Even if the Comtois horse is back in recreational riding and harness work, meat is the breed's primary outlet. The competition from tractors and agricultural machinery indeed led to the conversion of this draft horse into a slaughter animal in the mid-twentieth century, paradoxically allowing its survival by ensuring the profitability of its extensive breeding in mountainous areas. Comtois foal meat, mainly exported to Italy, further allows a minimum market price to be defined for all draft horses. Milk production, on the other hand, remains rare.