The Cheval du Morvan, also known as the Morvandiau, Morvandain or Morvandelle, is an extinct French horse breed from the

Morvan The Morvan (historically Morvand from the Latin ''Murvinnum'' 590)Pierre-Henri Billy, ''Dictionnaire des noms de lieux de la France'', éditions Errance, 640 pages, 2011 , is a mountainous massif lying just to the west of the Côte d'Or escar ...

massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

in Burgundy, for which it is named. Horses were bred in the Morvan from before the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, both as saddle-horses for

fox-hunting Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of ho ...

and as cavalry mounts, and for draught use. They were of small to medium height and known for their strength and tenacity. The Cheval du Morvan became extinct with the advent of industrialisation and improved transportation in the nineteenth century. As a draught horse it was replaced by the

Nivernais Nivernais (, ) was a province of France, around the city of Nevers, which forms the modern department of Nièvre. It roughly coincides with the former Duchy of Nevers.Comtois breeds, and as a saddle-horse by the

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

History

032 Paysage du Morvan depuis Château-Chinon

Before the

, large numbers of saddle-horses were raised in the Morvan, both for hunting and as cavalry mounts; the muddy roads in the area and in the surrounding provinces were only passable by horse. The Morvan breed was particularly suitable as light cavalry horse. It was raised mainly in the area round Château-Chinon, where

Étienne François, duc de Choiseul Étienne François, Marquis de Stainville, Duc de Choiseul, KOHS, OGF (28 June 17198 May 1785) was a French military officer, diplomat and statesman. From 1758 to 1761 and from 1766 to 1770, he was Foreign Minister of France and had a strong i ...

, then minister for war, established a Morvan

stud Stud may refer to the following terms: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay ba ...

on his lands at . The Cheval du Morvan was raised mainly in its region of origin, but also in the

Nivernais Nivernais (, ) was a province of France, around the city of Nevers, which forms the modern department of Nièvre. It roughly coincides with the former Duchy of Nevers.Charolais. Good Morvan horses were bred at Clamecy, and Morvan foals were sold at the fairs of

Châtillon-en-Bazois Châtillon-en-Bazois is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France. Demographics See also *Communes of the Nièvre department *Parc naturel régional du Morvan Morvan Regional Natural Park (French: ''Parc naturel régional du Morv ...

, Billy-Chevannes, Montigny-sur-Canne, Saint-Révérien,

Decize Decize is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France. Geography The town is situated on a former island in the Loire ("en Loire assise") at the confluence of the Aron river. The right channel of the Loire was dammed up to reclaim land ...

and

Nevers Nevers ( , ; la, Noviodunum, later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is the prefecture of the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central France. It was the principal city of the former province of Nivernais. It is sou ...

in the Nièvre. The horses were managed extensively, living in

semi-feral A semi-feral animal lives predominantly in a feral state but has some contact and experience with humans. This may be because it was born in a domesticated state and then reverted to life in wild conditions, or it may be an animal that grew up in ...

groups in the woods of the Morvan. In summer they mixed freely with the cattle; in winter they received no supplementary feed, but survived as best they could. Unlike other horses in the region, Morvan horses were not crossbred with royal stallions housed in the

Haras Nationaux The Haras Nationaux in France (English literal translation ''national stud farms'') was the French national public administrative body responsible for the regulation and administration of breeding of horses and donkeys in France. It administere ...

stables. Many war horses during the

and the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

were Morvan horses, provoking a crisis in Morvan horse breeding farms and decimating the species. In 1791, the war minister ordered that mares be requisitioned for war. Morvan horses had a good reputation as war horses, according to Pierquin de Gembloux.

Extinction

The Morvan horse fell victim to industrialisation and wartime horse requisitions, making it one of the local breeds that became extinct during the 19th century. Nivernais1919

The Cheval du Morvan is well documented in nineteenth-century sources. The rise of the

draught horse A draft horse (US), draught horse (UK) or dray horse (from the Old English ''dragan'' meaning "to draw or haul"; compare Dutch ''dragen'' and German ''tragen'' meaning "to carry" and Danish ''drage'' meaning "to draw" or "to fare"), less oft ...

in the first half of the 19th century is thought to have contributed to the extinction of the Morvan horse. René Musset argued that the saddle horse was largely replaced by the

, but Bernadette Lizet suggested that Morvan horse breeding died off due to disinterest. Eugène Gayot cited the Morvan horse's use in wartime, the agricultural revolution, the construction of new roads, the opening of the

Canal du Nivernais The Canal du Nivernais links the Loire with the Seine, following approximately the course of the river Yonne in a south to north direction. It first climbs northeast and north to cross the Morvan watershed, then roughly follows the course of the ...

and the increased use of pastures for raising livestock as factors in the Morvan horse's extinction. Marcel Mavré suggested that the various wars of the 19th century were to blame, while Bernadette Lizet cited other modernist factors, including the construction of

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

s. By 1840, count Achille de Montendre noted that Morvan horses lived in only a few locations. By 1861, according to Eugène Gayot, Morvan horses had died out completely.

Description

According to Bernadette Lizet, most descriptions of Morvan horses were written after they had become extinct and were likely exaggerated. Morvan horses likely had a roan or iron grey coat. They were known for their rustic character, courage and energy, making them well-suited to hard labour and long journeys. They were said to be the most solid and vigorous breed at passing through mires and bogs. Their gait was rapid and sure-footed; Paul Diffloth suggested that they were capable of trotting at 12 km/h on poorly constructed roads. Morvan horses were typically unsuited to work before the age of seven, but compensated with a long working life. Sources do not agree as to their character; some refer to their docility, while others speak of their disagreeable nature.

Morphology

Morvan horses were stocky like a Breton cob, but with more elegance. They likely appeared similar to a modern

pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

. Eugène Gayot noted that they were of medium height but fleshed out. André Sanson described them as small horses with knees of steel and a wild look. Other sources referred to Morvan horses as small, light and hardy animals with disagreeable bodies. Close to the ground, they had a generic head, strong and squarish in the front and with a flat chamfer, a small hairy mouth, short ears, gaunt flanks and a flattened rump. Lorry, a revolutionary

veterinary physician A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

from the military cavalry at the end of the 18th century, spoke of them as strong and agile horses with powerful eyesight, a good set of teeth, solid feet and a large chest, similar to that of a military horse.

Notes

References

{{Horse breeds of France Horse breeds Horse breeds originating in France