Uses Boulonnais horse

boulonnais horses @ pasture in le titre, somme, france

during 17th century, smaller mareyeuse type used transporting fresh fish boulogne paris, distance of 200 miles, in under 18 hours. journey remembered annually in route du poisson race. mares pulled small carts full of ice , fish on relay-style trip. 1884, boulonnais called largest , valuable of kind of horse in france . @ time, used move heavy blocks of building stone in paris, 6 8 horses drawing blocks of several tons. during 20th century, larger boulonnais type utilized french army, , highly regarded ability pull artillery , supply wagons. falling demand breed means today bred horsemeat. in 2010, 60 percent of boulonnais horses bred in france intended slaughter, , 80 percent of these exported, italy, fattened before being sent slaughterhouses. however, sector in crisis due falling prices, controversy , importation of cheap meat; despite resurgence following mad cow scares of 1990s, consumption of horse meat has fallen sharply, although nord-pas-de-calais region remains largest consumer of horse meat in france.

the boulonnais provided part of base anglo-norman breed, later play large role in creation of selle francais. used in creation , refinement of italian heavy draft, post-world war ii improvement of schleswig horse, , creation of 19th-century ardennes. equine scholars theorize if smaller mareyeur had survived, have been ideal horse cross thoroughbred or anglo-arabian produce warmblood competition. in france, breeding program has been developed national stud cross boulonnais , arabian horses create fast, alert driving horse, called araboulonnais. breeding program brings new blood boulonnais line as, if araboulonnais mare bred boulonnais stallion, , resulting filly bred boulonnais stallion, third generation horse may inducted purebred boulonnais studbook if passes inspection.