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The Ardennes or the Ardennais is one of the oldest breeds of draft horse, originally from France and Belgium. They are used for plowing fields, pulling stomps, and for riding. The breed has lived in the Ardennes region of Belgium and France for over 2000 years. The Belgian version oriignated in the mountains, and is thought to have descended from the heavy horses in the area which possessed great endurance. Julius Caesar left accounts in his De Bello Gallico of the ancestors of the Ardennes working on the Rhine. The breed was probably infused with Arabian blood during the Islamic invasion of Europe, which ended in the 8th century. Arabian blood was introduced again around the year 1810 to lighten the breed and inprove its endurance. Napoleon Bonaparte chose Ardennes to pull artillery and supplies for his campaign against Russia in 1812, which was a distance over 1300 miles. It is likely that the Russian Ardennes developed from the horses that were bought to the country at this time. The Ardennes was cross-bred with the Brabant in the late 19th century, making the horses even stronger and bigger than before, and more suited toward farm and forestry work. Thus, the modern Ardennes is much like the Brabant. Thoroughbred, Percheron, and Boulonnais blood was also later infused. The Ardennes was used in World War I to pull artillery. |
