Have you ever heard of the Trait du Nord? This beautiful draft breed originated in the 1800s, yet it is endangered today and its future remains uncertain.

History

The Trait du Nord originated in the grasslands of the southern Netherlands, northern France, and throughout Belgium. Its history is very closely linked to the Ardennes and the Belgian, as all three breeds are believed to have descended from the same group of breeds. Ancestors of these breeds lived in the Sambre and Scheldt valleys.

During the 1800s, farmers needed horses that could plow and work large areas of farmland. The horse also had to be able to deal with the frequently swampy ground that the farmlands consisted of. Belgian farmers did not have horses that could be used for plowing, so a draft breed had to be developed for that purpose. Through careful selection and breeding, farmers were able to create a draft horse that could easily handle the task. They bred Belgians, which could work on wet, swampy ground, with the Ardennes, which contributed size and strength.

The resulting breed, the Trait du Nord, was successful in plowing, farming, and even in lending transportation. It quickly became popular, and its population grew, rapidly spreading through Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Trait du Nords served in both World Wars I and II, but with the mechanization of the early 20^th century, demand for the horses decreased. Like so many other breeds, the Trait du Nord’s numbers fell in the 1950s, and the breed was in danger of extinction by the 1970s.

Because the breed was large, it became popular as a source of meat. Breeders used the largest stallions they could find for breeding, increasing the average size of the breed. A revival of riding for pleasure during the late 20^th century reduced the usage of horse meat, and eventually the Trait du Nord returned to its use as a workhorse and farm horse.

Characteristics

The Trait du Nord is an impressively large draft horse. It features a broad chest, a relatively short back, and heavy bones which give it excellent strength. The Trait du Nord comes in bay, chestnut, roan, and sometimes dark grey or black. Its broad chest, short back, and compact build with deep muscling allow it to pull heavy weights with ease, making it an excellent workhorse.

The Breed Today

The Trait du Nord today is a popular horse for logging and harness work. Some of the horses are used for riding and competitive driving. Team driving, a sport growing in popularity, has proven an ideal competition for the Trait du Nord. The breed can be shown in-hand, under saddle, or driven.

The breed is still endangered today, receiving relatively little media attention and facing the steady decline of farms. The number of pure Trait du Nord breeding horses in existence continues to decline, threatening the breed’s future. Crossbreeding may provide a way to preserve the horse, but at the expense of its true, pure bloodlines.

Image Source: By Eponimm (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Original Source: The Trait Du Nord