King Louis XIV was known to be very vain about his horses and would have only the very best horses in his stable. Their exact breeding is unknown as breed records were not kept for another hundred years but they are believed to be of Norman, Breton and Barb ancestry.

Adapting admirably to the rigors of the harsh Canadian climate, poor food, little or no shelter and a heavy workload, the Canadian thrived and evolved into what became affectionately known as the 'Little Iron Horse'. They broke the soil of the first homesteads, logged in the bush and carried noblemen. Carriage horse, plow horse, riding horse, they did it all!

With the British conquest of New France in 1760, came the decline of the Canadian Horse. Foreign imports, cross breeding and increasing exports to the U.S. and abroad (thousands were shipped to the U.S. Civil War and later to the Boer War in Africa) all took their toll on the Canadian horse population

Finally, in 1885 a herd book was opened. In 1895 a new breed standard was adopted to improve breed uniformity, type and character and the Canadian Horse Breeders Association was formed.

In 1907, under the leadership of Dr. J.G. Rutherford, standards for the breed were improved and a new stud book was started. In 1913 and 1920, the government created two breeding programs at Cap Rouge and St. Joachim Horse Breeding station.

But despite these government breeding program initiatives in Quebec and the efforts of a few independent breeders, Canadian numbers continued to decline. The few that were exported received high praise but the larger breeds continued to dominate the farming scene. With the arrival of the tractor, all medium and heavy-weight work horses lost favor and their numbers declined.

The Canadian nearly became extinct and their numbers dwindled to a low of about 400 in 1976. Happily, today the breed is rebounding and there are an estimated 3000 purebred registered Canadian horses today.

CANADIAN HORSE - BREED STANDARD

Official Characteritics
Abundant, long, fine and wavy hair. Tail long and thick. Shows power, agility, finesse, strength and balance. Bones dense and clean. Elegant and noble in carriage and movement. Symmetry of shape, stands squarely on ground. Free and vigorous movement, joints bending freely with lots of action. Temperament is energetic, vigorous, gentle and docile. Versatile, easy-keeping, resistant to disease, strong and known for their endurance and robustness.

• Height: 14-16 hands
• Weight: 1,000-1,400 lb
• Color: Black, Brown, Chestnut, Bay. Rarely: Grey or with blaze or white socks.