SELLE FRANCAIS

Also known as Le Cheval de Selle Francais or French saddle horse, breed of French riding horse descended from the ancient Norman horse in France. The Selle Francais is a tall, large-boned horse that stands about 172.5 cm (about 68 in, or 17 hands) high at the withers (the highest part of the back, located between the shoulder blades). It has an athletic, muscular body with a straight back, a broad, deep chest, and solid, well-muscled legs. A long, muscular neck supports the small head, which has a large jaw, deep-set eyes, and long ears. The Selle Francais coat usually is chestnut (golden), although bay (reddish) is common. Breeders in France crossed descendants of the French Norman horse with the English Thoroughbred horse for speed and endurance to produce the French Trotter in the 19th century. After World War II (1939-1945), Arabian and Anglo-Arab horses were crossed with French trotters to enhance the best physical characteristics and increase spirit. In 1958, the saddle horse produced through this breeding program was named the Selle Francais, a top-quality horse for show jumping, dressage (guiding a horse through a series of complex maneuvers with slight movements of the hands, legs, and weight of the rider), and other competitive events.The Selle Francais breed is separated into three divisions. The most valuable is the competition horse. The second is the race horse, used mostly for steeplechase events. The third is the horse for trail riding and teaching.

Belgium Heavy Draft horse - Cleveland Bay - Clydesdale - Dutch Warmblood - Gelderlander - Holsteiner - Irish Draught - Lippizaner - Missouri Fox Trotter - Morgan Horse - Mule - Mustang - Oldenburger - Palomino - Percheron - Peruvian Paso - Pinto - Quarter Horse - Selle Francais - Standardbred - Tarpan - Tennessee Walker - Trakehner - Ungulate (onevenhoevigen) - Zebra