Ardennes horse

Ardennes horses were also used in the 1920s to improve the Comtois by adding size.

Napoleon used large numbers of Ardennes horses to pull artillery and transport supplies during his 1812 Russian campaign.

Ardennes horses have been used as foundation bloodstock to develop several other draft horse breeds and subgroups.

Ardennes horses have continued to be imported into the United States from Belgium, with imports occurring as late as 2004.

It can withstand extremes in weather; Swedish Ardennes horses are very strong and willing workers and easy keepers.

Along with the Breton and the Anglo-Norman, the Ardennes horse was used to create the Sokolsky horse.

There were then crosses made using Hanoverian, Norfolk Roadster, Oldenburg part-bred, East Friesian and Ardennes horses.

Some Ardennes horses imported to the United States before 1917 were called Belgians when they were imported and subsequently registered as Belgians.

In 1872, Count C.G. Wrangle began importing Ardennes horses and by 1880, Ardennes imports and crossbreds had made inroads across south and central Sweden.

Attempts to create better working horses used many breeds, including Percherons and a heavy Norwegian breed; Ardennes horses were favoured in Southern Ostrobothnia and Southern Finland.

It was first recognized as a separate sub-group in the 19th century, but today is considered a separate breed, even though its ancestry is entirely from the Ardennes horses of Belgium and France.

Swedish Ardennes horses were developed by crossing imported Ardennes horses (a heavy draft breed from Belgium and northern France) with the North Swedish Horse.

The Ardennes Horse Society of Great Britain was also formed in the late 20th century to preserve and promote the horses of that country, but today is not recognized as a studbook or passport issuing organization by the British government and may not exist in any form.