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History And Origin Of The Breed
For generations the Canadian Horse played a vital role in the lives of the early settlers, not only in Canada, but in the United States as well. Today, however, few North Americans are aware of its existence and very little information can be found on this once extremely popular breed. Listed as "critical" by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy the Canadian Horse numbers approximately 2500 head, the majority of these being in eastern Canada. Recently there has been a resurgence in the breed's popularity and more horse enthusiasts are becoming aware of the special qualities of "the little iron horse" as it was affectionately nicknamed by the early inhabitants. The Canadian Horse traces its ancestry to the foundation stock brought to Acadia and New France in the 17th century. The first horses were ultimately caught and carried off in 1616 by Samuel Argall's marauding expedition from Virginia. This was the first introduction of French Canadian blood to America's eastern shores. The effective introduction of French horses in to New France came in 1665 when Louis XIV sent two stallions and twenty mares from the royal stables to the colony. On the voyage eight of the mares were lost, but the King sent additional shipments; in 1667 fourteen or fifteen horses, and in 1670 a stallion and eleven mares. These horses formed the basis of the French Canadian horse of the Old Regime. The horses from the Royal stables came from Normandy and Brittany, at that time the two most renowned horse breeding provinces of France. The Breton horse, although small, was noted for its soundness and vigor. The Norman horse closely resembled the Breton, but gave more evidence of infusion of oriental blood. This strain came from Andalusian sires brought in to Normandy and La Perch (habitat of the Percheron breed) for breeding purposes, some direct from Spain and others, between the latter part of the 16th century and the end of the War of Spanish Succession, from the Spanish Netherlands. Influence of the Dutch Friesian is apparent in the notable trotting ability of the Canadian, the feathered legs, abundance of mane and tail, and general appearance.
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New France furnished the horses taken to the western settlements at Detroit and in the Illinois area. Many of these horses were allowed to run loose in large herds and were only brought in when needed for work. Great numbers are known to have escaped to run with the mustangs of the American plains - an ancestor never mentioned in writings of the American Mustang. After the war of 1812, the trade in French Canadian horses grew rapidly. American dealers collected droves each year, mostly at Montreal and Quebec City. In 1830 it was reported that most of the trotters then in the northern United States were of French Canadian origin. Beneficial result of crossing the Canadian on the ordinary stock of the adjacent states was universally admitted. The popularity of the crossbred horses of northern New England among the stagecoach drivers of Boston is legend. The stallions brought from Lower Canada were not entirely responsible, however, for the infusion of Canadian blood in to the horses of the United States. Part of it came from both purebred and part bred Canadian mares, which were mated to American horses. The Canadian Pacer was a horse bred from the Narragansett Pacer and the old strains of French-Canadian. This breed then returned to the United States and contributed greatly to development of the famous American Standardbred.
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Breed Characteristics
The Canadian Horse can be called a general utility animal. The mares are extraordinarily  fertile and reproduce regularly until the age of 20 or older. Generally the Canadian Horse is black, but colors also range from bay to light chestnut. Stallions should weigh from 1050 to 1350 pounds and mares 1000 to 1250. Desired height is 14 to 16 hands. As a general purpose animal, the Canadian shows a well-proportioned body, good setting of limbs, high quality of bones, and good feet. The forearm and gaskin are especially  well muscled. The mane and tail are thick, long and usually wavy. The head shows intelligence, spirit, and no excess of nervousness. The animal is generally very easy to handle. The Canadian's strength and docility make it ideal for farm work, ranch work, driving, hunter/jumping, packing and endurance riding. True to its heritage the Canadian demonstrates its versatility by performing superbly in all equestrian disciplines. Willingness, adaptability, and an even temperament make the Canadian ideal for use in competition, for working, or as a family horse.
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Breed Organization: For More Information Contact:
Canadian Horse Breeders Association/
Societe des Eleveurs de Chevaux Canadiens
200 Rang St-Joseph est
St-Alban, QC
G0A 3BO
CANADA Phone: (418) 268-3443
Fax: (418) 268-3599
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The link for The Canadian Horse page will be added to my links page. Please visit for further information!
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Personal Note:
It would seem to me after researching a lot of the information on Canadian Horses that they did in fact have a large part to play in the Morgan breed as we know it today!!! |
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