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Return to Breed Profiles Main Page Canadian Pacers and the Canadian HorseBy Janice LadendorfThe ancestors of the Canadian Pacers came from one or more of three
breeds - the old French-Canadian horse, the Narragansett, and the English
Thoroughbred. Of these breeds, the old Class “A” inspected, RANCH LAC G FANFARON ZIPPER (REG # 5563), is a 1990 stallion owned by Cherry Creek Canadians. He is predominantly of Royal and Becancour breeding. Louis XIV, the Sun King, sent stock from his royal stables to New France in 1665, 1667, and 1670. Those who survived the voyage and thrived in their new environment evolved into a new breed. Canadian pioneers gave it a nickname, the Little Iron Horse. But what did King Louis send? 1665, Iberian horses from Spain were the preferred mounts of French nobility, who had already used Spanish blood to improve many of their breeds. The shipping records for the horses sent to New France contain no information on their breed, size, color, or gaits. The Royal Stables probably included Iberian horses for general riding and the new art of dressage, as well as Barbs for hunting and Friesians for driving. For distance riding, they likely kept a few haubini or hobbies - French horses that had inherited their ambling gait from the Spanish Asturians. The old French-Canadian horse showed many signs of Spanish ancestry.
They had iron constitutions, as well as excellent bone and feet. Their
temperament was spirited, yet docile and willing. Like Barbs, Canadians
have tremendous endurance. It stands to reason that Spanish and/or Barb
horses could easily have been included with the original shipments from By 1774, most of the horses in the French colonies “paced” or ambled. Riders naturally preferred this gait to a trot. If haubini had been included in the original shipments from France, the Canadian might well have inherited a broken pace from them. In Quebec, colonists drove pacers and tested their speed in races. Haubini or roussin horses could easily have been included in the shipments to New France. Canadians also have certain characteristics in common with Friesians. Like Friesians, many Canadians are black and have some feathering on their legs, long, heavy, wavy manes and tails. Canadians have good hock and knee action. They could easily maintain a trot of 6-8 miles per hour while pulling a carriage. There are several explanations for this relationship. However, any factual evidence on the actual genetic mix of the original Canadian horse has been lost in the mists of time. Whatever it may have been, only the toughest could have survived and thrived in their new environment. In the summer, Canadian horses ran in woods and fought flies. The French practice of docking tails would have increased their misery. In the winter, the adult horses may have had rough shanties for shelter, but farmers generally grew little grain and cured no hay for their stock. Horses survived by eating straw and sometimes frozen fish. Selective breeding also influenced the evolution of the old French-Canadian horse. Farmers rarely gelded their horses and eschewed inbreeding. They did
not breed for excellence, for beauty, or for fashion. They wanted docile
horses that could work hard, survive on scant feed, and stay sound. Pioneer
farmers needed a versatile horse, who could pull heavy The Cheval Canadien, or Canadian horse, is a breed with ancient French and Spanish roots that contributed to American gaited horse breeds through stallions like TOM HAL and OLD PACING PILOT. In the 1700s and 1800s some Canadian horses paced or ambled, while others were natural trotters. Although very few Canadian Horses today are gaited, many of them have a ground-covering walk with a considerable overstride. Today the breed is considered rare, with about 6000 living individuals. Ken Morris Canadian horses were small, but powerful, and they excelled at light farm work. Few reached 15 hands, but their heavy muscling gave them the ability to pull heavy loads. In Quebec, they hauled grain, wood, or produce in a two-wheeled cart or caleche. In the winter, they pulled sledges or sleighs. If a farmer had to use more than one horse, he generally hitched them tandem. While pulling a loaded sleigh, their horses were expected to cover eighty or more miles in one day. For over 100 years, the French-Canadian horse developed in relative isolation. But New England and Quebec are geographically close together and the 18th century saw a lively trade in horses between them. Before the American Revolution, many traders went north to purchase Canadian horses for the lucrative trade to the West Indies. The Little Iron horse would have been ideal for working in the sugar mills there.In the early 19th century, any gaited horse that came to the United States from Canada was called a Canadian Pacer. The Canadian Pacer never became a separate breed. Instead of breeding them to each other, Americans crossed them on their own horses. Gaited horses from Canada became part of the foundation stock for the Morgan, Saddlebred, Standardbred, Tennessee Walker, and Missouri Fox Trotter. In the 1870s, “double gaited” horses from Canada sold especially well in Kentucky and Tennessee. The American Civil War and the Boer War in South Africa absorbed thousands of Canadian horses. By the late 19th century, the old French-Canadian horse had almost disappeared from its homeland. A few dedicated men began a long struggle to save this unique breed.
By 1907, they had established a breed registry. They did not breed for
gait, but their bloodlines still occasionally produce a gaited horse.
This breed is classified as rare by the American Livestock Breeds Conservatory.
In 2002, the Canadian became the National Horse of Canada. Suggested Reading: Jones, Robert Leslie “The Old French-Canadian Horse: Its History in Canada and the United States”, The Canadian Historical Review, Vol. XXVIII, June 1947, pp. 125-155.Beattie, Gladys Mackey "The Canadian Horse: A Pictorial History" Sun Books, 1981. Reprint, 1999. Reid, Dennis "Krieghoff: Images of Canada" Art Gallery of Ontario, 1999. Return to Top |