 |
Canadian Horse - Breed History
Foaled in 1913, Albert de Cap
Rouge was said to have
been one of the most influential sires of the breed.
 | The Canadian Horse as a breed did not evolve in the new world but
rather traces its ancestry back to foundation stock brought to Acadia and
New France in the 17th century. This was described in a report written by
Dr JA Couture around the turn of the century: "All of these animals were
descended from those sent out from France in the early days of the Colony.
Louis XIV who liked to do things in a grand way, had instructed his
Minister Colbert, himself very eager to see the Colony flourish, to send
here only the best animals of the kingdom."
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| 1647 The first introduction of the horse to the new world
occurred when a single horse, imported as a gift to Governor de Montmagny
by the Compangnie des Habitants, arrived on June 25, 1647. This horse
later disappeared.
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| 1665 King Louis XIV sent a shipment of 2 stallions and 20 mares
to the colony. The remaining horses arrived on July 16, 1665, 8 of the
mares having perished on the journey. These horses were some of the best,
taken from the King's royal stud and are thought to have derived from
stock from Normandy and Brittany which were the two most renowned horse
breeding provinces of France. The Breton horse was small and noted for its
soundness and vigor. The Norman horse resembled the Breton but had
evidence of the infusion of oriental blood; possibly Arab, Turk or Barb,
but most likely Andalusian. Much of the eventual hardiness, and prepotence
of the old french canadian was felt to be due to this Andalusian
inheritance.
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| 1667 14 more horses arrived, including a stallion and two mares
for the Ursulines.
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| 1670 A stallion, and 11 mares were shipped. In subsequent
years, other shipments of horses may or may not have followed. Sometime
after this time, horse shipments from the king ceased, as Intendant Talon
considered that there were now enough horses in the colony to furnish a
dependable supply of colts to all who needed them. The Seineurs may have
imported some horses later, at their own expense.
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| The horses were rented out to the leading farmers or "gentlemen of the
country who had done most to promote colonization and cultivation". The
annual fee for each horse was 100 livres, or one foal. The horse remained
the King's property for 3 years. If the horse died while it still belonged
to the King, the farmer paid the King 200 livres. After the 3 year period,
the horse and any colts not turned over to the Intendant, became the
property of the farmer. Colts given to the intendant as rent were reared
at the governments expense for the first three years, then were also
rented out. This program was very successful, and the number of horses in
the colony increased rapidly:
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| 1679 there were 145 horses
1688 there were 218 horses
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| 1698, 684 horses.
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| 1709 The first regulation was issued to limit the number of
horses owned by each farmer. This regulation forbade any settler in
Montreal from having more than two horses and a foal, and provided for the
slaughter of the surplus the next year. This ordinance proved impossible
to be enforced.
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| For the next 100 years, the horses were bred, somewhat
indiscriminately by the farmers. The horses were bred without concern of
producing superior horses, or of perpetuating the individual qualities of
the horses that they had. Although few horses were ever gelded, stallions
with the most docility, soundness and vigor were probably most often
chosen. Even though the horses were bred indiscriminately, after almost
100 years, the breed appearance was scarcely altered from its prototype as
it still closely resembled the Norman and the Perche.
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| During this time, the farmers primarily used their horses for going to
church, visiting, racing against each other, and in the winter for drawing
their sleighs. Most of the heavy farm work was done with oxen.
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| The distribution of the horses began to broaden: horses for the
western settlements at Detroit and Illinois county were furnished by New
France. The Canadian horse also contributed to the feral horses of the
Great Plains.
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| Until the British conquest of 1780, the French Canadian bred
true without any admixture of foreign horses. After the conquest, horses
began to be imported from the British Isles and the USA in increasing
numbers. These horses were crossed with the Canadian and contributed to
the development of new and distinctive varieties within Lower Canada, as
well as to the general mongrelization of the entire Canadian horse
population.
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| Three distinct types of horses were produced during this time:
 |
Canadian Pacer: Narragansett pacers
were imported to Lower Canada, as the pacer was preferred for racing
over ice. These horses were interbred with the French Canadian and
produced the "Canadian Pacer". "Old Pacer Pilot", a Canadian Pacer was
foaled about 1826 and was an instrumental sire in some of the gaited
horse lineages. |
|
The "Frencher" or "St. Lawrence":
This horse occurred as a result of a cross between the Thoroughbred and
the French Canadian. These horses had great speed and power, and are
felt to be involved in the makeup of the American trotter. |
|
Heavy draft type sometimes also called a "St
Lawrence": These were the result of a cross between a French
Canadian and a draft horse (likely a Shire or Clydesdale). This type
disappeared at the end of the century.
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|
| 1780 After the conquest of New France, the market for the
French Canadian grew in some of the older British colonies. The horses
were sent to some of the West Indies sugar islands such as Jamaica, Haiti,
and Cuba. They adapted to the climate there better than did the American
or British horses.
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| 1784 French Canadian foundation stock was predominantly located
in Upper Canada.
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| 1789 (Date according to American Morgan Horse Association,
Shelburne, VT) "Figure" later to be known as Justin Morgan, was born
and later became the founding sire of the Morgan breed. Several Canadian
mares can be found in the Morgan horse pedigrees. Examples of offspring
with documented Canadian blood include: Black Hawk and Ethan Allan. There
is also some thought that Figure was himself a Canadian. Justin Morgan
(the man) resided in Vermont, in an area near Quebec. His parents resided
in Quebec, so Justin Morgan visited them there frequently. It is not
unfeasible that he may have brought a horse back with him on one of his
visits. A study on DNA done at the University of Guelph in 1998 called
"DNA DETECTIVES -Using Genetics to Pinpoint Endangered Canadian Horse
Breeds" (unfortunately this article is no longer available "on-line") and
"The French Connection" indicates that the Canadian and Morgan
were the most closely related of the horse breeds studied.
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| More on the similarities between the Canadian Horse and the Morgan can be
found in Bonnie Hendricks book "The International Encyclopedia of Horses"
(1995), in which she notes the following: |
The Canadian breed may well be one of the
best kept secrets of the twentieth century - not because breeders of the
Canadian have tried to hide the animals, but because writers of books on
horse breeds apparently have not contacted Canadian authorities to inquire.
The Canadian horse is an unsung hero in formation of United States (and
Central American) horse breeds. The Canadian horse was well known to the
American colonists. Today, however, even many Canadians are unaware of the
breed, probably because of its present rarity.
Americans journeyed into Canada during the early years of this country and
purchased thousands of French-Canadian horses to take home and cross with
their mixed stock. The Canadians were talented trotters and pacers, and as
roads were developed good roadsters were in great demand. Indeed, the New
England states were literally saturated with this blood. Yet when writing
about the formation of American breeds the Canadian horse has been
overlooked by most writers, who refer vaguely to "horses from Canada that
trotted, or paced."
Many purebred French-Canadian horses were entered into the early stud books
of the Morgan, Standardbred, and American Saddlebred. Foundation sires of
these breeds were often pure Canadian or were mated to pure Canadian mares.
Upon learning of the Canadian breed and gazing at the photographs, the truth
about the little bay stallion Justin Morgan became forever settled in the
mind of at least this writer. Justin Morgan, famous foundation sire of the
Morgan breed, has always been reported to have been a mixture of
Thoroughbred and Arab - though his description was like neither of those
breeds, nor like that of an Anglo-Arab. In my opinion there is no other
possible theory coming close to the obvious, clear ring of truth in regard
to his ancestry but that he was a horse of predominant, if not pure,
French-Canadian blood.
| 1812-1820 Many Canadian Horses were sold to northern New England
and west Vermont. There the Canadian was interbred with non-descript local
horses to create animals with strength, endurance, and freedom from disease.
These crossbred horses were used for the stage lines running between Boston
and Portland.
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| After the war in 1812, the trade in horses increased further. The
numbers exported through St Johns give some idea of the numbers of horses
being shipped out of Canada. In 1829, 247 horses were shipped, in 1848, 639,
in 1849, 1181, and in 1850 there were 1125 horses shipped.
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| By 1847 the Canadian Horse was well known in Upper and Lower
Canada, the Maritime provinces, Michigan, Illinois, New York and New
England. In the eastern USA, they were used as trotters or roadsters. They
were also used as draft horses for freighting or stage lines. Although
Canadian Horses were primarily found in eastern Canada and the United
States, the breed was playing an important role in the settlement of all of
Canada, including the west.
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| In the mid 1800's there were nearly 150,000 Canadian Horses and they were
to be found spread right across North America.
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| Because of their prepotency, they were commonly used for outcrossing with
other breeds. Even inferior Canadian sires had the capacity to improve
common stock. Because of the considerable outcrossing with inferior animals,
the Canadian almost lost its separate identity and a general deterioration
of the breed had begun to be noted throughout the continent.
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| 1857 Despite the above mongrelization of the breed, the Canadian
was still very recognizable as evident by this Quote by Henry. W. Herbert: |
"The Canadian is generally low-sized, rarely
exceeding fifteen hands, and oftener falling short of it...
His characteristics are a broad, open
forehead, ears somewhat wide apart, and not infrequently, a basin face; the
latter, perhaps, a trace of the far remote Spanish blood said to exist in
his veins; the origin of the improved Norman or Percheron stock being, it is
usually believed, a cross of the Spaniard, Barb by descent, with the old
Norman war-horse.
His crest is lofty, and his demeanor proud
and courageous. His breast is full and broad; his shoulder strong, though
somewhat inclined to be heavy; his back broad, and his croup round, fleshy
and muscular. His ribs are not, however, so much arched, nor are they so
well closed up, as his general shape and build would lead one to expect. His
legs and feet are admirable; the bone large and flat, and the sinews big,
and nervous as steel springs. His feet seem almost unconscious of disease.
His fetlocks are shaggy, his mane voluminous and massive, not seldom, if
untrained, falling on both sides of his neck, and his tail abundant, both
having a peculiar "crimpled" wave, if I may so express myself, the like of
which I never saw in any horse which had not some strain of this blood.
He cannot be called a speedy horse in his
pure state; but he is emphatically a quick one, an indefatigable undaunted
traveller, with the greatest endurance, day in and day out, allowing him to
go at his own pace, say from six to eight miles the hour, with a horse's
load behind him, of any animal I have ever driven. He is extremely hardy,
will thrive on any thing, or almost nothing; is docile, though high
spirited, remarkably sure-footed on the worst ground, and has fine, high
action, bending his knee roundly and setting his foot squarely on the
ground.
As a farm-horse and ordinary farmer's
roadster, there is no honester or better animal; and, as one to cross with
other breeds, whether upward by the mares to thoroughbred stallions, or
downward by the stallions to common country mares of other breeds, he has
hardly an equal.
...He is said, although small himself in
stature, to have the unusual quality of breeding up in size with larger and
loftier mares than himself, and to give the foals his own vigor, pluck, and
iron constitution, with the frame and general aspect of their dams.
This, by the way, appears to be
characteristic of the Barb blood above all others, and is a strong
corroboration of the legend which attributes to him an early Andalusian
strain."
| At this time, it may also be noted that the French Canadian was of no
established color. Ordinarily he was bay or black, usually the latter,
standing generally but little over 15 hh, and that his weight ranged from
900 - 1100 lb.
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| As a general purpose horse, useful both on winter roads, and
in light farm work, he was unsurpassed. William Evans commented that the
habitants would "never possess a better or more suitable breed of horses for
this country than the real Canadian of good size".
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| The horses were renowned for being extremely hardy. They had to be in
order to survive the conditions that they lived in. Little used in the
summer, they were let to run free in the woods, tormented by flies due to
the fact that their tails were docked; in the winter, they had no shelter,
and little to no feed, perhaps some straw as no hay was cured at that time.
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| 1867 Canadian Confederation. So many Canadian stallions had been
exported to the United States that most authorities feared that there were
no horses of undisputed purity of race remaining anywhere in Lower Canada.
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| 1885 Due to concerns about mass exportation and a realization of a
need to preserve it before it was lost forever, under the guidance of Dr.
J.A. Couture, the government of Quebec established a French Canadian Stud
Book and a Commission to manage it.
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| 1886 The Stud Book was formally opened Dec
16, 1886. At this time, a law was also passed forbidding export of French
Canadian Horses.
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| 1894 (Date according to American Morgan Horse Association,
Shelburne, VT) The Morgan Horse Registry was formed. The intermixture of
Canadian blood contributed to the development of the Morgan horse in
Vermont. The presence of Canadian blood in the Morgan is evident from Morgan
characteristics such as their excellent legs and feet, and above all, the
heavy, crimpy mane and tail. Of interest is the fact that at the time of the
formation of the Morgan Horse Registry, already the Canadian Horse Stud
Book had 1800 horses registered.
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| 1895 La Société des Eleveurs de Chevaux Canadiens or The Canadian
Horse Breeders Association was officially formed. This Association took over
the Commission, and the work of inspection of the horses was inaugurated.
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| 1895-1901 During this period, 1801 animals were registered (628
males, 1173 females). Although the standards of admission to the registry
were carefully maintained initially, they gradually became more lax and it
became evident that animals of inferior quality were being registered, later
on.
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| 1904 La Société des Eleveurs de Chevaux Canadiens amalgamated with
the Canadian National Livestock Records.
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| July 1906 Dr J.G Rutherford, Veterinary Director General, assumed
the position of Live Stock Commissioner. At this time, he found that
basically nothing whatsoever had been done in the previous two years in the
way of registering horses.
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| Feb 1907 On the advice of Dr J.G. Rutherford, the Minister of
Agriculture Canada had a discussion with the officers, and members of the
Société. This occured because Dr Rutherford felt that although the
Organization had apparently started well, and during the first years of its
existence, maintained a fairly uniform and strict standard of registration,
this could not be said of the years just prior to the amalgamation with the
Canadian National Livestock records. It was evident that carelessness had
occurred in the inspection of the horses and their acceptance for
registration, the result being that many of the animals entered in the stud
book were anything but eligible either from the viewpoint of genealogy or
from that of conformation. As a result of this discussion, a commission was
to be appointed which would close the first Stud Book, and create an
entirely new Stud Book. This new Stud Book was to include such stallions and
mares which could meet a fixed and definite standard of qualification and
entry. Each animal had to undergo an inspection and would only be accepted
if they were a good representative specimen of the breed.
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| To be entered into the newly revised stud books, the animals had to meet the following criteria, and fit the description: |
Stallions not exceeding 15.3 hh, and
weighing 1100 - 1350 lb. Mares not exceeding 15.2hh, and weighing 1050 -
1250 lb. The head is broad and courageous looking, perhaps somewhat coarse,
with the ears far apart, the neck thick, the frame stout, the breast full,
the shoulders strong, even rather upright, the back rather long than short
and sides inclined to flatness, the croup rather round or fleshy with
quarters short and somewhat drooping, the muscles well let down and the
tendons large, the feet tough and almost immune from disease. The French
Canadian Horse is of no fixed color and although a good mover with high and
perhaps rather forced action, is not inclined to maintain great speed for
any length of time although there have been, and are some remarkable
exceptions to this rule. His hardiness and ability to thrive under the most
adverse conditions were notable characteristics.
| 1909 By this time, 2528 horses and mares had been presented for inspection, only
470 of these having been registered in the previous Stud Book. The Committee
inspecting the horses was composed of: Dr. J. A. Couture and M. Arsene Denis
both from the Societe, M. Robert Ness and M. Louis Lavallee both from the
department of agriculture, and lastly, Dr. J. H. Vigneau, a veterinarian who
acted as General Secretary, and who also examined each animal for health and
hereditary unsoundness.
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| Of the 2528 horses presented, only 969 animals (38
%) were accepted. The 969 horses were composed of 134 stallions, and 835
mares. Only 125 horses from the previous stud book were accepted, and 345
were rejected.
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| Unfortunately, primarily only horses in Quebec were inspected, with some
limited inspections possibly having been done in Ontario. There was not
adequate time nor funds to inspect horses elsewhere in Canada, particularly
in the Prairies and Maritimes where there were known to be quite a few
Canadians. In addition, it was felt that the horses elsewhere might be of
dubious ancestry, and would in all probability, contain outside blood. So,
even though Canadian Horses existed throughout North America, and were used
and loved across the nation, this was not reflected in the stud books, which
were composed only of horses from QC. The fact that these horses
located elsewhere, especially in the maritimes and western Canada, were
not recognized, coupled
with the advent of the farm tractor, eventually lead to the disappearance of
Canadian Horses nearly everywhere, except for in Quebec and Ontario.
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| Although frequently not recognized, it is important to remember the important role that the Canadian
Horse played in settling the west. The prairies were settled upon the backs
of Canadian Horses. They pulled the wagons, and helped to plow and clear the
fields. Their strength, intelligence, and hardiness were legendary. These
traits are so clearly exemplified by the following quotes taken from Grant
MacEwan's text, "Heavy Horses, Highlights of their History", 1996.
|
"The author recalls from boyhood years a
carload of eastern Canadian farm horses being shipped to Saskatchewan for
sale. In it was one black Canadian mare. The freight car was derailed close
to the town and with the car lying on its side, there seemed to be no way by
which the struggling horses could be removed. But an attendant who hoped to
throw some hay to the imprisoned and frightened animals, climbed to the
car's side that had become the top as it rested in the railroad ditch. He
managed to get the only exposed door open, the one at the top. Inasmuch as
freight cars were eight feet wide, the open door at the top would be eight
feet above the level on which the trapped horses were standing. Nobody knew
how it was done but as soon as the car door was opened, one horse scrambled
madly - conceivably using the other horses as stepping stones - and jumped
out, through the roof as it were. It was the French Canadian horse, to be
sure, and the courageous and nigh miraculous performance left a lasting
impression."
"One chestnut Canadian stallion, Elegant de
Yamachiche, was a resident at the University of Saskatchewan barn between
1942 and 1949 and became widely known to prairie horsemen. The purpose of
his presence was to further a plan for production of a strain of general
purpose horses with the chestnut color, that might find a place of lasting
importance as chore teams on farms that were otherwise totally mechanized.
The project was cut short but the tireless
Canadien stallion won much admiration. This writer remembers very well how
at the end of a thirty-mile ride from the east side of Saskatoon to Beaver
Creek and back, he was tired and sore while his mount, "Frenchie" as he was
known, seemed ready to start out again."
| In the late 1800's and early 1900's, Canadian Horses which had been
entered into the "official" stud books were being sent west to improve the
stock. A registered Canadian Horse stallion went to Vermilion AB, in 1897.
Several Canadian Horses went to Manitoba between 1900 and 1905.
|
{As an aside, for several years, I have worked in the Canadian Horse
information booth at Spruce Meadows in Calgary. Countless times, I have had
senior citizens who toiled long and hard to settle on the Canadian Prairies
come up to me and say, "You know, I had a horse that looked and acted just
like this when I was was young and working on the farm. I never knew that it
was a breed, I only knew that it was the best horse that I ever owned." It
is stories such as these, that clearly demonstrate that this horse truly is
a symbol of Canada and that it played an indisputable role in the settling
of this entire country. - YH}
| Dec 31, 1908 The Stud Book was officially closed to the addition
of foundation stock after this date. After the inspections were completed,
Dr. Rutherford felt that the breed had become quite diverse in type and
considerable difficulty was likely to be experienced in resuscitating the
old French Canadian horse. He also felt that it would be possible by
intelligent selection and careful mating, to establish in a comparatively
few generations, a fixed type capable of perpetuating itself and having most
of the characteristics of the old, and which might even be, in some
respects, an improvement on it.
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| 1913 On the recommendation of Dr. Rutherford, the federal
government became involved in the preservation of the French Canadian horse,
and a breeding program was inaugurated at the Cap Rouge Experimental
Station. Twelve mares were purchased which were chosen for conformation,
courage, vitality and especially endurance. One of these mares (Helene #49)
was purchased bred to a stallion (Wilfrid #1012), and in 1913 produced
Albert de Cap Rouge (#1489) who became a very influential foundation sire
(see photo at top). The goal at Cap Rouge was to try to increase size
without sacrificing vitality and endurance.
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| 1919 The Cap Rouge facility was outgrown. The breeding program was
transferred to St. Joachim. It was operated by the Dominion Department of
Agriculture, and Quebec Dept of Agriculture who jointly leased the land, and
put many improvements into it.
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| 1920 23 mares and 2 stallions were transferred from Cap Rouge to
St. Joachim. An additional 30 mares were purchased from around the province
in order to get good representation of other lines of the breed. The
breeding program at St. Joachim continued for 21 years. With a careful
program of selection/line and in-breeding, the original 38 strains were
eventually culled to 8 which supplied a uniformity of size, style,
conformation, and vitality. At this time, the desired size and weight of the
horses were: 1250 - 1500 lb and 5'2'' - 5'4'' (15.2 - 16 hh) for the
stallions, and 1200 - 1400 lb and 5' - 5'3'' (15 - 15.3 hh) for the mares.
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| 1940 World war I brought an end to the program at St. Joachim. The
lease for the farm was expiring, mechanical power was replacing horses on
farms, and the horses were not needed for the army. Some of the horses were
dispersed to newly initiated smaller breeding programs which were to be
operated separately by both the federal and provincial governments, and the
remaining 48 horses were sold at auction Dec 31, 1940.
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| Dec 1940 The Dominion Department of Agriculture planned to
maintain a small herd of Canadian Horses at St. Anne de La Pocatiere, so 7
mares and 1 stallion were transferred there from St. Joachim.
Fall 1940 The Quebec Department of Agriculture purchased 15 of the
St Joachim horses and moved them to their provincial demonstration farm at Deschambaults. An additional mare and stallion were purchased as well. The
foundation sire was Beaulac de Cap Rouge (#2734). All of the horses were
primarily selected for size. This program did not continue the careful
program of inbreeding to promote a specific "type" as was done at Cap Rouge.
The objective at Deschambaults was to increase the size of the horses, and
to try to decrease the spirited disposition to a more docile one. Horses
from this program had names beginning with the prefix "de La Gorgendiere" or
"La Gorgendiere".
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| Through the 1940's, the Canadian Horse continued to place it's
stamp on horses nationwide. They made their way west into BC, to put a
permanent imprint upon the stock there as well. A stallion went to the famed
Gang Ranch, in the BC interior, in the 1940's, to improve the hardiness of
their ranch stock.
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| Also in the 1940's, two Canadian stallions were purchased
by BC Brady and shipped by rail, to Ft. St. John, in north eastern BC, to
improve the breeding stock there. Some offspring of these Canadian horses
escaped, and interestingly enough, strong influences of the Canadian Horse
can still be seen in the wild horses roaming in the Fort St. John and Chilcotin areas today.
|
| 1971 Arnoldwold Viger (#3770) was purchased as an 11 year old
stallion. This stallion was bred by private breeders but his lineage traced
directly back to the Cap Rouge bloodlines. More refined and elegant than any
of the stallions previously used at Deschambaults, this stallion was very
prepotent and was consistently able to pass his distinctive looks, quality
and traits on to his offspring. Proof of this was the fact that in 1978,
more than 25% of the "Class A" stallions in Quebec were sired by him.
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| 1978 The average size of horse produced at Deschambaults was now
1450 lb and they were more docile. The need for horses continued to decline
as the use of draft animals decreased. At Deschambaults, all horses were
trained for driving, riding, and jumping to try to increase their
versatility. Some outcrossing occured, such as breeding Canadians to
Thoroughbreds to produce a strain of exellent eventers, however this was
discontinued as these crosses did not benefit the Canadian breed directly.
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| By 1979, all horse training programs were dropped at
Deschambaults, and few foals were being
produced.
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| In 1981, the administration at Deschambaults closed its Canadian
Horse breeding program, and auctioned off its stock to private breeders.
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| Throughout the 1970's, the interest in the Canadian Horse dropped
to an all-time low. Less than 5 registrations per year were being recorded
from 1970 - 1974, and the numbers had dropped to less than a 1000
Canadian Horses in existence (estimated to be only about 400 or so). With
the closure of Deschambaults, the horses were now solely in the hands of
private breeders.
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| 1977 The Plight of the Canadian Horse was slowly recognized and
individuals such as Alex Hayward and Donnie Prosperine of Ontario, set
about acquiring good quality breeding stock from Quebec and then began
actively showing and promoting the Canadian Horse. Their horses appeared in
the Canadian Carriage Driving Classic, and were frequently seen on the
Grounds of the Parliament Buildings pulling elegant carriages filled with
distinguished individuals. Efforts such as these proved to be a turning
point for the breed.
|
Frank Prosperine and his Canadian Horses,
in front of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.
| 1987 Don Prosperine's horses Nip & Tuck won the North American
Pleasure Driving Championship.
|
| 1989 Unfortunately, Donnie Prosperine passed away unexpectedly.
The passing of this well known and respected individual was a real loss to
the breed. The following excerpt is from his memorium and well describes his
efforts in helping to preserve the breed: |
IN MEMORIAM
DONALD PROSPERINE
1926-1989
Don Prosperine, a Director of the Canadian
Horse Breeders Association from 1987 to 1989, was born and lived his whole
life in the Ottawa area. He married Joyce Summers, also of Ottawa, in 1950.
A sports enthusiast, he promoted amateur hockey in Ottawa, and was a keen
football fan. But his greatest love was horses, and he became a great
promoter of the Canadian Horse.
He first heard of the Canadian Horse from
Alex Hayward at a meeting of the Eastern Ontario Pleasure Driving Society in
1977. At the time, Donnie was driving hackneys, but he called Alex to say
that he wanted to find some Canadians. After an eighteen-month search, he
found Windsor Minon Rosine and Windsor Minon Michette. He soon purchased two
additional mares in partnership with Alex, and began breeding Canadian
Horses.
When Donnie first became involved with
Canadian Horses, only one horse was registered in Ontario. The following
year there were four horses registered, and today there are over one
hundred. His stable and equipage grew in numbers and quality, and he soon
graced family weddings and official Ottawa functions with beautiful
horse-drawn turnouts.
He began showing in 1980, when he took a
pair of Canadians to Saratoga Springs. Donnie was instrumental in
encouraging the showing and display of Canadians at the Royal Winter Fair.
His horses were in the ribbons whenever they were shown. He helped put
together the elegant four-in-hand of Nip, Tuck, Black Diamond and Mayflower.
Nip and Tuck went on to win the 1987 North American Driving Championship.
Donnie's horses also participated in many local fairs.
For two years, Frank Prosperine, Donnie's
son, drove Canadians on Parliament Hill, carrying actors who represented Sir
Wilfred Laurier and Sir John A. MacDonald. His horses were used in parades
to open the Ottawa Exhibition and the Ottawa Winter Fair. In last year's
Grey Cup Parade, these Canadians carried the award-winning football players.
They were used in movies, and opened Scottsdale Farm an equestrian centre
where the television show 'The Campbells' is filmed.
Maple Lane Farm, his fine estate near
Dunrobin, Ontario, became an attractive centre for promoting the Canadian
Horse. In addition to horses sold in Ontario, he sent horses west to Calgary
and to northern Alberta, thereby creating an interest in the breed in that
part of the country.
Donnie's contributions were recognized by
the Canadian Horse Breeders' Association. He was named 'Mr. Canadian Horse'
as the man who had contributed most to the breed in 1987. In the directors'
election in 1988, Donnie was chosen unanimously. As a director, Donnie's
efforts were largely responsible for the creation of an Upper Canada
Division of the Association, representing those west of Quebec who shared
his interest in the Canadian Horse.
He died suddenly on September 26th, 1989.
His wife, family and friends will sorely miss him, as will all Canadian
Horse people.
| Since that time, interest in the horse has been increasing at an
incredible pace.
The upsurge in the last decade has been tremendous.
|
| However, even with the rapid growth in the
breed numbers over the past ten years, the current population still only
numbers approximately 6000 horses worldwide. Even now, there are just a
scant 300 or so new registrations per year. Compare this to the worldwide
population of the American Quarterhorse at nearly 3,000,000, and the
yearly registrations (in the US alone) of the following breeds:
Quarterhorse 150,000, Thoroughbred 37,300, Paint 64,500, and the Morgan at
3,800. and about 6000 Canadian
Horses now in existence. For more breed numbers, see the
Statistics page.
|
| There are now approximately 1000 members of the Société des Éleveurs de Chevaux Canadiens/Canadian Horse
Breeders Association.
|
| The majority of Canadian Horses still remain in Quebec today, with the next
largest population being in Ontario. There are smaller numbers in each of
all of the other Canadian provinces. They are still relatively unknown in
the United States with only about 200 horses located across the entire
nation. See the Statistics page for more
information.
|
| Although just recently upgraded from its previous "critical" status by
the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, the breed is still not
out of the woods yet, still being classified as "rare".
|
| As the breed continues to thrive, however, as with so many other good
things, some just cannot leave well enough alone. There is a
drive ongoing to change the breed from its sturdy type, to that of that of a
"taller, more refined horse". Seems a pity that a truly unique and
historical breed such as this may become completely corrupted, just to try
to emulate other types of horses which already exist in abundance.
|
This material was researched
and written by Yvonne Hillsden.
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Horses - Origin of the Morgan Breed, Barnard, George. The
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Twenty Seven Years in Canada West: or the Experience of an Early
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History of the Canadian Horse, Frank Forester's Horse and
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The American Horse, Youatts History, Treatment, and Diseases of
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The American Trotting Horse. The Horse in the Stable and the
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How to Breed a Horse - Canadian Blood, Hints to Horse Keepers,
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The Canadian Horse, The Horse and His Diseases. Jenning, Robert.
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Different Breeds of Horses. Our Domestic Birds/Animals. Henery
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Types and Breeds of Farm Animals, Plumb. 1906
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A History of the Percheron Horse, Compiled under the direction of
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The Canadian Horse. The Breeds of Farm Livestock in Canada.
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Percheron. Pg 35 - 38, and The French Coach Pg 110- 123
Twenty-one Years' Work (1919-1940) for the Improvement of the Canadian
Horse Breed as carried on at the St. Joachim Horse Farm Quebec. Dominion
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J.R. 1943. Pg 2 - 24
History of Agriculture in Ontario 1613 - 1880 - Livestock and Its
Improvement. Jones, Robert L. University of Toronto Press, Toronto and
Buffalo. 1946. Pg 14 -15, 128 - 129, 142 - 145, 266 - 269
The Old French Canadian Horse: Its History in Canada and the United
States. Jones, Robert L. The Canadian Historical Review. Vol.XXV111, No.
2. Toronto, June 1947. Pg 125 - 155
Canada Agriculture - The first hundred years. 1967
The Canadian. The World's Finest Horses and Ponies. Colonel Sir
Richard Glyn, Ed. George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd, High Holburn, London. 1971
Horses - A Working Tradition. Davis Street. 1976
The Canadien: Little Horse of Iron. Heavy Horses: Highlights of
their History. MacEwan, J.W. G. Western Producer Prairie Books, Saskatoon,
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Founding Horses. Fraser, Andrew F. Creative Publishers. P.O. Box
8660, St. Johns. A1B 3T7. 1991
Le Cheval Canadien. Paul Bernier. Les éditions du Septentrion,
1300 av. Maguire, Sillery QC, G1T 1Z3. 1992
International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds. Hendricks, Bonnie L.
1995
The Canadian Horse - A PICTORIAL HISTORY. Gladys Mackey Beattie
(1981, 1999), Originally published by Gladys Mackey Beattie, North Hatley
QC, 1981. Publisher 1999 Reprint: Linda Brown, Box 6203, Hinton AB T7V 1X5.
Livre Généalogique de la race Chevaline Canadienne (Stud Books),
Volume 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9
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