Swedish Ardennes


The Swedish Ardennes is a medium-size, heavyweight draft horse. It was bred in Sweden during the late 19th century to satisfy farmers' demand for horses suitable for agriculture.

Characteristics

The Swedish Ardennes is

History

Swedish Ardennes horses were developed by crossing imported Ardennes horses with the North Swedish Horse. In 1872, Count C.G. Wrangel began importing Ardennes horses and by 1880, Ardennes imports and crossbreds had made inroads across south and central Sweden. The goal was to improve on the size and strength of native Swedish horses; to this end, a studbook was established in 1901.

Uses

Although farming is now done with machinery, the Swedish Ardennes is still popular as a cart horse; it is also used for hauling timber in mountain areas inaccessible by machinery. Despite the increasing mechanization of agriculture and forestry, the Swedish Ardennes still makes up the largest proportion of Sweden's registered purebred stallions.