A breed of horse that dominated in New France for more than a century before almost going extinct is now making a comeback.
The “Canadian” breed has its roots in the 1660s, when King Louis XIV sent shipments of Arabian, Berber and Andalusian horses from his royal stables to his new colony.
After several years, the shipments stopped. There was little to no new DNA introduced until a century later when the English took over the colony, allowing the Canadian breed to develop its versatile character.
Efforts were made throughout the 20th century to preserve the breed, but it dwindled to fewer than 400 in the 1970s.
Then, in 2002, Parliament passed an act naming it “the national horse of Canada.”
There are now more than 6,000 registered, meaning the breed is still considered vulnerable, but no longer endangered.
Gail Cuthbert Brandt, from Oxford County in Ontario, spends her time educating people about the breed.
“The Canadian is so versatile that you can plow with it in the morning, take a pleasure drive in the afternoon and then go on a trail ride in the evening,” she told CTV Kitchener.
Cuthbert Brandt is also helping to preserve history: she’s pleased to announce two of her mares are expecting foals to be born in the spring.
