HORSE BREED
The Selle Français has a lot of style The origins of the Selle Français, the internationally renowned French warmblood, can be traced back to an assorted collection of half-blood horses that were once scattered throughout France, writes AMANDA MAC.
W
ith an elegant neck, muscular legs, and a strong, compact body, there’s no doubt about it: the Selle Français (literal translation ‘French saddle’) is an eye-catching horse. The breed’s sturdy conformation is further enhanced with long, sloping shoulders, a deep chest, and powerful hindquarters that contribute to their great success in the international show jumping arena.
the French Saddle Horse, the beginnings of the Selle Français bloodline can be traced to the 1700s when native French mares were crossbred with Norman warhorses. By the 1800s Austrian, Asian and Egyptian genes had been included in the mix, followed by Norfolk Trotters in the mid-1800s, and the final later addition of Thoroughbred blood. By the early 1900s, these crossbreds had been recognised as ‘demi-sang’, or half-blood
And if good looks weren’t enough, there’s that famous French charm! They are known for their friendly, quiet, patient temperament - and yet when the need arises they show great spirit and have apparently boundless energy. Selle Français are also very athletic and are possessed of sharp intelligence, which makes them fast learners and consequently easy to train.
52
Meeting shifting needs As with many continental warmbloods, the Selle Français was formalised as a breed towards the end of the 1950s as Europe was recovering from the effects of WWII. With the increase of mechanisation, there was little need for horses to work the fields, to provide transport, or to be beasts of burden. The focus had shifted to leisure and sport, and so, with the object of producing a consistently good all-round sport horse, a decision was made to unite all of France’s regional half-blood horses under one name: the Selle Français. Initially, the wide variety of local horses - which had also been crossed with Anglo-Arabians and French Trotters meant that the first Selle Français were far from uniform in type. However, because the Norman, and subsequently the Anglo-Norman had for many years been bred with local mares throughout
A: Galoubet A demonstrating his trademark buck. B: A typical bay Selle Français with white leg markings.
European heritage France’s history for producing excellent riding horses dates as far back as the first century - so what’s the story behind this remarkable breed? Also known as
horses, and were usually named after the many regions from which they had originated. There were however, three main types: the Anglo-Norman which hailed from the Caen area; the Vendeen from the La Roche-sur-Yon district; and from Cluny, located not too far from the centre of France, the Demi-sang du Centre (Half-blood of the Centre).
A
HORSEVIBES MAGAZINE - OC TOBER 2019
