Breeds: Brabançon (Belgian working). Strong and tireless draft Brabançon horse

The Brabançon horse breed is of Belgian origin and belongs to the heavy draft variety. For her country, she became a source of pride and a national treasure. Over time, horses have undergone many changes in appearance, as the requirements for them have constantly changed.

Origin of the breed

The Ardennes and Flanders horses are considered the ancestors of the Brabançons. They once lived on the border of modern Belgium and France and were distinguished by their short stature, strong constitution, frantic strength and endurance. These were the kind of horses that knights needed in those days.

The ancient descendants of modern Brabançons were short in stature, up to 140 cm at the withers, but were able to carry a heavy rider for a long time. The animals showed no fear and easily overcame obstacles along the way.

When the times of chivalry were left behind, horses were still used in wars, only now they carried artillery. In the 18th and 19th centuries, when agriculture was actively developing, the need arose for assistants who could tirelessly work in the fields and transport goods. At that time, heavy draft horses were bred in the Belgian province of Brabant, as well as in Flanders.

By the end of the 19th century, they decided to improve the breed, since over time it had undergone changes in the genotype. In Belgium, a special organization was created that was responsible for controlling the selection of Brabançons. From that moment on, exhibitions of the best representatives of the breed line were regularly held and a stud book was kept.

During the First and Second World Wars, the breed went into decline; little attention was paid to horse breeding at that time, but the breeding stock was preserved. Today, Brabançons are protected and considered the national treasure of Belgium.

Belgian working horses influenced the development of breeds:

• shire;
• Clydesdale;
• Dutch heavy truck;
• Russian draft horse;
• Soviet heavy truck;
• murakozi.

Exterior

Brabançons are short horses with strong bones. The height at the withers of a heavy draft horse is 156–165 cm. Unlike other breeds created for use in heavy harness, these horses have dry and sinewy limbs with large joints. There are lush brushes on the lower part of the legs. The hooves are quite wide and massive.

Brabançons have a small head. The frontal part is wide and the profile is slightly hook-nosed. Ears compact, mobile. The neck is wide and powerful, smoothly turning into a rounded deep chest, the girth of which exceeds 2 meters. The back line of horses is straight, the sacrum is wide and elastic. The croup is slightly forked, the muscle relief is clearly visible on it. There are no high requirements for color; the breed includes roan, bay, red, black and gray horses.

Attention! The weight of an adult Belgian draft stallion reaches 800–1000 kg.

Character

Despite their heroic appearance, Belgian draft horses are good-natured animals. They are smart and submissive. These horses are valued not only for their working qualities and flexibility, but also for their unpretentiousness to living conditions and food supply.

Another advantage of the breed is strong immunity. The average life expectancy of Brabançons is 28 years. Mares can be used for procreation up to 20–22 years of age. Young animals are brought to work at the age of 2 years. After 3 years, stallions become sires.

Use of the breed today

Modern Brabançons do not participate in wars, but this does not mean that their strength is no longer needed. Rural residents continue to use powerful horses to work in the fields and transport goods in areas with uneven terrain. Horses carry timber, building materials, fodder, and animal feed.

Horse help is needed where equipment cannot pass, for example in mountainous areas. Brabançons are also used for herding sheep. Belgian draft horses take part in carnival parades in sleds.

At the end of the 19th century, when the stallion Diamond won the International Championship in Paris, the demand for Brabançons increased greatly. Many European countries became interested in horses. Representatives of the Belgian draft breed spread to France, Germany and Sweden.

Brabançon horses, which carried knights during the Crusades, have been declared a national treasure of Belgium. They had a huge influence on the development of other heavy draft breed lines. Their blood flows even in the veins of the Shires, horses considered the largest in the world.

Brabançons is one of the large walking breeds of horses. Some horses of this breed reach 175-176 centimeters at the withers and 1,000-1,200 kilograms of live weight. These horses are best suited for carrying loads at a walk and for heavy agricultural work.

The creation of such a massive horse was caused by the need of mainly large cities for a powerful transport horse, as well as agriculture, which needed such a horse due to the complication of agricultural technology (such as the introduction of grass crop rotations, the use of complex machines and tools, etc.) and the intensification of the economy in general. Brabançons are primarily a product of intensive farming.

This breed was bred in Belgium through the mass selection of stallions for use in mating and a whole system of incentive events, such as exhibitions, bonuses the best manufacturers and their widespread use, etc. It is also significant that Brabançon young animals were raised on rich diets consisting of concentrates, root crops, and used rich pastures. The fact that since the second half of the last century several lines, highly valued at exhibitions, have become very widespread here has contributed to the uniformity of this breed. Among them, the first place is occupied by the Orange I - Jupiter line. Thus, Belgian draft horses are, perhaps, the most “purebred”, that is, they do not have any admixture of blood from other breeds, as can be observed in most other breeds.

By general appearance Brabançons are massive, short-legged and thick-legged animals with a barrel-shaped body and arable muscles. Their head is heavy, large, broad-browed; the neck is short, thick; the withers are wide and low; the back is somewhat soft, but wide; the loin is short and muscular; The croup is, as a rule, wide, forked and moderately drooping, which is not considered a defect with a long and muscular rear. The legs are bony, short, the hooves are large and often with a soft horn. You can often observe the so-called “clubfoot” (hooks inward), which is to a certain extent associated with a wide chest and is, as it were, a mechanical adaptation of the body to greater stability. There are also sunken wrists, ()-shaped, x-shaped and saber-shaped hind legs. The unsatisfactory movements of Brabançons and often heavy breathing are one of their significant shortcomings. The most common colors are red, bay and roan. There are almost no gray and black ones.

Brabançons have little hair growth. Thus, the mane and bangs are often short; the tail, although long, is not thick; the brushes on the legs are small. Temperament is often calm.

In terms of early maturity, Brabançons are one of the first places. Thus, according to D.M. Lebedev, growth anergy in all measurements is higher in Brabançons than in trotters, and by the age of 2 they already look like adult animals. The fertility of Brabançons is now clearly insufficient. Thus, according to D. M. Lebedev, during the period from 1927 to 1937, Brabançon mares produced only 66.2 percent of foals, while trotters produced 73.4 percent. Consequently, the task of livestock specialists working with this breed is to increase their fertility. Of course, there are possibilities for this. Thus, there are separate genealogical groups in the breed, which during the same period gave 80 percent of foals (Flater-de-Saint-Gertrud), 83.3 percent (Superb-du-Geron) and 100 percent, like mares from Brabançon-de-Gertrud. Shenua (according to D.M. Lebedev), Consequently, low fertility is not some kind of insurmountable obstacle. Selection, selection, high technology for mating and maintaining horse stock successfully eliminate this obstacle.

Breeding work with the Brabançon breed in a number of countries, including ours, was carried out within a small number of male lines. So, we basically had two old lines: Andy-jen-du-Fosteau and Gerfaut II, from which, naturally, several new lines were separated, some of them created in the USSR. Let us give a brief description of the most important lines that are important in our horse breeding.

Clairon-Rémy Line. Representatives of this line are, as a rule, medium-sized, elongated horses, extremely dry and have good movements; some of them do not have particularly developed breasts and bones. There are no full-fledged male successors in this line, but the mares are of quite high quality.

Ljotsa Line. We were represented by the stallion Echo. His daughters are large, but not bony enough, and have a number of defects in build, such as drooping croup and sabre. The Mordovian GZK has two very valuable stallions of this line: Alcion de Petit Chassard and Julio de Brun. The first of them especially stands out for the high quality of its offspring in the Mordovian GPR.

Arshidyuk-Izumrud line. These are horses of medium height, dry, different good health. Their body is well developed. The line is presented to us mainly through the children of Emerald, the son of Noel.

Line God. In the old line of Endijen du Fosto, we had an independent line of the stallion Boje. As a rule, these are large, massive, but somewhat gray horses with unsatisfactory movements and rather demanding conditions of education.

The old line of Endigen du Fosto we have meaning through Griigo, Paulin de Vert, Superbes du Geron, Lafleur de Coiquerans, Endigen de Belle Vue, Endigen d' Ultra and Endigen de Laval.

Gerfaud Line II. The old line of Gerfaut II is represented in our country mainly through 2 stallions: 1) Brabançon de Chenois and 2) Flater de Ste. Gertrude. The offspring of the first are not large and not bony enough, while the offspring of the second takes one of the first places in terms of size and format, but is also not bony enough.

Lines such as Zhana I and others are of less importance for our horse breeding.

The performance of Brabançons is quite high: for example, at special tests in Moscow at the hippodrome, the stallion Lin-Oruk, 1936, out of Rulon and Lioness, at the age of 2 1/2 years, carried 7,550 kilograms with a pulling force of 354 kilograms and showed a speed at a step of 8 minutes 36 4/8 seconds per 1 kilometer, and at the trot - 2 minutes 46 seconds per 1 kilometer.

In crossbreeding, Brabançons, under satisfactory conditions for raising young animals, in the first generation from simple mares in the central zone of the USSR produce large and strong horses. In the second generation (i.e. 3/4-blood mestizos), with sufficiently abundant feeding with concentrates, succulent feed and good care, they are very close in caliber and general type to purebred Brabançons. If the conditions of upbringing are unfavorable (poor feeding, cold and dirty premises, etc.), then the quality of the mestizos of both the first and second generations is low.

The main drawback in breeding Brabançons in our factories and horse farms is the unsatisfactory education of young animals. In particular, young animals receive little concentrates, the range of which, moreover, is monotonous: they are given almost no cake, bran, or various grains rich in protein; young animals often do not use good pasture, green feeding, etc. All this largely makes the assessment of the lines and offspring of individual sires approximate, and even if reliable, then only for these unsatisfactory conditions.

We have several stud farms and state breeding nurseries that breed Brabançons, and they are located mainly in the northern part of the black earth strip and the southern central zone of the USSR.

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Belgian workhorse(La cheval der trait Beige) is the most common draft horse breed. It was developed in Belgium and from there it spread widely throughout many countries of the world. The ancient horses of Belgium are considered its ancestors. Belgian working horses were bred without significant influence from other breeds.

The type and size of Belgian horses have changed over time, influenced by different requirements for the quality of the horse. So, in the first centuries of our era, these were small (145-148 cm height at the withers), but rather wide-bodied horses, used as riding horses. In the Middle Ages, they were used to create quite large knightly horses (155-165 cm in height at the withers). In the 19th century, they were gradually transformed into large and powerful draft horses under the influence of rapidly developing cities and industrial centers, as well as agriculture, which introduced a cropping system that required deeper plowing. Rich hayfields and pastures in the lowlands of Belgium, and later, with the development of agriculture, high-quality hay from sown legumes made it possible to provide horses with good feed and fairly short term enlarge and make them heavier. Constant use of horses hard work and with comparatively early age(1 1/2 years) contributed to the development of good working qualities in them.

Belgian heavy trucks received wide recognition at the end of the 19th century, after in 1878 International exhibition in Paris, the stallion Briand 708, the son of Orange I, received first prize in the group of heavy draft horses. This success was consolidated at the Paris Exhibition of 1900, when the grandson of Orange I, Rev d'Or, was recognized as the world champion in the group of heavy draft horses.

The development of capitalism during this period in a number of countries and the introduction of capitalism into agriculture caused an increased demand for a large workhorse. Under the influence of such demand, the production of breeding horses, largely intended for export, began to expand widely in Belgium, and the modern type of Belgian draft horse began to take shape.

Until the end of the 19th century, breeds were distinguished in Belgium: Flemish (Flanders), Brabançon, Ardennes. Subsequently, all these breeds were absorbed by the Brabançons and combined into one breed - the Belgian working horse - with a common studbook. However, some differences in the type of horses are observed to this day, especially between horses raised in the mountainous part of Belgium (Ardennes), characterized by a harsher climate, poorer soils and less rich grass cover, and horses of the Flanders lowlands, with more fertile soils and good meadows.

At exhibitions in Belgium, four groups of horses are distinguished: 1) large stature - stallions over 165 cm in height at the withers and mares over 161 cm; 2) small stature - horses with smaller measurements; 3) Ardennes (stallions - 160 cm, mares - 157 cm), born in the Ardennes, and 4) Ardennes, born not in the Ardennes. The value of prizes for the Arden groups is half as much as for the first two groups of horses, which shows the direction in which breeding work is being carried out in the Belgian horse breeding.

The main methods for improving draft horses in Belgium were: firstly, the mass selection of the best stud stallions through annual examinations by expert commissions; secondly, annual exhibitions held both in the center and in the provinces, with prizes the best horses, which were later widely used for breeding purposes; thirdly, abundant feeding with a variety of feeds (oats, bran, molasses and other industrial waste, bean hay, straw, root crops) and, finally, widespread use in various (including heavy) work, with horses accustomed to them from an early age. age. These methods managed to eliminate a number of exterior defects in Belgian heavy trucks in a relatively short time, develop good working qualities in them and increase their uniformity.

However, later, under the influence of the increasing demand for breeding horses mainly for export, which in 1910 reached 14% of the total number of draft horses in Belgium, they began to strive to raise show horses for sale. In connection with this, breeding methods have also changed. The main attention began to be paid to raising larger and more massive horses of “full form”, and in order to achieve this, it was necessary, if possible, to free the horses from work and feed them abundantly with succulent feed. This change in breeding methods led to a change in the type of horse. Most of the horses awarded in recent decades, especially champions, have been more of a meat animal type than a working horse. The widespread use of these horses for breeding purposes should inevitably have caused a change in the type and quality of the entire breed.

In Belgium, heavy draft horses are bred mainly on peasant farms. No in-depth selection work was carried out with them, which, in particular, is evidenced by the fact that in the first 22 volumes of the student book, 80.2% of mares with unknown origins were recorded, and even in the last volumes (38th) there were 5% of such mares. The student book is still not closed.

The most famous and widespread in Belgium were the offspring of Jupiter 126, born. 1880 (son of the Brabançon Orange I), mainly through his son Bren d'Or 7902 and grandson Endijen du Fosto 29718. From 1889 to 1914, of the 26 champions of the breed, 17 belonged to the offspring of Jupiter 126, including 10 through Bren d"Or. From 1919 to 1939, out of 20 champions, 17 belonged to the offspring of Endijen du Fosto, including 15 through his grandson Albion d'Or 23/1892. In 1938, about a third of the foals included in the studbook were obtained from the descendants of Albion d "Or, and about 2/3 through his son Abner d'Ers and the sons of the latter.

In terms of exterior, Belgian draft horses are characterized by a wide, dry head, a thick, short neck, short, wide withers, a slightly soft, but wide, short back, rounded ribs, a muscular loin, and a descending forked croup. The ham is rounded, muscular, but often does not descend much to the hock. The bones are powerful, the joints are well defined, the muscles are powerful, but raw, with a tendency to deposit fat. The hooves are not always good enough for the quality of the horn. Horses from the “large stature” group are the most massive and raw, those from the “short stature” group are much drier, and “arden” are dry and lightweight. The leading group in the breed is the first; all champions of the breed in Belgium belong to it.

There are no data on the average measurements of heavy trucks in Belgium. Measurements of Belgian heavy draft horses that were at exhibitions in Germany in 1909-1914, and horses imported to the USSR in 1925-1928, are characterized by the following indicators (Table 21):

In addition to Belgium, the Belgian draft horses are most widespread in Germany, Sweden, Holland and Denmark, and in the last two countries they are almost no different in type and origin from the draft horses bred in Belgium.

German "cold-blooded" horse

(Deutsche kaltblut Pferde.)

Systematic work on weighting horses in Germany began in the middle of the 19th century. Just like in Belgium, when breeding draft horses, they used abundant feeding with a significant content of succulent feed (in particular, potatoes) and legumes in the diet. The consolidation of the horse was in close connection with the intensification of agriculture and the increase in feed on farms. Breeding horses were used for work.

In Germany, the percentage of “cold-blooded” horses (as draft horses are called there) has systematically increased since the beginning of the 20th century. In 1898, such horses accounted for 28.2% of the total number of breeding horses, in 1928 - 48.9%. In 1937, 57.9% of mares mated were covered with cold-blooded stallions.

The German draft horses were created from local horses by crossing them with various breeds: Danish draft horses, Shires and Clydesdales (which were later replaced by the Belgian draft horses) and, finally, with their own Rhine draft horses.

In the first decades of the 20th century, about 80% of horse exports from Belgium went to Germany.

The breeding of heavy draft horses in Germany began primarily in the Rhineland province, rich in meadows and earlier than other provinces, which began to intensify agriculture. Subsequently, heavy trucks spread widely throughout the country, and by 1937 most of them were in Bavaria, Westphalia, the Rhine Province, Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein.

Depending on the differences in the breeding stock on which the draft stallions were used, as well as the conditions of rearing, feeding and keeping of the breeding horses, there are some differences in the type of draft horses bred in individual provinces of Germany.

The largest and most massive horses were created in central Germany, from Westphalia and the Rhineland in the west to Pomerania in the east. In these provinces the horses are generally close in type to the Belgian draft horses, but are coarser in build.

Drier horses are created in the northwest and southwest. In the southern mountainous regions of Bavaria and in other border areas, light types of heavy draft horses were bred - Norian horses, which have some similarities with our Russian Ardennes (Oberlanders and other breeds), and Pinzgauers - one of the ancient heavy breeds of medium massiveness. The Schlesing heavy trucks are almost identical with the Danish (Jutland) heavy trucks, which were imported in large numbers into this province from Denmark.

The Rhine draft horses, which are most closely related to the Belgian draft horses, are more purebred and consolidated. From the Belgian draft horses, the Rhine and similar draft horses from other provinces are distinguished by a better developed chest, greater bonyness and dampness, as well as a general roughness of build, but at the same time better movements. The most common colors are red, red and bay roan and bay.

In most provinces it was customary to cut off the tails of horses. In all provinces before the war, breeding horses were branded, and in some provinces, numbers were burned according to the stud book or factory book.

Germany created its own lines. By 1940, the offspring of Lothar III from the Orange I group had become widespread in the Rhineland province, but not through Jupiter 126, but through Bukan. 58.7% of mares recorded in the studbook in 1940 were the offspring of this stallion. Second place was occupied by the offspring of the famous Belgian Albion d'Or 23/1892, which included 33.7% of the stallions shown at exhibitions in 1940 (the offspring of Lothar III among them accounted for 44.7%).

Origin: Belgium

Height: 165-173 cm.

Suits: predominantly red roan, also bay saurus and brown.

Exterior: small head on a very muscular short neck, deep compact body, short strong legs with thick brushes.

Usage: heavy truck.

The Brabançons have absorbed all the best from the Flemish ones. The Brabançon or Belgian draft horse breed most closely meets all state standards that all working horses in the modern world must meet.

Today, Brabançons have spread massively throughout Belgium and are best known as the Belgian working breed or the Belgian draft breed. This is the only type of heavy truck whose homeland is Belgium. They are not very tall, but despite this, Brabançons have become multiple champions at many exhibitions.

Brabançon horse

Belgian draft horses are very powerful with a short back, and thin legs with clearly visible, protruding muscles. Brabançons represent power and strength. Everything about them is large, from head to bones and chest. In Belgium, these horses are considered real heroes.

Previously, the breed of Belgian draft horses had a disadvantage in the form of sagging lumbar region, but later this flaw was eliminated. These heavy horses have very developed joints on their legs, which makes them fast and resilient when moving. Dry legs further protrude the powerful and large hooves of Brabançons. The neck of heavy trucks is also powerful and slightly arched.

Brabançons are more often found in red and black colors. Belgian workers mature quickly and already in the second year of life, the individual is completely ready for ordinary work. Moreover, they are not just long-livers. Brabançons are able to work productively up to old age. They are not fussy about food and care, and have strong immunity. They have an easy-going and calm disposition.

Brabançon mares are extremely fertile during this period, with mostly male foals being born.

Such extraordinary resilience of these horses is explained by their harsh and critical conditions of detention, which long years instilled in heavy trucks an irresistible desire to live and survive. The Belgians did not spare mares that had just given birth, who on the ninth day after were again sent for mating. Newly born babies were soon weaned off milk and fed grain and bran. And pregnant mares worked equally with other special ones.

To ensure the purity of the horse breed, the Belgians castrated “rejected” foals so that they would not accidentally spoil future offspring.

The Brabançon or Belgian draft horse breed began its era during the reign of Caesar, but since then the type of Brabançon has undergone changes many times, which is explained by the difference in requirements in different time periods.

In the 15th century, the need for heavy horses abruptly disappeared. Then Belgium and other countries began to demand a lighter breed. Breeders crossed Brabançons with trotters, which led to a change in the breed. But after this, the peasants began to complain about the lack of strength and power of the improved horses, and then the division of Brabançons into two types appeared.

Today, the value of these horses, which are famous for their exceptional work ethic, is only increasing. Belgian grooms are aimed at increasing the number of Belgian draft horses for domestic farms and large cities. The Belgian draft horse breed not only has a number of advantages, but also, when crossed with ordinary outbred mares, can improve their offspring. After such unions, excellent workhorses appear, although not purebreds.

Belgian draft horse breeds

The first Belgian breeds of draft horses arose from the massive ancient knight's horses, which for centuries were used for riding on constant knightly campaigns. The economic and geographical conditions of Belgium played a significant role in the creation of Belgian heavy trucks.

The development of industry and the creation of large cities in conditions of a low level of technological development led to the selection and breeding of the most massive horses, which were able to tow heavy loads to serve the needs of the population in large cities. The creation of the Belgian draft horse breeds was also helped by the abundant food supply and suitable humid climate in Belgium.

Initially, several were formed in Belgium large draft horses - Ardennes, Brabançon And Flemish.

Ardennes draft horse breed

The heavy-duty Ardennes horse breed was selected and distributed mainly in the Ardennes Mountains, where it got its name. Living conditions in the mountains had a great influence on the development of the Ardennes heavy trucks; they were shorter, but with a fairly massive physique, which allows them to successfully cope with difficult mountain conditions and develop greater draft power. The height at the withers of this breed of horse ranges from 148 to 158 cm and the live weight is up to 600 kg. The old massive type of Ardennes horse no longer exists. Instead, lighter horses are bred. Although they are quite massive, they are quite fast and amenable to training. Not picky about food. They are unpretentious in food. They have a good temperament for draft horse breeds and are used for various types works

Brabançon horse breed

The Brabançon breed is currently the most common among Belgian draft horses. It occupies a middle position in type and is used for crossing with horses of the Flemish and Ardennes breeds. Thus, the Brabançon horse breed received the common name Belgian draft horse breed.

Flemish horse breed

The Flemish breed is the most massive of the three Belgian breeds heavy trucks It is used in the creation of some other heavy draft horse breeds in the world. Recently, the number of Flemish breed horses has greatly decreased.

The Flemish breed of heavy draft horses has the following dimensions: stallions have a height at the withers of 163 cm, a chest circumference of approximately 210 cm.

Belgian draft horses have a massive head with highly developed subcutaneous connective tissue, the shape is close to rectangular, and the eye sockets are poorly visible. The neck is short and muscular. The body is elongated, with a rounded chest. The withers are low. The croup is wide, sloping and covered with a lot of muscle. The legs of these horses have strong, large bones and are covered with excellent muscles. The skin is thick. Tendons are not expressed.

As a result, Belgian draft horses have good acclimatization opportunities in many countries around the world. They are the most common breed of draft horse. They are bred in Central and Western Europe, the USA, Canada and other countries.

Belgian heavy trucks video