The rare breed for this week comes from France & they are absolutely enormous (& literally bred for huge). The Auxois is losely related to the Ardennes horse & since the start of the 20th century have been bred specifically for their immense size.
Sister Breeds
The Auxois owes some of their bloodlines to the Ardennes & the two breeds are very similar in size & shape. In addition to Ardennes blood the Auxois lines contain a cross between Bourguingnon type, Percheron & Boulonnais blood.
The Auxois is a true combination of France’s lovely draft breeds. Huge in stature but largely refined in nature.
Draft Difficulty
Like many draft breeds, the Auxois was used for transportation, farming & industry until mechanization rendered their work essentially obsolete. Without a need for them, their numbers dropped late in the 20th century & remain dangerously low today. This breed makes it onto our Dangerously Rare list.
Learning More
Be sure to check out our own Auxois page, as well as the Auxois Horse Livestock Union.
Have Pictures?
As of now we have very few images of the Auxois for our informative page on them. If you have images (or information about the breed) you’d be interested in sharing, please get in touch today.