The Merlerault is a formerly common breed of horse that originated in the canton of

Le Merlerault Le Merlerault () is a former commune in the Orne department in north-western France. On 1 January 2025, it was merged into the new commune of Merlerault-le-Pin. Geography The former Commune is within the Natura 2000 protected area of Bocages ...

. Bred under the

Old Regime Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

, this reputedly elegant half-bred was used to ride and pull

tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a Tilbury Fort, 16th century fort ...

Names

Another common name for these horses is ''"Merlerautin"''. The

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

is sometimes erroneously referred to as ''"Mellerauds"'', notably by M. Cardini, who also claims (incorrectly) that Merlerault horses were once raised semi-wild in the woods.

History

The Merlerault is the oldest known breeding cradle of horses in Normandy. A breeding tradition has existed there for centuries, with secular and religious guilds establishing

stud farm A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud (animal), stud" comes from the Old English ''stod'' meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding". Historically, ...

s as early as the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. However, according to Jacques Mulliez, the breed of this name is not that old, despite traditions dating back to the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

or the

Merovingian kings The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...

Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully Maximilien de Béthune Sully, 1st Prince of Sully, Marquis of Rosny and Nogent, Count of Muret and Villebon, Viscount of Meaux (13 December 156022 December 1641) was a French nobleman, soldier, statesman, and counselor of King Henry IV of France ...

, designated the

region as

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

's horse production center; this first

was replaced in 1730 by the Haras du Pin. According to Bernard Denis (2012), Merlerault horses are "probably an artificial breed" created by the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

from purebred horses. This breed was very popular at the end of the Old Regime.

supplied the nobility with saddle horses in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Description

Anglo-normand du Merlerault-GAYOT ATLAS STATISTIQUE 1850

The Merlerault is an elegant half-breed of medium size, with a square head on a well-set neck. The shoulder is well defined, the hindquarters short, the legs graceful but sometimes a little spindly. The hocks may lack sharpness, and the animal is lightly built, with broad shoulders, agility, and speed.

Uses

The Merlerault horse is particularly suited to

ride Ride may refer to: People * MC Ride, a member of Death Grips * Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut * William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Ride'' (1998 film), a comedy film by Millicen ...

and tilbury pulling.

Distribution

The breed originated in the

Alençon Alençon (, , ; ) is a commune in Normandy, France, and the capital of the Orne department. It is situated between Paris and Rennes (about west of Paris) and a little over north of Le Mans. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alen� ...

area, particularly in the

department of Orne Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. In the middle of the 19th century, the Merlerault was the second most numerous horse breed in

after the

Cotentin The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its west lie the Gu ...

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * {{#related:List of French Horse Breeds Horse breeds Normandy Horse breeds originating in France Extinct horse breeds