Personally, I’m getting continually bombarded with deals and discounts and ‘buy now’… blah blah blah. So, today is Cyber Monday and I’d like to offer some of you a break by simply showing you and article on the Boulonnais horse!
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THE RARE BOULONNAIS HORSE
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Draft horses, these gentle giants are one of the amazing breeds of horses. It’s not only their size which makes them impressive but also their elegance and strength. What you are going to watch in the video below is a footage of these draft horses called The Boulonnais in action.
The Boulonnais, also known as the “White Marble Horse”, is a draft horse breed. It is known for its large but elegant appearance and is usually gray. Now they are endangered and are very rare with only about 1000 of them left according to the North American Boulonnais Association.
One theory states that the origins of the Boulonnais breed emerged from the crossbreeding of native French mares and stallions brought by the Numidian army in 55–54 BC.
However, many equine scholars are skeptical of this theory, and state that, whatever the early origins, the later selective breeding and local climate and soil types had a greater influence on the breed than any early Oriental blood.
But as time passed this breed was crossed with a mixture of Spanish Barb, Arabian, and Andalusian to create the modern Boulonnais. They were nicknamed the “White Marble Horse of France” due to their stunning coat and beautiful conformation, looking as though they had been carved out of marble.
The American Boulonnias Horse Association describes them as: “…small, wide-awake Percheron’ in appearance. The head is elegant and short with a flat, wide forehead, very keen, proud eyes, well-opened nostrils, and small, mobile ears.
The neck is thick and muscular with a thick double mane. The Boulonnais chest is wide, with a well-rounded rib cage and a well-set shoulder. Withers are well placed but set deep into the musculature.
The back is straight and the limbs are strong and solid with clean joints. The Boulonnais is energetic, easy, active, and very gentle in nature.”
Let’s just hope for the best and we wish that these associations will keep the breed going.
HAVE A GREAT MONDAY!
Beautiful horses. I wonder what the offspring of one of these crossed with a Thoroughbred would be like? I love their extremely light-footed movement.