| Comtois horse | ||
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 Comtois horse |
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| Distinguishing features: | Heavy "draft horse" build with little feathing, chestnut coloring with flaxen mane and tail | |
| Country of origin: | France | |
| Breed standards | ||
The Comtois horse is a light draft horse that originated in the Jura Mountains on the border between France and Switzerland.
Characteristics
The Comtois is a light draft horse with a large head, alert eyes, small ears, and a straight neck that is stocky and powerful. They have long, straight backs and short, strong legs with a little feathering and muscular hindquarters. They have thick manes and tails that are usually a light flaxen. These horses come in different shades of chestnut and stand at 14.1-15.1 hands high. These are hardy horses that can live to an old age, and are good-natured as well as easy to train. Comtois are also hard working horses.
History
The Comtois horse breed is an old breed of horse that is believed to have descended from horses brought by the Burgundians of northern Germany to France. They were bred at the Franche-Comté and in the Jura Mountains. In the sixteenth century, these horses were used as a cavalry and artillery horse by Louis XIV and later by Napoleon Bonaparte. Other draft horses such as the Norman, Boulonnais, and Percheron were bred into the Comtois to produce a stronger horse with better legs. The Comtois is used today for hauling wood in the pine forests of the Jura in the mountainous regions of the Massif Central, and are second only to the Breton draft horse in number in France.
External links
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