Intro
A member of the Ardennes family, the Northern Ardennais or Ardennais du Nord was crossed with Belgian Draft for a more robust size & Boulonnais for elegance & a brighter step.
Origins
The breed originally comes from the French Hainaut which comes from the Belgian draft which was the foundation for modern draft breeds. Soon this breed flourished and became widely used until he animals were thought to be superior to the Belgian strains as they tended to be larger & stronger.
Around the turn of the 20th century the Northern Ardennais became their own distinct breed called the Northern Draft Horse (which was later changed to Northern Ardennais in 1965).
Features
Average height 15.3 hands
Physique
Head is small and often with a dished profile
Eyes are lively & bright
Neck is medium in length & muscular
Back is short, straight & well muscled
Legs are bony & strong with abundant feathering on pasterns
Hooves are wide & solid
Traditional Colors
Use
Agriculture
Draft work
Meat production