Trait Poitevin

The French draft horse

The Trait Poitevin

Originating from the Marais Poitevin (Vendee, Deux Sevres, Charente Maritime) it appeared in the 17th Century after the cross-breeding of a local breed adapted to living in swamps, with Flemish horses brought there for marsh reclaiming works as ordered by Henri IV in 1599. Usually called Mulassier, the Trait Poitevin has been very profitably used, until the end of World War II, to produce tall mules, the world famous Mule Poitevine. (The cross of a brood-mare with a donkey, the Baudet du Poitou.)

Easy to recognize because of a rather long body, the Trait Mulassier Poitevin has a long neck with a thick mane, powerful legs with thick and abundant feathers.
It is between 1.60 and 1.70 m tall for an average weight of 750 kilos for the males. The color can be gray, black, bay or dun.
At the beginning of the century, there were 40,000 brood-mares (14,000 to 15,000 mules were born each year) but it is unfortunately something of the past and fewer than 300 horses are left and need protection to avoid their disappearance.
Some enthusiasts of the breed have discovered their ability to driving which might help save the breed should more people come to know about the Trait Mulassier Poitevin.

Although it probably existed long before that, the Poitevin breed seems to have descended from the breed of Flamand (Flemish) horses which were imported at the very end of the 16th century, at the request of Henry IV and Sully, to help in the draining of the marshes of Poitou and Vendée. Local mares crossed with these horses from the North thus founded the line and gave rise to the breed called "Mulassiere du Poitou".

The center of the birthplace of the breed is the region around Melle in the Deux-Sèvres. However, the breeding area extends to the areas around the Studs at Saintes and La Roche-sur-Yon.

In addition to its adaptability to marshy terrain, the Poitevin horse has a particular characteristic which has given the breed its name : crossed with a Ane (Ass) du Poitou, the Poitevin mare produces a remarkable hybrid animal, the Mule Poitevine. The Poitou she-mule and he-mule are large animals, very robust and powerfully built (500-700 kg). The mule has been known since ancient times to be unequalled as a pack animal or for pulling carts. Weight for weight, the Mule Poitevine is the most powerful draught animal there is. It is also the safest.