Breton

Breton: Since the middle ages the breton horse breeders have been considered to be among the most skillful in Europe. Three types of a versatle robust cold-blood breed come from brittany. The first is a large heavy draught which weighs over 1,200 lbs and is over 16hh tall. The second is a somewhat lighter mountain type which grows to about 15hh and the third is the postier, also about 15hh tall which became an ideal light draft horse and was highly prized by the French horse artillery.

The postier was a compact, elegant horse with exceptional energy and durability. The original base for these lines came from a primitive, hairy little horse from the black mountains in the west of Brittany. This mountain horse was the ancestor of a medieval pacer.

Today the breed is widely used in France and is exported as far as Japan. Very popular as a cart horse due to their exceptional trot and still used as a work horse on small farms.

The average height is between 15 and 16hh and the color is mostly a reddish roan, often with a flaxen mane and tail. Bays, greys and chestnuts can also be found.

The breed is controlled by the Syndicat des Eleveurs de Cheval Breton, and its studbook was begun in 1909. Horses are only eligible to be registered if they were born in Bretagne province or in the Loire-Atlantique. Their brand is a "cross surmounting a splayed, upturned V" on the left side of the neck.

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