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Selle FrançaisThe French Saddle Horse |
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Selle FrançaisThe French Saddle Horse |
Carefully regulated breeding has been documented in detail resulting in the Selle Français breed.
The Cheval de Selle Français (French Saddle Horse), is an amalgam of several breeds and the term, first used in December 1958, describes halfbreds produced with the primary objective of use as competition horses. Before that date, all riding horses other then Thoroughbreds, Arabians and Anglo-Arabs were called halfbreds.
The Selle Français can trace its development from the 19th Century importations of English Thoroughbred and halfbred stallions which were crossed with local mares. In Normandy, two crossbreds of significance evolved, the Anglo-Norman and the fist harness horse, the French Totter. The former (at one time clearly divided into a riding horse type and a draft cob) was in a sense the prototype for the Selle Francais and the latter's stud book is, in fact, a continuation of the old Anglo-Norman one.
The French Trotter is also an offshoot of the Anglo-Norman, developed in the 19th Century from the Norfolk Trotter (Roadster) blood. Other provincial types emerged in the western and central districts, notably the Vandeen, Angevin, and Charollais, the latter a workmanlike hunter type produced from Thoroughbred and Anglo-Norman crosses.
With Government Aid, and the existence of established national studs, it has been possible to produce a specially-bred competition horse on its record (a succession of Olympic medal winners) is as successful as any in the world.
The principal area of specialization is in the production of show jumpers, the stallion Galoubet being an outstanding example. Galoubet, arguably among the greatest jumpers of the Century, combined top-class trotting blood on the side of his dam, Viti, with that of his Selle Français sire, Alme, whose background was largely Thoroughbred with and overtone of Anglo-Arab.
Secondly, Selle Français are bred to race under the appellation of AQPSA (Autres que pur sang anglais - other than Thoroughbred). Such horses race on the flat as 3 year olds and many of them go on to the sport of cross country racing, unique to France, and/or to horse trials.
Careful crossing of the base breed continues to produce even better standards of conformation and performance and partbred mares all go through a selection process before being admitted to the Stud Book.
Of the horses eligible to be called Selle Français, 33% are by Thoroughbred; 20% by Anglo-Arabs; 45% by registered Selle Français stallions (as in the case of Galoubet); and 2% by French Trotters. Other acceptable crosses are Thoroughbred X French Trotter; Arab or Anglo-Arab X French Trotter; and Thoroughbred X Anglo-Arab.
Selle Français are between 15.3 to 16.2 hands high, and are any solid color, with mostly chestnuts. They have a fine head, long neck, deep chest and powerful quarters.
For more information on the Selle Français, visit:
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© 1992-2018 NW Breyer Horse Club & Refiner of Gold Creations Equinealities in place since 1997, Section in place 2001, Updated @/19/2018 |
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