The Breton horse

In the Middle Ages, there were two native Breton varieties: the Sommier, bred in northern Brittany, was a packhorse, used for cultivation and light transport. The Roussin, a selected derivative of the Sommier found in southern and central Brittany, was finer, slenderer, and more used as a mount. It was the “Bidet de Briec” or “cheval de la Lande”, pacing and serving under the saddle.

When it became the “Bidet Breton”, and crossed with Arabians and Thoroughbreds, it gave rise to the saddle horse known as the “cheval de Corlay”. On the northern coast of Brittany, various crosses with Boulonnais, Percherons and Ardennes created a heavier type, the “Grand Breton” or “Trait Breton”. But the most famous cross was between local Léon mares and Norfolk and Hackney stallions from Great Britain. The result was the “Postier Breton”, with its noble, energetic gaits, a quality recognized in today’s Trait Breton. The Livre Genealogical was founded in 1909, with a book for “Postiers” and one for “Traits”. By 1912, there was just one Livre Genealogical with two sections. Since 1926, all Breton horses have been described as “Trait” or “Trait Postier”. The Trait Breton has a larger format than the Postier. The Stud Book has been closed since 1951.