Ardennes Horse

a breed of draught horses bred for many centuries in Belgium. The breed originated in the region of the Ardennes highland (hence its name). The contemporary type of Ardennes horse was developed in Belgium to meet the demand for a strong workhorse by crossing the Ardennes with the larger Brabançon breed. In France and Switzerland, draught horses also known as Ardennes were developed first by crossing local horses with the Belgian Ardennes and later by crossing them with the Brabançon breed.

The modern Ardennes horse is massive, with well-developed musculature; its extremities are short and thick. The tail is traditionally bobbed at the first movable vertebra. The coat may be yellow, bay, gray, or dappled. The measurements of the stallion are 148–160 cm at the withers, 160–170 cm lengthwise along the body, 190–220 cm around the chest, and 23–25 cm around the shank. Its liveweight is 700–800 kg.

The Ardennes was introduced into Russia in the middle of the 19th century. In the USSR a Russian draught breed and a Baltic draught horse similar to the Russian one have been developed from the Ardennes. The Ardennes horse is also bred in Austria, Hungary, Argentina, and Chile.