Boulogne District of France is the country of origin of the Boulonnais horse. It is an ancient draft horse that dates before the period of the Crusades. The main goal of two breeders that lived in the 11th century was to create a warhorse for the needs of the knights and will be strong, fast and agile, riding through the battles. For this purpose they crossed native heavy French stallions with German mares that were similar to modern-day Hanoverians. Later, during the 17th century that existing breed was crossed with Spanish Barb, Arabian and Andalusian bloodlines and as result was produced the modern type of the Boulonnais horse. These horses were very large and valuable enjoying great reputation. They were used for drawing blocks of building stone in Paris.
Initially there were two types of the Boulonnais horse: the first was a large type, called Maree and still exists. The second type is extinct and was called Mareyeur which means –fish art horse-. The average height of the large Boulonnais type is between 15.3-16.3 hands and weighs from 650 to 750 kg. The smaller type stood 15.1-15.3 hands and weighed 550-650 kg. This type did not survive the World War I and II, so as the larger type was nearly destroyed. At the beginning of the 20th century the population number of the breed was over 600 000, but today there are less than 1000 alive remaining in Europe.
The first imports into the United States were in the early 1900’s. Many members of this breed were imported and registered in the National Norman Horse Association (established in 1876) in the United States as a French draft horse. They shared a same name with other French draft horses, known as Norman horses, but later were considered as a separate breed, beside the Percheron and the Picardy horse.
The physics of the breed can be described as a draft horse with a large yet elegant appearance, founded in many coat colors. The head is short and elegant with a straight or slightly concave profile, broad forehead and small ears set on a thick, muscular neck. The chest is full, ribs are rounded, hindquarters are dip in the back and it has a slopping shoulder. Legs are short with big joints, but robust and strong. Other draft breeds usually have more or less feathering on their lower legs and fetlocks. The Boulonnais belongs to less feathering breeds. Most members of the breed have brand on their left side of the neck that is a small anchor mark. They have come in varieties of coat colors, by lighter colors being predominant in the 1700’s and darker colors in the late 20th century till today. They are found in all colors and shades, including: gray (being most often), chestnut, but can also appear in black, bay, roan, blue roan and red roan.
The Boulonnais have a fine quality of the skin, silky coat and delicate appearance of the veins that makes them to look like polished marble and gives them effect of grace and harmony. That’s why they have a nickname and are well known as the -White Marble Horse- or the -Europe’s noblest draft horse- . Horses that are inseminated or bred by using embryo transfer can be registered in the studbook, unlike cloned horses that are not allowed for registration.
In the past the breed was used in the wars to ride the knights and for heavy draft work. In the 17th century they were great mounts for transporting fresh fish from Boulogne to Paris, nearly 200 miles pulling carts of ice and fish in less than 18 hours. They were also used to create new and refine other draft breeds such as the Anglo-Norman, the Selle Francais, the Italian Heavy Draft and the Ardennes. Interesting fact is that if the smaller type had survived, it could have been an ideal warmblood for competition, if crossed with the Thoroughbred or the Anglo-Arabian horse. Today they are mainly used in the horsemeat market for meat production.
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