From the 1940s, the Comtois horse was very popular as a draft horse, and there were more than 70,000 individuals on French farms in 1950. The arrival and intensification of tractors in the fields saw their number fall to 9,000 in 1969. Though the 1970s were disastrous for Comtois horses, which most often left for butchery, the breed managed to survive. Breeders rediscovered the docile animal between 1985 and the 2000s, and green tourism increased its population and gave Comtois horse pride of place.