text: ardennes horse the ardennes or ardennais is one of the oldest breeds of draft horse , and originates from the ardennes area in belgium , luxembourg and france . they are heavy - boned with thick legs and are used for draft work . the ardennes is found in many colors , although black horses are very rare and are not allowed to be registered with the breed registry . their history reaches back to ancient rome , and throughout the years blood from several other breeds has been added to the ardennes , although only the belgian breed had any significant impact . the first ardennes were imported to the united states in the early 20th century , and the first breed registry was established in europe in 1929 . the horses have been used throughout history as war horses , both as cavalry mounts and to draw artillery , and are used today mainly for heavy draft and farm work , meat production and competitive driving events . they have also been used to influence or create several other horse breeds throughout europe and asia . description in france , ardennes stallions stand about 1 . 62 metres ( 16 hands ) high , and mares about 1 . 60 m ( 15 . 3 hands ) , while in belgium these are the maximum allowable heights . they weigh 700 to 1 , 000 kilograms ( 1 , 500 to 2 , 200 lb ) . their heads are heavy , with a broad face and a straight or slightly convex profile . their conformation is broad and muscular , with a compact body , short back , and short , sturdy legs with strong joints . their fetlocks are feathered . their coats may be bay , roan , chestnut , gray , or palomino . bay and roan are the two most common colors . black is very rare and is excluded from registration . white markings are small , usually restricted to a star or blaze . the breed matures early , and they are said to be easy keepers , economical to feed despite their size . the ardennes is a free - moving , long - striding breed , despite their compact body structure . history the ardennes breed could be a direct descendent of the prehistoric horse , and is thought to be descended from the type of horse described by julius caesar in his commentarii de bello gallico . caesar described these horses of belgium as " rustic , hard and tireless " , and recommended them for use in heavy cavalry units . the early type was used by many later roman emperors for military applications . the breed 's ancestors are thought to have been bred for 2 , 000 years on the ardennes plains , and it is one of the oldest documented european heavy draft breeds . in the roman era , the breed stood only around 14 hands ( 56 inches , 142 cm ) high . later , napoleon added arabian blood to increase stamina and endurance and used the breed in his russian campaign . in 1780 , the breed still stood only 1 . 42 to 1 . 52 metres ( 14 . 0 to 15 . 0 hands ) and weighed around 500 kilograms ( 1 , 100 lb ) . percheron , boulonnais and thoroughbred blood were also added , although they had little impact . in the 19th century , belgian draft blood was added to give the breed the heavier conformation it has today . the extra weight and size was desired to turn the breed into a very heavy draft breed , after their role as an artillery horse had diminished through the advent of mechanization , as well as a desire for a meat animal . the breed increased in size from an average of 550 kilograms ( 1 , 210 lb ) to their current weight , which at the same time had the consequence of reducing their vigor and endurance . breed registries have been in existence since 1929 . today there are three separate studbooks in france , belgium and luxembourg , although there is extensive interbreeding between the three . 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 . it is difficult to determine when the first ardennes horses were imported to the united states because originally , when imported to the united states , ardennes horses were eligible for registration with the now - defunct national french draft horse association of america or french draft horse society . this organization published a stud book and registered six individual french draft breeds as one breed , combining the information so that no totals of individual breeds are known . many of these horses were imported to the united states with their breed being considered simply " french draft " and no individual type being specified . some ardennes horses imported to the united states before 1917 were called belgians when they were imported and subsequently registered as belgians . ardennes horses have continued to be imported into the united states from belgium , with imports occurring as late as 2004 . uses horses from the ardennes region were used in the crusades in the 11th century by knights led by godfrey of bouillon . they were used during the 17th century by marshal turenne as remounts for his cavalry . in the french revolution , they were considered to be the best artillery horse available , due to their temperament , stamina and strength . napoleon used large numbers of ardennes horses to pull artillery and transport supplies during his 1812 russian campaign . they were said to be the only breed used by napoleon that was hardy enough to withstand the winter retreat from moscow , which they did while pulling a large amount of the army 's wagon train . they were also used to pull artillery in world war i , when they were depended upon by the french and belgian armies . their calm , tolerant disposition , combined with their active and flexible nature , made them an ideal artillery horse . the breed was considered so useful and valuable that when the germans established the commission for the purchase of horses in october 1914 to capture belgian horses , the ardennes was one of two breeds specified as important , the other being the brabant . today , the breed is used mainly for meat , due to its extensive musculature . horse meat is a dietary staple in many european countries , including france , belgium , germany and switzerland . however , they are increasingly used for farm , forest and leisure work . their nimble action , stamina and good temper make them increasingly used for competitive driving across europe , and they have also been used as mounts for therapeutic horseback riding . the breed is known for its ability to work in rough , hilly terrain . ardennes horses have been used as foundation bloodstock to develop several other draft horse breeds and subgroups . these include the baltic ardennes and russian heavy draft . the swedish ardennes is well established in that country , where it is in demand for use in forestry . 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 . another closely related breed is the auxois . ardennes horses were also used in the 1920s to improve the by adding size . along with the breton and the anglo - norman , the ardennes horse was used to create the sokolsky horse . similarly , the trait du nord was created through a mixture of ardennes and belgian blood .