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108-618: His lineage spread, mainly thanks to his son Reynolds, a mediocre competitor and sire of Fuschia . Through Fuschia, Conquérant's lineage is still very much alive in the French Trotter . Contemporary sources on Conquérant are mainly compiled in Les trotteurs, origines, performances et produits (1864) by hippologist and stud inspector Charles Du Haÿs (1818–1898). In Le Trotteur français (2007, reprinted 2015) horse historian Jean-Pierre Reynaldo devotes several pages to Conquérant. Conquérant

216-532: A stallion named "Fuschia" (although we don't know if it's this one or another), who would only cover chestnut mares . Jean-Pierre Reynaldo has drawn up a classification of the French Trotter 's remaining male bloodlines. The Conquérant lineage is numbered I, with Fuschia present in all the remaining branches (6 in all). By 1905, Fuschia had become such a successful sire that his Conquérant lineage accounted for 40% of all French Trotteur lineages. Two of Fuschia's sons, in particular, perpetuate this lineage:

324-554: A stallion was such that, for the first time in their history, the Haras Nationaux had to draw lots to distribute cards granting the right to stud. In 1900, according to Caen veterinarian Alfred Gallier, the number of requests for Fuschia and Harley to be covered by a brood mare exceeded the natural possibilities of these two stallions. In recent breeding years, trotting mares capable of a mileage reduction of less than 1 min 40 s are prioritized for covering. In recent years,

432-472: A "common" appearance, a heavy head and lymphatic tissues , unless crossed with a Thoroughbred mare . This was also the opinion published in 1894 in La Quinzaine littéraire : "Cet étalon commun fait de vilaines têtes greffées sur des encolures trop courtes" ("This common stallion makes ugly heads grafted onto necks that are too short"). In his book Les Bêtes, ces inconnues (1954), Jean Éparvier cites

540-605: A companion animal, most professional breeders use selective breeding to produce individuals of a given phenotype , or breed . Alternatively, a breeder could, using individuals of differing phenotypes, create a new breed with specific characteristics. A horse is "bred" where it is foaled (born). Thus a colt conceived in England but foaled in the United States is regarded as being bred in the US. In some cases, most notably in

648-764: A farm and patrol animal is bred for a shorter stride, an ability to stop and turn quickly, and an unflappable attitude that remains calm and focused even in the face of an angry charging steer. The first two are still to this day bred to have a combination of explosive speed that exceeds the Thoroughbred on short distances clocked as high as 55 mph, but they still retain the gentle, calm, and kindly temperament of their ancestors that makes them easily handled. The Canadian horse 's origin corresponds to shipments of French horses, some of which came from Louis XIV's own stable and most likely were Baroque horses meant to be gentlemen's mounts. These were ill-suited to farm work and to

756-438: A few hours a wild foal can travel with the herd. In domestic breeding, the foal and dam are usually separated from the herd for a while, but within a few weeks are typically pastured with the other horses. A foal will begin to eat hay, grass and grain alongside the mare at about 4 weeks old; by 10–12 weeks the foal requires more nutrition than the mare's milk can supply. Foals are typically weaned at 4–8 months of age, although in

864-442: A field amongst a herd, but may also see higher rates of foal and mare mortality in doing so. Most mares foal at night or early in the morning, and prefer to give birth alone when possible. Labor is rapid, often no more than 30 minutes, and from the time the feet of the foal appear to full delivery is often only about 15 to 20 minutes. Once the foal is born, the mare will lick the newborn foal to clean it and help blood circulation. In

972-446: A foal's navel is dipped in antiseptic to prevent infection. The foal is sometimes given an enema to help clear the meconium from its digestive tract. The newborn is monitored to ensure that it stands and nurses without difficulty. While most horse births happen without complications, many owners have first aid supplies prepared and a veterinarian on call in case of a birthing emergency. People who supervise foaling should also watch

1080-411: A horse, a stallion , is commonly known as the sire and the female parent, the mare , is called the dam . Both are genetically important, as each parent genes can be existent with a 50% probability in the foal. Contrary to popular misuse, "colt" refers to a young male horse only; "filly" is a young female. Though many horse owners may simply breed a family mare to a local stallion in order to produce

1188-517: A letter, found and reproduced by archivist Alain Talon: "My poor old and good mare Élisa, Conquérant's mother, the first and fertile source of our Normandy trotters died this morning. When I came back from Mass, I found her lying stiff, near the entrance to the Gouey garden, which she had broken when she fell. I'd put her in this small, sheltered room for her to spend the winter in. I bent over my poor mare,

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1296-596: A long tear still wetting her eyelid, as if her last tear had been for me. Involuntarily, I felt my eyes moisten. Élisa died of old age, almost without suffering, no doubt, she couldn't have had a better end? I cared for her in her last years as she deserved. I was not ungrateful to her and treated her as a friend. Her noble career is over, and I can do nothing more for her than give her regret. – Pierre Étienne Joseph-Lafosse, letter dated Sunday November 20, 1881 La France chevaline announced Conquérant's death in its September 18, 1880 issue. According to Paul Guillerot, Conquérant

1404-525: A mile). Colonists did not have racetracks or any of the trappings of Europe that the earliest Thoroughbreds had at their disposal, so instead the owners of Quarter Horses would run their horses on roads that lead through town as a form of local entertainment. As the USA expanded West, the breed went with settlers as a farm and ranch animal, and "cow sense" was particularly valued: their use for herding cattle increased on rough, dry terrain that often involved sitting in

1512-554: A prelude to the Prix du Président de la République . Fuschia (trotter horse) Fuschia (1883 – August 1908) was a trotter horse born in the Manche region of France, and head of the French Trotter breed. Winner of 17 of the 20 races in which he competed in mounted trotting from age 3 to age 5, he is best known for having been an excellent sire at the Le Pin national stud, to

1620-515: A sire of superior merit, and he endowed France with so many outstanding trotters [...] that he must be considered one of the most illustrious heads of the French trotting breed". In 1900, Alfred Gallier used almost the same phrase as Guillerot, considering Conquérant "to be the most illustrious head of the Norman trotting family". In Les familles de trotteurs (1908), Louis Cauchois, places Conquérant at

1728-417: A stallion. The shipments included a mix of draft horses and light horses, the latter of which included both pacing and trotting horses.[1] The exact origins of all the horses are unknown, although the shipments probably included Bretons, Normans, Arabians, Andalusians and Barbs. In modern times, these breeds themselves have since been selectively bred to further specialize at certain tasks. One example of this

1836-644: A stockhorse, or a horse to pull a conestoga wagon. Other horses from North America retained a hint of their mustang origins by being either derived from stock that Native Americans bred that came in a rainbow of color, like the Appaloosa and American Paint Horse , with those East of the Mississippi River increasingly bred to impress and mimic the trends of the upper classes of Europe: The Tennessee Walking Horse and Saddlebred were originally plantation horses bred for their gait and comfortable ride in

1944-439: A successful sire that, according to Cauchois and Reynaldo, by 1905, he had taken Conquérant's lineage to 40% of the lineages represented in the French Trotter . As Conquérant and Fuschia are not descended from The Heir of Linne Thoroughbred, their bloodlineages may have been crossed with that Thoroughbred's descendants. In particular, the cross between Conquérant – Fuschia and Phaéton was a great success. According to Reynaldo,

2052-466: A trotter with sloping spokes and regular conformation . The neck and shoulder are long, the chest deep, the hip sloping, the toplineage well supported, the loins well conformed, but the back is judged a little too long. Criticism focuses on its "common" appearance, with a head considered very ugly, and limb extremities betraying a lack of blood. Fuschia is a cross between the Thoroughbred and

2160-416: A very high price for the time: on average from 7,000 to 10,000 francs , with some reaching 12,000 to 15,000 francs . By comparison, foals from ordinary mares and stallions sell for between 2,000 and 7,000 francs , while Fuschia's foals never sell for less than 5,000 francs . (1894) (1895) (1897) (1897) (1900) (1901) (1901–1922) (1901) R. Robert considers him to be "the true father" of

2268-412: A very short time, the foal will attempt to stand and get milk from its mother. A foal should stand and nurse within the first hour of life. To create a bond with her foal, the mare licks and nuzzles the foal, enabling her to distinguish the foal from others. Some mares are aggressive when protecting their foals, and may attack other horses or unfamiliar humans that come near their newborns. After birth,

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2376-477: A war horse, and popular among the elite nobility of the time. Breeds such as the Lipizzan and the now extinct Neapolitan horse were developed from Spanish-bred horses for this purpose, and also became the preferred mounts of cavalry officers, who were derived mostly from the ranks of the nobility. It was during this time that firearms were developed, and so the light cavalry horse, a faster and quicker war horse,

2484-424: Is a bay stallion , 1.59 m tall. Édouard Nicard describes Conquérant and his son Reynolds as stallions with slightly drowned backs , a conformation typical of trotters of the period. Conquérant is light and slightly round, with straight hocks. Nicard estimates that Conquérant is 44% Thoroughbred , while Count Marie-Aimery de Comminges puts the figure at 38%. Charles Du Haÿs considers him "the most beautiful son of

2592-437: Is above all the mare Capucine, born in 1880 by Fortuna, who is considered the most famous daughter of Conquérant according to Alfred Gallier (1900), with a kilometer reduction of 1'35'' and earnings of 127,127 francs during her racing career. The chestnut Beaugé, one of Conquérant's coalts by Miss-Ambition, born in 1879, died prematurely after three breeding seasons at the Haras Nationaux . The seal brown Dictateur, born to

2700-668: Is believed to be a very close relative of Ottoman horses from the earliest origins of the Turks in Central Asia. The types of horse bred varied with culture and with the times. The uses to which a horse was put also determined its qualities, including smooth amblers for riding, fast horses for carrying messengers, heavy horses for plowing and pulling heavy wagons, ponies for hauling cars of ore from mines, packhorses, carriage horses and many others. Medieval Europe bred large horses specifically for war, called destriers . These horses were

2808-404: Is bred less for overall form and more for power over tall fences, along with speed, scope, and agility. This favors a horse with a good galloping stride, powerful hindquarters that can change speed or direction easily, plus a good shoulder angle and length of neck. A jumper has a more powerful build than either the hunter or the racehorse. The history of horse breeding goes back millennia. Though

2916-582: Is described by Charles Du Haÿs as the best son of Young Rattler. Conquérant's paternal grandsire is Voltaire, a Norman hunter stallion son of Impérieux, from the Basly stable. Kapirat, Conquérant's sire, was born in 1844 in the Orne region, and is described as an excellent stallion, energetic and robust; he stood from 1859 to 1870 in the Cotentin region. Through his maternal grandmother Élise, Conquérant came from

3024-499: Is desired, barn managers will put the mare "under lights" by keeping the barn lights on in the winter to simulate a longer day, thus bringing the mare into estrus sooner than she would in nature. Mares signal estrus and ovulation by urination in the presence of a stallion, raising the tail and revealing the vulva . A stallion , approaching with a high head, will usually nicker, nip and nudge the mare, as well as sniff her urine to determine her readiness for mating. During copulation ,

3132-578: Is difficult to determine how far back the Bedouin passed on pedigree information via an oral tradition , there were written pedigrees of Arabian horses by CE 1330. The Akhal-Teke of West-Central Asia is another breed with roots in ancient times that was also bred specifically for war and racing. The nomads of the Mongolian steppes bred horses for several thousand years as well, and the Caspian horse

3240-561: Is not, today, a French Trotter who is not strongly 'inbred' to him". Reynaldo compares his impact on trotter breeding in France to that of the stallion Peter the Great in the United States. Daniel Faucher declared in 1952 that 9/10 of French Trotters were sired by Fuschia. Fuschia sired almost 400 trotters, giving a total of 390 licensed trotters, 115 of whom became stallions in their turn. Fuschia's stallions were mainly distributed in

3348-422: Is reproduction in horses , and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed . Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses. Furthermore, modern breeding management and technologies can increase the rate of conception, a healthy pregnancy, and successful foaling. The male parent of

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3456-465: Is suitable breeding stock, hotly debated by breeders. Additional personal beliefs may come into play when considering a suitable level of care for the mare and ensuing foal, the potential market or use for the foal, and other tangible and intangible benefits to the owner. If the breeding endeavor is intended to make a profit, there are additional market factors to consider, which may vary considerably from year to year, from breed to breed, and by region of

3564-523: Is the American Quarter Horse . Once a general-purpose working ranch horse, different bloodlines now specialize in different events. For example, larger, heavier animals with a very steady attitude are bred to give competitors an advantage in events such as team roping , where a horse has to start and stop quickly, but also must calmly hold a full-grown steer at the end of a rope. On the other hand, for an event known as cutting , where

3672-473: Is the Thoroughbred . While most representatives of this breed are bred for horse racing , there are also specialized bloodlines suitable as show hunters or show jumpers . The hunter must have a tall, smooth build that allows it to trot and canter smoothly and efficiently. Instead of speed, value is placed on appearance and upon giving the equestrian a comfortable ride, with natural jumping ability that shows bascule and good form. A show jumper , however,

3780-583: Is the source of many other successful Normandy breedings. Another mare named Élisa is cited as the dam of Élisa born in 1853. This mare was born in Anjou in 1831, and like Élise has the Thoroughbred Marcellus for sire, but her dam is the hunting mare Jenny, by Young Rattler. She was a famous flat and steeplechase racing mare, and would have given birth to young Elisa at the ripe old age of 22. In 1896, Paul Guillerot wrote that Conquérant "was

3888-758: The American Quarter Horse and the Criollo of Argentina . In Canada, the Canadian Horse descended from the French stock Louis XIV sent to Canada in the late 17th century.[6] The initial shipment, in 1665, consisted of two stallions and twenty mares from the Royal Stables in Normandy and Brittany, the centre of French horse breeding.[7] Only 12 of the 20 mares survived the trip. Two more shipments followed, one in 1667 of 14 horses (mostly mares, but with at least one stallion), and one in 1670 of 11 mares and

3996-551: The Annuaire de la Normandie , the initial reception given to the young stallion Fuschia was "very reserved; in spite of his undoubted quality, breeders in this country were afraid of introducing into their breed a stallion who could not give them good offspring ". He reproduced until 1908, when he was slaughtered at Haras du Pin in August. He was top of the list of French Trotter stallions from 1893 to 1906. His success as

4104-519: The Arabian , Barb , and Turkoman horse This cross-breeding led both to a nimbler war horse, such as today's Andalusian horse , but also created a type of horse known as a Courser , a predecessor to the Thoroughbred , which was used as a message horse. During the Renaissance , horses were bred not only for war, but for haute ecole riding, derived from the most athletic movements required of

4212-517: The French Trotter breed , as "it can be said that at the present time [in 1955] there is not a single French Trotter who does not claim Fuschia blood". Reynaldo cites him as "indisputably the greatest French stallion". According to Maurice O'Neill (1949), during his stallion career at the Haras national du Pin , Fuschia assumed such importance in Normandy horse breeding from 1890 onwards "that there

4320-457: The Haras du Pin region has also been full of foals sired by Fuschia. According to Reynaldo, Mr. Gosselin "never got over" selling his best horse to the stud, and died a year before Fuschia, on 22 April 1907. Fuschia is universally described as inelegant, even ugly. He reached a height of 1.61 m as an adult, which was rather large for his time. His coat was bay . On 7 April 1900, Le Sport universel illustré magazine described him as

4428-541: The Norfolk Trotter . He is a son of the French Trotter stallion Reynolds, and the mare Rêveuse, by Lavater. His breeder bought the mare Symphonie (or Sympathie) at the Tattersall horse market sales, and had her covered by the stallion Lavater, who had a reputation for producing ugly foals . He thus obtained Fuschia's dam, Rêveuse. The mare Lady Pierce was sold by an American trotting competitor on

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4536-583: The Odyssey by Homer, and hieroglyphics and paintings left behind by Egyptians tell stories of pharaohs hunting elephants from chariots. Nearly nothing is known of what became of the horses they bred for hippodromes, for warfare, or even for farming. One of the earliest people known to document the breedings of their horses were the Bedouin of the Middle East , the breeders of the Arabian horse . While it

4644-465: The Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1) virus (which can cause miscarriage) as well as vaccines for other conditions that may occur in a given region of the world. Pre-foaling vaccines are recommended 4–6 weeks prior to foaling to maximize the immunoglobulin content of the colostrum in the first milk. Mares are dewormed a few weeks prior to foaling, as the mare is the primary source of parasites for

4752-473: The Thoroughbred , to produce the modern warmblood breeds popular in sport horse disciplines, particularly at the Olympic level. Breeding a horse is an endeavor where the owner, particularly of the mare, will usually need to invest considerable time and money. For this reason, a horse owner needs to consider several factors, including: There are value judgements involved in considering whether an animal

4860-546: The sire of 390 trotters, 115 of whom were approved as breeding stallions in the French Trotter studbook , spreading his lineage. He is one of the six remaining branches of Conquérant's lineage. According to Count Henry de Robien, Fuschia owes his existence to M. de Parcevaux, a former stud farm inspector of Breton origin, who had the Reynolds stallion on his books at the La Roche-sur-Yon stallion depot. As

4968-420: The 10 races in which he took part (with one second place), for earnings of 9,000 francs . Mr. Gosselin turned down an offer from an American buyer, Mr. Maassen, for 33,000 francs . The 1888 season was not as good, as Fuschia could only be put back in condition at the very end of the season, due to leg problems which required the application of an "energetic fire". The young stallion competed in three races at

5076-540: The Caen plain, but also in regions other than Normandy : in 1900, the stallion depot at La Roche-sur-Yon had three sons of Fuschia (Mars, Nangis and Orphelin). He is reputed to have produced good trotters by crossing with Phaéton daughters; the classic cross from which the successful French Trotters of the early 20th century are descended is in fact the result of crossing Fuschia's lineage with that of Phaéton. According to Haras Georges Bonnefont, Fuschia's offspring have

5184-548: The Conquérant lineage remains very active at the beginning of the 21st century. He divides it into six branches: Kerjacques, Quinio, Hernani III, Intermède et Gaël, Fandango and Loudéac. Through his maternal lineage, Conquérant is an ancestor of the famous Cherbourg stallion. In 1879, his name was given to the Prix Conquérant, the oldest trotting race for 4-year-olds and one of the best endowed in France, serving as

5292-467: The Derby des trotteurs de Rouen, one of the great classics of the era, were, with one exception, exclusively sired by him from 1893 to 1905. In their study L'agriculture et les institutions agricoles du monde au début du xxe siècle (published in 1906), Louis Grandeau and Charles de Saint-Cyr estimate that "never in the world has a half-blood stallion produced so many winners". In fact, his foals sold at

5400-455: The Duc de Narbonne in 1878, had a fine racing career, earning 13,255 francs as a three-year-old, for a total of 44,485 francs during his two years of competition. Dictateur achieved a mileage reduction of 1'38'' . However, this stallion left no sons worthy of him. It is essentially the mediocre trotter Reynolds who ensures the survival of Conquérant's male line. When Paul Guillerot established

5508-403: The Thoroughbred breeding industry, American- and Canadian-bred horses may also be described by the state or province in which they are foaled. Some breeds denote the country, or state, where conception took place as the origin of the foal. Similarly, the "breeder", is the person who owned or leased the mare at the time of foaling. That individual may not have had anything to do with the mating of

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5616-404: The ancestors of the great heavy horses of today, and their size was preferred not simply because of the weight of the armor, but also because a large horse provided more power for the knight's lance. Weighing almost twice as much as a normal riding horse, the destrier was a powerful weapon in battle meant to act like a giant battering ram that could quite literally run down men on an enemy line. On

5724-443: The beginning of the widespread use of the letter of the year among horse breeders, 1858 being the year in which foals had to bear a name beginning with the letter "C". Conquérant was trained for racing by A. Basly, and made his racetrack debut in 1861, at the age of three, for the Basly stable. He won a 1,000- franc prize in a 4-kilometer race at Saint-Lô , beating Capucin and Y. in 8 minutes and 57 seconds. He won 1,350 francs at

5832-468: The beginning of their respective stud books . The female line of descent always appears at the bottom of a tabulated pedigree and is therefore often known as the bottom line . In addition, the maternal grandfather of a horse has a special term: damsire . " Linebreeding " technically is the duplication of fourth-generation or more distant ancestors. However, the term is often used more loosely, describing horses with duplication of ancestors closer than

5940-409: The careful balance required of increased protein, increased calories through extra fat as well as vitamins and minerals. Overfeeding the pregnant mare, particularly during early gestation, should be avoided, as excess weight may contribute to difficulties foaling or fetal/foal related problems. Mares due to foal are usually separated from other horses, both for the benefit of the mare and the safety of

6048-623: The creator of the French Trotter studbook Louis Cauchois attributed one of them to Fuschia. This historical classification is still used more than a hundred years later, despite one discrepancy: Fuschia is not a founder of the French Trotter lineage, but a member of the Conquérant lineage. Alban d'Hauthuille, in his study Les courses de chevaux published in 1982 in the PUF Que sais-je? collection, mentions five lineages of French Trotters and links "the famous Fuschia" to that of Conquérant. Zootechnician Paul Dechambre (1921) links him to one of

6156-402: The desert naturally developed speed and endurance to travel long distances and survive in a harsh environment, and domestication by humans added a trainable disposition to the animal's natural abilities. In the meantime, in northern Europe , the locally adapted heavy horse with a thick, warm coat was domesticated and put to work as a farm animal that could pull a plow or wagon. This animal

6264-663: The development of breeds such as the Thoroughbred , a horse taller than the Arabian and faster over the distances of a few miles required of a European race horse or light cavalry horse. Another cross between oriental and European horses produced the Andalusian , a horse developed in Spain that was powerfully built, but extremely nimble and capable of the quick bursts of speed over short distances necessary for certain types of combat as well as for tasks such as bullfighting . Later,

6372-424: The early days of pregnancy, the conceptus is mobile, moving about in the uterus until about day 16 when "fixation" occurs. Shortly after fixation, the embryo proper (so called up to about 35 days) will become visible on trans-rectal ultrasound (about day 21) and a heartbeat should be visible by about day 23. After the formation of the endometrial cups and early placentation is initiated (35–40 days of gestation)

6480-470: The end of 1888, which resulted in a second place, a dead-heat with the horse Norma, and a victory. Fuschia suffered an early muscle strain , and arrived at the Haras national du Pin at the age of 6, sold by his owner for the sum of 11,000 francs; according to Reynaldo, Mr. Gosselin's motivation was to prevent his horse from being sold abroad. Fuschia was put to stud in 1889 by the Haras du Pin , which stationed him at Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe . According to

6588-402: The fetus increases the mare's nutritional requirements. Energy requirements during these last few months, and during the first few months of lactation are similar to those of a horse in full training. Trace minerals such as copper are extremely important, particularly during the tenth month of pregnancy, for proper skeletal formation. Many feeds designed for pregnant and lactating mares provide

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6696-404: The foal. Mares can be used for riding or driving during most of their pregnancy. Exercise is healthy, though should be moderated when a mare is heavily in foal. Exercise in excessively high temperatures has been suggested as being detrimental to pregnancy maintenance during the embryonic period; however ambient temperatures encountered during the research were in the region of 100 degrees F and

6804-412: The fourth generation. It also is sometimes used as a euphemism for the practice of inbreeding , a practice that is generally frowned upon by horse breeders, though used by some in an attempt to fix certain traits. The estrous cycle (also spelled oestrous) controls when a mare is sexually receptive toward a stallion, and helps to physically prepare the mare for conception. It generally occurs during

6912-449: The gestation using ultrasound. Halfway through gestation the fetus is the size of between a rabbit and a beagle . The most dramatic fetal development occurs in the last 3 months of pregnancy when 60% of fetal growth occurs. Colts are carried on average about 4 days longer than fillies. Domestic mares receive specific care and nutrition to ensure that they and their foals are healthy. Mares are given vaccinations against diseases such as

7020-630: The hardscrabble life of the New World, so like the Americans, early Canadians crossed their horses with natives escapees. In time they evolved along similar lines as the Quarter Horse to the South as both the US and Canada spread westward and needed a calm and tractable horse versatile enough to carry the farmer's son to school but still capable of running fast and running hard as a cavalry horse,

7128-423: The horse must separate a cow from a herd and prevent it from rejoining the group, the best horses are smaller, quick, alert, athletic and highly trainable. They must learn quickly, have conformation that allows quick stops and fast, low turns, and the best competitors have a certain amount of independent mental ability to anticipate and counter the movement of a cow, popularly known as "cow sense." Another example

7236-469: The horse racing world, although its lines have been more recently used to improve warmblood breeds and to develop sport horses. The French saddle horse is an excellent example as is the Irish Sport Horse , the latter being an unusual combination between a Thoroughbred and a draft breed. The American Quarter Horse was developed early in the 18th century, mainly for quarter racing (racing ¼ of

7344-492: The introduction of the Trotter Norfolk in France, was common in the 19th century to produce the best speed trotters. Conquérant belonged to the male lineage of the founding Thoroughbred stallion Godolphin Arabian , and thus descends from the stallions Matchem and Young Rattler, by Rattler. Young Rattler was the first Godolphin Arabian descendant to breed in France. Impérieux, paternal great-grand-sire of Conquérant,

7452-434: The larger stud farms . Many stud farms worldwide employ technology to alert human managers when the mare is about to foal, including webcams , closed-circuit television , or assorted types of devices that alert a handler via a remote alarm when a mare lies down in a position to foal. On the other hand, some breeders, particularly those in remote areas or with extremely large numbers of horses, may allow mares to foal out in

7560-405: The lineages of the trotting breed in France in 1896, he credited two stallions descended from Young Rattler with founding a trotting line: Conquérant and Normand. He justifies this on the grounds that each of these two stallions has "sired trotters of such high order that both are entitled to give their name to their respective descendants". Fuschia , son of the mediocre stallion Reynolds, was such

7668-481: The majority of, but not all, mares – prevents the mare from conceiving in the winter months, as that would result in her foaling during the harshest part of the year, a time when it would be most difficult for the foal to survive. This cycle contains 2 phases: Depending on breed, on average, 16% of mares have double ovulations, allowing them to twin, though this does not affect the length of time of estrus or diestrus. Changes in hormone levels can have great effects on

7776-436: The mare to be sure that she passes the placenta in a timely fashion, and that it is complete with no fragments remaining in the uterus . Retained fetal membranes can cause a serious inflammatory condition ( endometritis ) and/or infection. If the placenta is not removed from the stall after it is passed, a mare will often eat it, an instinct from the wild, where blood would attract predators. Foals develop rapidly, and within

7884-509: The mare Élise, dam of Élisa. Élise, then aged around 20, was imported to Joseph-Lafosse's stables in Saint-Côme-du-Mont , where she gave birth to Élisa. The French Infochevaux database cites the mare Élise, daughter of Marcellus and La Panachée, as Élisa's dam. Charles Du Haÿs attests to this origin in his book L'Ancien Merlerault ; he also states that Elisa was originally a Merlerault mare. The stallion Matador, an ancestor of Elisa,

7992-426: The mare. It is important to review each breed registry's rules to determine which applies to any specific foal. In the horse breeding industry, the term "half-brother" or "half-sister" only describes horses which have the same dam, but different sires. Horses with the same sire but different dams are simply said to be "by the same sire", and no sibling relationship is implied. "Full" (or "own") siblings have both

8100-564: The other hand, during this same time, lighter horses were bred in northern Africa and the Middle East, where a faster, more agile horse was preferred. The lighter horse suited the raids and battles of desert people, allowing them to outmaneuver rather than overpower the enemy. When Middle Eastern warriors and European knights collided in warfare, the heavy knights were frequently outmaneuvered. The Europeans, however, responded by crossing their native breeds with "oriental" type horses such as

8208-622: The people who settled America needed a hardy horse that was capable of working with cattle . Thus, Arabians and Thoroughbreds were crossed on Spanish horses, both domesticated animals descended from those brought over by the Conquistadors , and feral horses such as the Mustangs , descended from the Spanish horse, but adapted by natural selection to the ecology and climate of the west. These crosses ultimately produced new breeds such as

8316-446: The physical characteristics of the reproductive organs of the mare, thereby preparing, or preventing, her from conceiving. The cycle is controlled by several hormones which regulate the estrous cycle, the mare's behavior, and the reproductive system of the mare. The cycle begins when the increased day length causes the pineal gland to reduce the levels of melatonin , thereby allowing the hypothalamus to secrete GnRH. While horses in

8424-485: The point of imposing for the first time a lottery system for the allocation of breeding rights to brood mares . Although an excellent competitor and sire , Fuschia, a tall bay stallion , was criticized by some stud officers for his ugly appearance, in particular the shape of his head and the bottom of his limbs, a "common" appearance that he passed on to his foals . Considered the most illustrious trotting stallion of his time, this grandson of Conquérant became in turn

8532-522: The precise date is in dispute, humans could have domesticated the horse as far back as approximately 4500 BCE. However, evidence of planned breeding has a more blurry history. It is well known, for example, that the Romans did breed horses and valued them in their armies, but little is known regarding their breeding and husbandry practices: all that remains are statues and artwork. Mankind has plenty of equestrian statues of Roman emperors, horses are mentioned in

8640-469: The promise that she would be able to achieve a mile reduction of 1 min 40 sec. Her daughter Miss Pierce became the first trotting mare born in France to reach 1 min 40 s. Great hopes are placed in the result of the cross between Miss Pierce and the stallion Conquérant, the sire of Fuschia. This horse is named "Reynolds" after the American who sold the mare Lady Pierce. Reynolds proved disappointing on

8748-552: The saddle as a plantation master would survey his vast lands like an English lord. Horses were needed for heavy draft and carriage work until replaced by the automobile, truck, and tractor. After this time, draft and carriage horse numbers dropped significantly, though light riding horses remained popular for recreational pursuits. Draft horses today are used on a few small farms, but today are seen mainly for pulling and plowing competitions rather than farm work. Heavy harness horses are now used as an outcross with lighter breeds, such as

8856-431: The saddle for long hours. However, this did not mean that the original ¼-mile races that colonists held ever went out of fashion, so today there are three types: the stock horse type, the racer, and the more recently evolving sport type. The racing type most resembles the finer-boned ancestors of the first racing Quarter Horses, and the type is still used for ¼-mile races. The stock horse type, used in western events and as

8964-463: The same dam and the same sire. The terms paternal half-sibling, and maternal half-sibling are also often used. Three-quarter siblings are horses out of the same dam, and are by sires that are either half-brothers (i.e. same dam) or who are by the same sire. Thoroughbreds and Arabians are also classified through the "distaff" or direct female line, known as their "family" or "tail female" line, tracing back to their taproot foundation bloodstock or

9072-413: The same race meeting, beating Pierson and three other horses over 5 kilometers in 10 minutes and 43 seconds. Also in 1861, he won 1,200 francs at Le Pin , beating Pierson over 4 kilometers in 7 minutes and 55 seconds. Beaten in Caen in 1861 by Y. and Bon Coeur, he nevertheless won prizes over 4 km and 1 km at the same meeting. Reynaldo attributes this single defeat to "legitimate fatigue". He

9180-440: The same results may not be encountered in regions with lower ambient temperatures. During the first several months of pregnancy, the nutritional requirements do not increase significantly since the rate of growth of the fetus is very slow. However, during this time, the mare may be provided supplemental vitamins and minerals, particularly if forage quality is questionable. During the last 3–4 months of gestation, rapid growth of

9288-486: The same stock as another founding stallion of the French Trotter, Phaéton . However, the origins of his dam, the mare Élisa, born in 1853, are disputed. Trained for trotting races by the Basly stables, Élisa only raced for one year (in 1856). She became one of the most important founding mares of the French Trotter breed . She was the dam of La Crocus, herself the dam of Phaéton. Corsair (or Corsaire), Élisa's sire,

9396-490: The six stallions that have "contributed most to the improvement of the Norman breed since 1840". Conquérant was the stallion who most influenced Anglo-Norman trotter breeding in the 1860s, along with Normand. According to Reynaldo, from 1863 to 1880, Conquérant sired 66 trotters. However, only a fraction of these will go down in history. Conquérant sired two fillies and a colt with the great champion Bayadère , but none of these three foals reached their dam's level. It

9504-425: The soon-to-be-delivered foal. In addition, separation allows the mare to be monitored more closely by humans for any problems that may occur while giving birth. In the northern hemisphere, a special foaling stall that is large and clutter free is frequently used, particularly by major breeding farms. Originally, this was due in part to a need for protection from the harsh winter climate present when mares foal early in

9612-421: The spring and summer months, although some mares may be sexually receptive into the late fall, and is controlled by the photoperiod (length of the day), the cycle first triggered when the days begin to lengthen. The estrous cycle lasts about 19–22 days, with the average being 21 days. As the days shorten, the mare returns to a period when she is not sexually receptive, known as anestrus . Anestrus – occurring in

9720-516: The stallion Kapirat", endowed with magnificent gaits that he passes on to his foals . According to Ollivier, Conquérant remained famous for his ability to pass on his gaits. Conquérant came from crosses between two breeds of horse, the Norfolk Trotter and the Thoroughbred . The Norfolk Trotter can be traced back to both paternal and maternal origins. His sire , Kapirat, and his dam , Elisa, both came from crosses between Norfolk Trotters and Thoroughbreds . This type of crossing, which resulted from

9828-599: The stallion had no success in the Vendée , he was transferred to the Saint-Lô stallion depot. Reynolds bred from 1880 to 1896, mainly at the Sainte-Marie-du-Mont breeding station. Fuschia was born in 1883 to Mr. J. Gosselin, a rather modest breeder based in Saint-Côme-du-Mont , Manche. According to Jean-Pierre Reynaldo, he was an "ordinary, not to say ugly" foal , who consequently found no buyers when he

9936-473: The stallion usually ejaculates after 6 to 8 pelvic thrusts . Once fertilized, the oocyte (egg) remains in the oviduct for approximately 5.5 more days, and then descends into the uterus . The initial single cell combination is already dividing and by the time of entry into the uterus, the egg might have already reached the blastocyst stage. The gestation period lasts for about eleven months, or about 340 days (normal average range 320–370 days). During

10044-499: The stallions Narquois and Bémécourt. The first four branches of Conquérant's lineage are descended from Bémécourt, the next two being two branches descended from Narquois. Fandango, one of these descendants, gave rise to the "e" branch of this lineage. An important mounted trotting race , the Prix Ellora, was renamed in his honor at the end of the 19th century. It still existed in 1961. Sire (horse) Horse breeding

10152-414: The terminology changes, and the embryo is referred to as a fetus . True implantation – invasion into the endometrium of any sort – does not occur until about day 35 of pregnancy with the formation of the endometrial cups, and true placentation (formation of the placenta) is not initiated until about day 40-45 and not completed until about 140 days of pregnancy. The fetus's sex can be determined by day 70 of

10260-455: The top of the list of five great sires at the origin of the French Trotter, as does Albert Viel in 1923, and then the Que sais-je? devoted to horse racing, published in 1967 by PUF and written by Jacques Gendry. Reynaldo also cites him as one of the most important breeders of the 19th century. The Bulletin de la Société d'encouragement pour l'industrie nationale of 1900 lists Conquérant among

10368-555: The track, achieving a kilometer reduction of just 1 min 56 s. Fuschia is a grandson of Conquérant, and therefore by him of Young Rattler, out of the Godolphin Arabian lineage. By Success, he is also a descendant of The Norfolk Phœnomenon . Seven of his thirty direct ancestors are Thoroughbreds ; taking into account his ancestors of unknown origin, Fuschia has between 35 and 40% Thoroughbred origins. When he established his classification of trotter families in 1908,

10476-437: The two branches of English half-breeds descended from Young Rattler, by Impérieuse. The annals of the 1897 parliamentary debates mention "Fuschia, [...] this stallion whose offspring everyone clamors for. He is so highly regarded that this year [1898] he already has sixty-five mares to accept". In 1898, of the 28 three-year-old trotters tested who ran a kilometer in under 1 min 40 s, eight were sons of Fuschia. The winners of

10584-488: The ultimate racehorse, through the lines of three foundation Arabian stallions and one Turkish horse. In the 18th century, James Burnett, Lord Monboddo noted the importance of selecting appropriate parentage to achieve desired outcomes of successive generations. Monboddo worked more broadly in the abstract thought of species relationships and evolution of species. The Thoroughbred breeding hub in Lexington, Kentucky

10692-415: The wild a foal may nurse for a year. Beyond the appearance and conformation of a specific type of horse, breeders aspire to improve physical performance abilities. This concept, known as matching "form to function," has led to the development of not only different breeds, but also families or bloodlines within breeds that are specialists for excelling at specific tasks. For example, the Arabian horse of

10800-401: The wild mate and foal in mid to late spring, in the case of horses domestically bred for competitive purposes, especially horse racing , it is desirable that they be born as close to January 1 in the northern hemisphere or August 1 in the southern hemisphere as possible, so as to be at an advantage in size and maturity when competing against other horses in the same age group. When an early foal

10908-458: The year, but even in moderate climates, such as Florida , foaling stalls are still common because they allow closer monitoring of mares. Smaller breeders often use a small pen with a large shed for foaling, or they may remove a wall between two box stalls in a small barn to make a large stall. In the milder climates seen in much of the southern hemisphere, most mares foal outside, often in a paddock built specifically for foaling, especially on

11016-412: Was weaned . His owner trained him in mounted trotting before entrusting him to Ferdinand Dufour at Pont-l'Évêque , and the two men raced him between the ages of 3 and 5. Fuschia is reputed to be an excellent racing trotter, with 29,780 francs in winnings and 17 victories in 20 races, for a kilometer reduction record of 1 min 35 s at Veulettes , and 1 min 36 s at Rouen . In 1886, Fuschia won 9 of

11124-550: Was a chestnut stallion born in 1845, standing 1.59 m tall, who stood at the Haras Nationaux de Saint-Lô from 1852 to 1860. Élisa's maternal grandmother may have been the mare La Panachée, born in 1819 at Médavy in the Orne region, then acquired by the royal stables of Charles X in 1825, which were dispersed following the Revolution of 1830 . Panachée was covered in Anjou by the Thoroughbred stallion Marcellus, giving birth to

11232-562: Was born in Cotentin ( Manche department, Normandy ), in 1858, to breeder Pierre Étienne Joseph-Lafosse. His sire is the stallion Kapirat and his dam the mare Élisa, by Corsaire. His mother was born on the same farm. According to A. Ollivier, it was on the advice of Baron de Taya, then director of the Haras Nationaux de Saint-Lô, that Conquérant's breeder had his mare Élisa covered by Kapirat. Conquérant's birth coincided with

11340-552: Was bred for "shoot and run" tactics rather than the shock action as in the Middle Ages. Fine horses usually had a well muscled, curved neck, slender body, and sweeping mane, as the nobility liked to show off their wealth and breeding in paintings of the era. After Charles II retook the British throne in 1660, horse racing, which had been banned by Cromwell, was revived. The Thoroughbred was developed 40 years later, bred to be

11448-646: Was developed in the late 18th century, and became a mainstay in American racehorse breeding. The 17th and 18th centuries saw more of a need for fine carriage horses in Europe, bringing in the dawn of the warmblood . The warmblood breeds have been exceptionally good at adapting to changing times, and from their coach horse beginnings they easily transitioned during the 20th century into a sport horse type. Today's warmblood breeds are frequently used in competitive driving , but are more often seen competing in show jumping or dressage . The Thoroughbred continues to dominate

11556-458: Was later adapted through selective breeding to create a strong but rideable animal suitable for the heavily armored knight in warfare . Then, centuries later, when people in Europe wanted faster horses than could be produced from local horses through simple selective breeding, they imported Arabians and other oriental horses to breed as an outcross to the heavier, local animals. This led to

11664-564: Was sold to the Haras Nationaux by Basly, and joined the national stallion ranks in 1862. From 1863 to 1880, Conquérant was a breeding stallion, mainly at the Haras Nationaux du Pin. In 1873, according to the R evue des haras, de l'agriculture et du commerce , he topped the list of trotting stallions with 40,460 francs collected by his offspring, ahead of Phœnomenon (29,700 francs ). In 1869, breeder Joseph-Lafosse sold his entire stable, keeping only Conquérant's dam, Élisa, who finally died of old age on November 20, 1881. On this occasion, he left

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