Boulonnais horse

The Boulonnais, also known as the "White Marble Horse", is an endangered horse breed now bred by the French government.

Breed characteristics

Most Boulonnais are gray in color. Black or very dark bay coat colors were frequent in 18th century, but as gray is a dominant gene, and breed numbrers are small, non-gray members of the breed have become extremely rare. There is an attempt today to reintroduce black color via the genes of a single black Boulonnais stallion.

The height of the Boulonnais horse ranges from 15 to 16 hands high. It has a short, crested neck and a broad forehead. The Boulonnais is noted for high knee action and is considered to be one of the more agile of the draft horse breeds, due in part to infusions of Arabian blood. The Boulonnais has a refined hair coat more characteristic of the light horse breeds and, unlike breeds such as the Shire or Clydesdale, has no heavy feathering on its lower legs

History

The breed originated in Boulogne in France. By the 17th century two varieties were recognized: a larger one called the Dunkirk, and a smaller one called the Mareyeuse or Mareyeur. The Boulonnais was once a popular workhorse in France, until their steady decline after the Industrial Revolution. Unfortunately, falling demand meant that today it is bred mainly for horsemeat.

There have been several efforts to save what remains of the breed from extinction. According to the Boulonnais Directory for 2000, there are 391 Boulonnais breeders or owners, most of them living in the northern region of France (Nord-Picardie) and some in Belgium and Germany. 56 stallions have been designated for breeding purposes and preservation of the breed.^{[citation needed]}

References

This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies.

• "The Boulonnais Horse". http://www.equiworld.net/uk/horsecare/breeds/boulonnais/index.htm.
• The American Boulonnais Horse Association. http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/riverchase/boulonnais.html.

See also

• Boulogne-sur-Mer
• Desvres
• Samer

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