
along with other French heavy horse breeds as the "French draft horse". Breed members in the United States were registered with the Anglo-Norman Horse Association (or National Norman Horse Association) beginning in 1876, an association that was renamed the National French Draft Association in 1885. This association declared in 1876 that the Boulonnais, Norman, Percheron
and Picardy breeds were all essentially the same, and should all be known as the "Norman horse". They later declared that all of the "Norman horses" were in fact "Percherons", regardless of actual breeding. This was mostly in order to sell mixed breed draft horses to American consumers at higher prices, and the Illinois Board of Agriculture soon ruled that only those Percherons who came from proven Percheron stock were to be registered as such, and all other breeds, including the Boulonnais, were to be considered separately.
The Boulonnais was once a popular workhorse in France
, with an estimated population of over 600,000 in the early 1900s. World War I
and World War II
almost destroyed the breed, as their home area saw heavy combat in both wars and the bands of broodmares were scattered. The smaller Boulonnais type has died out, but the larger Boulonnais is still bred in small numbers, with the American Boulonnais Horse Association estimating a population of less than 1,000 animals remaining in Europe.
Many studs
are government-funded, in order to prevent the breed from dying out. The French breed registry, Haras Nationaux, allows the registration of horses bred using artificial insemination
and embryo transfer
, but does not allow the registration of cloned
horses. It considers the breed to be endangered, along with several other French draft breeds. A 2009 study of French equine genetics theorized that the Boulonnais, along with four other French breeds, should be a conservation priority in order to maintain maximum genetic variability in France's native horse population.
to Paris
, a distance of almost 200 miles, in under 18 hours. This journey is remembered annually in the Route du Poisson race. Only the mares were used in the relay-style trip, pulling small carts full of ice and fish. Falling demand for the breed means that today it is bred mainly for horsemeat.
The Boulonnais provided part of the base for the Anglo-Norman
breed, which was later to play a large role in the creation of the Selle Francais. It was also used in the creation and refinement of the Italian Heavy Draft
, the post-World War II improvement of the Schleswig
breed, and the creation of the early 19th century Ardennes
types. Some equine scholars theorize that if the smaller Mareyeur type of Boulonnais had survived, it would have been an ideal horse to cross with the Thoroughbred
or Anglo-Arabian
to produce a warmblood
for competition.
Draft horse
A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...
breed. It is known for its elegant, though large, appearance and is found in many colors. The breed's origins trace to a period before the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
and, during the 17th century, Spanish Barb
Barb (horse)
Developed on the Barbary Coast of North Africa, the Barb horse is a desert breed with great hardiness and stamina. The Barb generally possesses a fiery temperament and an atypical sport-horse conformation, but nevertheless has influenced modern breeds....
, Arabian
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
and Andalusian
Andalusian horse
The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE , is a horse breed developed in the Iberian Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and its conformation...
blood was added to create the modern type. During the early 1900s, the Boulonnais were imported in large numbers to the United States and were quite popular in France; however, the European population suffered severe decreases during 20th century wars. There were originally two strains of Boulonnais – the smaller has died out while the larger is still bred in small numbers in Europe, mainly by studs
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
funded by the French government. The breed was originally used to pull carts full of fresh fish from Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
but today is bred mainly for horsemeat. It has also been used to create and refine several other draft breeds.
Breed characteristics
There were two principal varieties of Boulonnais. The larger was the "grand Boulonnais", which stood 1.6 – high and weighed 650 –, bred in the 19th century for farm work in the sugar-beet fields. An earlier and smaller type, the Petit Boulonnais or Mareyeuse or Mareyeur, was used in the rapid transport of cartloads of fresh fish (la marée) from the Pas-de-Calais to Paris; it stood 1.5 – and weighed 550 –. Other varieties included the Trait Picard in the valley of the SommeSomme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
, and the Cauchois, in the Pays de Caux
Pays de Caux
The Pays de Caux is an area in Normandy occupying the greater part of the French département of Seine Maritime in Haute-Normandie. It is a chalk plateau to the north of the Seine Estuary and extending to the cliffs on the English Channel coast - its coastline is known as the Côte d'Albâtre...
of Upper Normandy.
The Boulonnais today stands from 1.5 metre or more. It has a short, elegant head with a broad forehead and a short, muscular neck. The breed has a full chest, rounded rib cage and a sloping shoulder. The legs are fairly short but robust and strong. Unlike other draft breeds such as the Shire
Shire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
or Clydesdale, it has no heavy feathering
Feathering (horse)
Feathering, or feather, is a term used to describe the long hair on the lower legs and fetlocks of some breeds of horse and pony. On some horses, especially draft breeds, the hair can almost cover the hooves...
on its lower legs. The breed is generally branded
Livestock branding
Livestock branding is a technique for marking livestock so as to identify the owner. Originally, livestock branding only referred to a hot brand for large stock, though the term is now also used to refer to other alternative techniques such as freeze branding...
with a small anchor mark on the left side of the neck.
In the late 18th century, breeders of the Boulonnais preferred lighter colors and the breed changed from a predominance of blacks
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
and bays to one of grays
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
and roans
Roan (horse)
Roan is a horse coat color pattern characterized by an even mixture of colored and white hairs on the body, while the head and "points"—lower legs, mane and tail—are more solid-colored. The roan pattern is dominantly-inherited, and is found in many horse breeds...
. In the late 19th century, the Boulonnais could be found in "all colours and all shades, such as bay, red roan, blue roan and dappled grey, none of which predominates". In the later years of the 20th century, breeders began to again prefer darker colors such as bay and chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
.
Due mostly to the many additions of Oriental blood
Oriental horse
The term oriental horse refers to the ancient breeds of horses developed in the Middle East, such as the Arabian, Akhal-Teke, Barb, and the now-extinct Turkoman horse. They tend to be thin-skinned, long-legged, slim in build and more physically refined than other types, but with great endurance...
, the Boulonnais has an elegant appearance that is not often found in heavy draft breeds and it has been called "Europe's noblest draft horse". The fineness of the skin and delicate appearance of the veins has allowed the horse to be described as looking "like polished marble", leading to its "White Marble Horse" nickname.
History
The Boulonnais breed is thought to have emerged from the crossbreeding of native French mares and stallions brought by the Numidian army in 55–54 BC. During the CrusadesCrusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
, two breeders, Eustache, Comte de Boulogne
Count of Boulogne
The county of Boulogne was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of a part of the present-day French département of the Pas-de-Calais , in parts of which there is still a Dutch-speaking minority....
, and later Robert, Comte d'Artois
Counts of Artois
The counts of Artois were the rulers over the County of Artois from the 9th century until the abolition of the countship by the French revolutionaries in 1790.-List of Counts of Artois:*Odalric...
, wanted to create a fast, agile, and strong warhorse
Horses in warfare
The first use of horses in warfare occurred over 5,000 years ago. The earliest evidence of horses ridden in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons...
for knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s to ride in battle. They crossed the existing heavy French stallions with German Mecklenberg mares, similar to modern-day Hanoverians
Hanoverian (horse)
A Hanoverian is a warmblood horse originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and have won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the warmbloods...
. During the 17th century Spanish occupation of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, a mixture of Spanish Barb
Barb (horse)
Developed on the Barbary Coast of North Africa, the Barb horse is a desert breed with great hardiness and stamina. The Barb generally possesses a fiery temperament and an atypical sport-horse conformation, but nevertheless has influenced modern breeds....
, Arabian
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
, and Andalusian
Andalusian horse
The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE , is a horse breed developed in the Iberian Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and its conformation...
blood was added to the breed, to create the modern Boulonnais type. By the 17th century, horse dealers were coming from Picardie
Picardie
Picardy is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northern part of France.-History:The historical province of Picardy stretched from north of Noyon to Calais, via the whole of the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department...
and Haute-Normandie
Haute-Normandie
Upper Normandy is one of the 27 regions of France. It was created in 1984 from two départements: Seine-Maritime and Eure, when Normandy was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy. This division continues to provoke controversy, and some continue to call for reuniting the two regions...
to the Boulonnais region to buy the local horses, which enjoyed a good reputation among breeders. In 1884, the Boulonnais was called the "largest and most valuable of that kind of horse in France". At that time, they were used to move heavy blocks of building stone in Paris, with six to eight horses drawing blocks of several tons.
During the early 20th century the Boulonnais was imported into the United States in large numbers, where it was registered
Breed registry
A breed registry, also known as a stud book or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders when they are still young...
along with other French heavy horse breeds as the "French draft horse". Breed members in the United States were registered with the Anglo-Norman Horse Association (or National Norman Horse Association) beginning in 1876, an association that was renamed the National French Draft Association in 1885. This association declared in 1876 that the Boulonnais, Norman, Percheron
Percheron
The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
and Picardy breeds were all essentially the same, and should all be known as the "Norman horse". They later declared that all of the "Norman horses" were in fact "Percherons", regardless of actual breeding. This was mostly in order to sell mixed breed draft horses to American consumers at higher prices, and the Illinois Board of Agriculture soon ruled that only those Percherons who came from proven Percheron stock were to be registered as such, and all other breeds, including the Boulonnais, were to be considered separately.
The Boulonnais was once a popular workhorse in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, with an estimated population of over 600,000 in the early 1900s. World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
almost destroyed the breed, as their home area saw heavy combat in both wars and the bands of broodmares were scattered. The smaller Boulonnais type has died out, but the larger Boulonnais is still bred in small numbers, with the American Boulonnais Horse Association estimating a population of less than 1,000 animals remaining in Europe.
Many studs
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
are government-funded, in order to prevent the breed from dying out. The French breed registry, Haras Nationaux, allows the registration of horses bred using artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
and embryo transfer
Embryo transfer
Embryo transfer refers to a step in the process of assisted reproduction in which embryos are placed into the uterus of a female with the intent to establish a pregnancy...
, but does not allow the registration of cloned
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
horses. It considers the breed to be endangered, along with several other French draft breeds. A 2009 study of French equine genetics theorized that the Boulonnais, along with four other French breeds, should be a conservation priority in order to maintain maximum genetic variability in France's native horse population.
Uses
During the 17th century, the smaller Mareyeuse type was used for transporting fresh fish from BoulogneBoulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, a distance of almost 200 miles, in under 18 hours. This journey is remembered annually in the Route du Poisson race. Only the mares were used in the relay-style trip, pulling small carts full of ice and fish. Falling demand for the breed means that today it is bred mainly for horsemeat.
The Boulonnais provided part of the base for the Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
breed, which was later to play a large role in the creation of the Selle Francais. It was also used in the creation and refinement of the Italian Heavy Draft
Italian Heavy Draft
The Italian Heavy Draft, or Rapid Heavy Draft, is a breed of draft horse from Italy. The full Italian name of the breed is Cavallo Agricolo Italiano da Tiro Pesante Rapido, "Italian Rapid Heavy Draft Farm Horse", and the abbreviation TPR ) is often used.Generally chestnut in color, the breed is...
, the post-World War II improvement of the Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
breed, and the creation of the early 19th century Ardennes
Ardennes (horse)
The Ardennes or Ardennais 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. The Ardennes is found in many colors, although black horses are very rare and are not...
types. Some equine scholars theorize that if the smaller Mareyeur type of Boulonnais had survived, it would have been an ideal horse to cross with the Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
or Anglo-Arabian
Anglo-Arabian
The Anglo-Arabian or Anglo-Arab is a crossbred horse that now also has its own status as a horse breed. It is a Thoroughbred crossed with an Arabian. The cross can be made between a Thoroughbred stallion and an Arabian mare, or vice-versa...
to produce a warmblood
Warmblood
Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport...
for competition.