horse breed draft horse developed brittany province northwest france native ancestral stock dating thousands years created different european oriental breeds stud book created officially closed breed chestnut color strong muscular distinct coming different area brittany smallest type generally light draft saddle work harness light farm work heavy largest generally hardest draft work horse breed military draft agricultural capacities improve create draft breeds produce characteristics horses usually metres hands tall range hands depending type usually chestnut coat tail bay grey red blue head medium volume straight profile strong short neck set muscular shoulder long sloping chest broad muscular short wide sloping legs short powerful broad joints formed breed trait officially recognised centre older types disappeared include grand derived native stock arabian considered real descendant original general features draft type smaller face mainly light draft work required speed saddle numbers decreasing recent years type known extremely rare local races speed inherited arabian ancestors developed result 19th century type bred mainly central brittany attractive good coach horse capable light farming work originates use pulling mail coaches extensively french horse artillery described lighter version suffolk punch draft breed great_britain heavy draft derived blood strong relative size short muscular legs bred northern coastal area brittany type absorbed older type called grand heavier horse improve draft breeds centre smaller draft type breed history originally bred great strength horses present mountains thousands years knows arrived theory brought europe migration asia years ago school thought descending horses bred celtic warriors conquest great_britain original ancestors population horses lived mountains possibly descended horses ridden mountain horses crossed oriental horses create type known middle ages ancestral horse sought military leaders partly comfortable said fact stood hands high nicknamed horses brought europe strong influence types subsequently developed common heavier type mainly pack horse farm draft work developed mainly wars long journeys natural popular lighter riding horse breed retained mountain roots main stud located mountain country time arabian blood added breed creating middle ages early 1900s crossed horses native foreign including breeds 19th century resulted lighter weight type today breed controlled organization dating created separate books heavy draft types books combined separate sections type sections combined types registered documented pass harness performance tests decision permit new outside blood officially closed outside horses horses eligible registered present day region brittany department brittany registered branded cross left neck despite registration restrictions breeding horse spread france world today france bred mainly parts time trend increase size draft horse breeds gain power bulk endurance exception shown reduce breed unique qualities 1930s blood abandoned decision led preservation breed purity subject instead improve breeds buyers come france world buy use improving native draft horses significant influence canadian horse members breed sent canada 17th century create heavy draft breeds india produce breeding farm crossed anglo arabian stallion produce carriage horses 19th early 20th centuries italian farmers attempted use improve local stock offspring proved heavy slow lighter general draft work required 1930s breed developed spain crossing imported local today breed population small noted researchers rich genetic diversity world war stallion improve breed germany uses capacities sub types breed smaller types saddle fast light draft work larger types ideal heavy draft agricultural work commonly improve breeds today breed draft horse small farms gather bred meat production horse meat staple european countries including france belgium germany switzerland
Breton horse