Edgewood

dian horses, also known as "Le Cheval Canadien" or the "French Canadian Horse", are Canada’s national horse breed and are amazingly versatile. They are highly competitive across many equestrian disciplines (including dressage, driving, eventing, fox hunting, mounted archery, liberty work, Western pleasure and ranch work, used by the Montreal and Calgary police forces, and are also a wonderful all-round hacking/trail riding horse). The Canadian breed originated from horses of Spanish, Norman and Breton stock sent from the stables of King Louis XIV of France to Canada, beginning in 1665. These horses adapted to the Canadian climate (rarely needing winter blankets), are renowned for their tough feet (rarely need shoes even on tough terrain), and are easily trained. From those foundation horses, a distinct breed of horse emerged, nicknamed “the Little Iron Horse”. Known for its calm and willing disposition, excellent feet, stamina, and strength, the popularity of the Canadian horse as a war horse (thousands were shipped to the US for the American Civil War, to South Africa for the Boer War, and to Europe for WWI) almost led to its extinction, and it is currently still considered “critically endangered” (the closest to extinction) by the Livestock Conservancy. We, and other Canadian horse breeders, are working to promote this breed so it gets the recognition it deserves. For more detailed information on the Canadian horse breed, please visit the Canadian Horse Breeders’ Association website: https://www.lechevalcanadien.ca/en/