The Selle Français (SF) is a breed of sport horse from France. It is renowned primarily for its success in show jumping, but many have also been successful in dressage and eventing. An athletic horse with good gaits, it is usually bay or chestnut in color. The Selle Français was created in 1958 when several French riding horse breeds were merged into one stud book. The new breed was meant to serve as a unified sport horse during a period when horses were being replaced by mechanization and were transforming into an animal used mainly for sport and leisure.
The Irish Sport Horse is an Irish breed of warmblood sporting horse, used mostly for dressage, eventing and show-jumping. It was bred from 1923 by cross-breeding of Irish Draught and Thoroughbred stock. There was some limited intromission of Hanoverian, Selle Français and Trakehner blood in the 1990s. It is a recognised true breed – foals may only be registered in the main section of the stud-book if both parents are registered in that section.
The Czech Warmblood, Czech: 'Český teplokrevník', is the warmblood sport horse of the Czech Republic.
The Freiberger, also known as Franches-Montagnes, is a horse breed from Switzerland, from the Jura region, described as either a "heavy warmblood" or a "light coldblood". It was widely used as draft and pack horse in the Swiss army. It has a good disposition and is versatile, suitable for both driving and riding. Each year at the Marché Concours in Saignelégier in the Franches-Montagnes district of the Swiss canton of Jura, on the second weekend in August, a variety of shows and competitions are held.
A Belgian Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Belgisch Warmbloed Paard vzw or Studbook sBs. The traits given the greatest importance in the breeding aim of the Belgian Warmblood are performance in show jumping and dressage, as well as subjective conformational correctness and robust health.
The Landais is a critically-endangered French breed of small horse or pony. It originated in the marshy plains and woodlands of the département of the Landes, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France, but is more often reared in the département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, particularly in the arrondissement of Pau. Due to influences from Arab and Welsh blood, it shows more similarity to Oriental horses than to other Celtic breeds. It is used for riding and driving, and is a good trotter.
The French Saddle Pony, also called the Poney Français de Selle, is pony breed developed as a sport pony for children and smaller adult riders. It was initially developed in 1969 as the Poney de Croisement, and in 1972 a stud book was created. In 1991 the stud book was closed and the breed renamed to Poney Français de Selle. The breed combines a mix of French and British pony breeds, as well as Thoroughbred and Arabian blood, to create the horse seen today. Due to the large number of breeds used to create the French Saddle Pony, there is not yet a defined set of physical characteristics for the breed, although all tend to be suited for competition in English riding disciplines, including dressage, show jumping and three-day eventing. They fill a similar role as the British Riding Pony and the German riding pony.
The Bavarian Warmblood is a horse breed of southern Germany that developed from an older Bavarian heavy warmblood breed called the Rottaler. Since mechanization in the mid-20th century, the Bavarian Regional Horse Breeders' Society has concentrated on producing a riding horse for the Olympic disciplines and recreational riding based on other European warmblood bloodlines.
The Mérens, Cheval de Mérens or Caballo de Merens, still occasionally referred to by the older name of Ariégeois pony, is a small, rustic horse native to the Pyrenees and Ariégeois mountains of southern France, where the Ariège River flows, and northern Spain, near Andorra. Two general types, a small, light traditional mountain horse and a taller, sportier modern type, are found. Always black in color, Mérens must meet strict physical standards in order to be registered in the stud book. The breed is known for its sure-footedness on mountain terrain, as well as for its endurance, hardiness and docility. The French breed registry organizes regional offices, and partners with other national organizations in Europe to preserve and promote the breed. The organization enforces rigorous selection of breeding stock, with a goal of increasing quality in the breed. In the past, the Mérens was used for farm work, draft work and as pack horses. Today it is mainly used as a saddle horse, although some members of the breed have been successful in carriage driving. Many Mérens are taken on an annual transhumance, in which they are moved higher in the mountains during the summer and into the valleys for the winter. An old practice, it fell into disfavor, but has recently re-emerged.
The Rhenish Warmblood, German: Rheinisches Warmblut or Rheinisches Reitpferd, is a German warmblood breed of sport horse. It was registered with the Rheinisches Pferdestammbuch until 2014, when the Hannoveraner Verband took over management of the stud-book. It is traditionally bred around Warendorf State Stud, which it shares with the Westphalian, and is bred to the same standard as the Westphalian and other German warmbloods, such as the Bavarian Warmblood, Mecklenburger, Brandenburger, and Württemberger.
The Anglo-Norman horse is a warmblood horse breed developed in Lower Normandy in northern France. A major center of horse breeding, the area had numerous regional types that were bred to one another and then crossed with Thoroughbreds to form the Anglo-Norman. Various body types developed within the Anglo-Norman breed, two of which were split off to form the Norman Cob and French Trotter. The remaining types were eventually standardized, although there remained some criticism of the "hybrid" nature of the breed's conformation. However, it is successful as an international sport horse, especially in the sport of show jumping. The Anglo-Norman also contributed to the development of several other breeds in Europe and Asia.
The French Trotter is a French breed of trotting horse bred for racing both ridden and in harness. It was bred specifically for racing in the nineteenth century, principally in Normandy in north-eastern France.
The Castillonais or Cheval Ariègeois de Castillon , also formerly called Cheval du Biros or Saint-Gironnais, is an ancient breed of small rustic saddle-horse from the Ariège département of south-western France. It may be dark bay or seal brown. It stands 135–155 centimetres at the withers, with an average height of about 145 cm. It is used principally for trekking and for driving.
The Charolais or Charollais is an extinct breed of warmblood horse from the Charolais, the country lying around the town of Charolles, now in the Saône-et-Loire département of Burgundy, in eastern central France. Like other French warmbloods, it was the result of crossing local agricultural horses with the Thoroughbred, and was known by the name of the region without ever having a specific stud-book. Like other French warmbloods including the Angevin, the Charentais, the Cheval Limousin and the Vendéen, it was fused with the Anglo-Normand in 1958 in order to create the national warmblood stud-book, the Selle français. It was originally used as a multi-purpose horse for riding, driving, and agriculture. During the late 19th century, additional Thoroughbred blood was added and a new type emerged that was principally used as a light cavalry mount. It was also used for dressage and show jumping.
The Norman Cob or Cob Normand is a breed of light draught horse that originated in the region of Normandy in northern France. It is of medium size, with a range of heights and weights, due to selective breeding for a wide range of uses. Its conformation is similar to a robust Thoroughbred, and it more closely resembles a Thoroughbred cross than other French draught breeds. The breed is known for its lively, long-striding trot. Common colours include chestnut, bay and seal brown. There are three general subsets within the breed: horses used under saddle, those used in harness, and those destined for meat production. It is popular for recreational and competitive driving, representing France internationally in the latter, and is also used for several riding disciplines.
Horse breeding in France is a known practice since Celtic times. Linked to political prestige, military effectiveness and the need to obtain animals from daily work, he passes from the hands of wealthy lords and monasteries in the Middle Ages to those of French kings, through the National Stud created by Louis XIV and Colbert to control the private breeding. Its history is closely related to human activities and needs of each era with the emergence or disappearance of specific types of horses according to the uses and needs. The cavalry and transport for people or materials, in particular, are the two main motivations for this. If the reputation of the French working horses, and especially the Percheron, is known all around the world, the military riding horse is poor. The organization of the breeding and the creation of studbooks only dates from the late nineteenth century.
The Henson, French: Cheval Henson or Cheval de Henson is a modern French breed of horse from the area of the Baie de Somme in Picardy, in north-eastern France. It was created by the selective breeding of light saddle horses with the smaller, heavier Norwegian Fjord horse. The aim was to breed small horses suitable for equestrian tourism. A breeders' association, the Association du Cheval Henson, was formed in 1983. In 1995 the stud-book was closed to horses not born from Henson parents, and in 2003 the breed was officially recognised by the Haras Nationaux and the Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Agroalimentaire et de la Forêt, the French ministry of agriculture.
The Corsican is a breed of small domestic horse indigenous to the Mediterranean island of Corsica, off the coast of south-eastern France. The breed was officially recognised in February 2012, more than thirty years after the process was begun. The stud-book is kept by a breeders' association, the Association Nationale de Race U Cavallu Corsu. The total population in the island is estimated at approximately 1000. Since the stud-book was established in 2012, about 100 animals have been registered.
