The Auxois is a breed that is developed from the Burgundian horse crossed with the Ardennais horse. As these are two ancient breeds the Auxois horse is perhaps one of the closest draft horses to the original coldbloods.
In the 1800's Percheron and Boulonnais and Northern Ardennais stallions were used to give the breed more height as well as to increase the size of the breed. This led to a greater distinction between the Auxois and the Ardennais.
Almost all Auxois draft horses are bay roan or red roan in color, although some may be chestnut and standard bay. Roan is often preferred by breeders, especially in competitive and show teams. Gray and black Auxois horses are not allowed to be registered in the stud book.
The Auxois stud book has been kept since 1913 and even though the number of the breed are not as large as some of the other draft breeds the Auxois is well known for its strength and work ability.
A more modern use for the Auxois horse is pulling various wagons and carriages for tourists. The calm nature and wonderful temperament of these horses make them ideal for this type of work.
Draft breed horse shows are becoming increasingly popular across North America, the United Kingdom and throughout Europe and even Australia. The interest in "green" farming and environmentally friendly logging and farming methods has lead to a rekindled interest in all breeds of draft horses, including the massive Auxois.
The Auxois is often referred to as the Trait Auxois in France and throughout Europe.
All registered Auxois horses have the brand TX on the left side of the neck to allow horse buyers and owners to verify the horse is registered. The organization that keeps the stud book is the Syndicat du Cheval de Trait Ardennais de l'Auxois and it is based in Dijon, France.
The Auxois mares have traditionally been used for milk production, throughout history the breed, like many draft breeds, has also been used for meat production.
Every year the Federation Nationale du Cheval (FNC) hosts two national and international level competitions where several different draft horse breeds, including the Auxois, are featured. The two main events are the French Championship and the Grand Prix de Paris. During these events there is also a breeders association exhibition as well as trainings and professional speakers on breeding and horse management.
In 2004 the Auxois registrations totaled 120 new horses, which was 1% of the total number of all draught breeds registered in France for that year.
The Centre de Promotion du Cheval de Trait Auxois is an organization that is exclusively designed to promote the use, breeding and care and management of the Trait Auxois or Auxois breed in France as well as internationally. This organization typically works with the Union of Livestock and the Union of Farming to provide demonstrations and information about the breed and its uses.
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