If the term draft horse etymologically designates any horse, whatever its breed, used for towing, in France, specific breeds have been selected for different activities such as the towing of artillery equipment and agricultural machinery or the transport of passengers. From the middle of the 19th century, the National Studs focused on producing strong and lively horses through a few flagship breeds such as the Percherons of the Haras National du Pin (photo). The selection criteria of the nine breeds of French draft horses have in common a high size (from 5.24 to more than 5.9 ft / 1.60 to more than 1.80 m), a significant weight (from 1,102 to more than 2,204 pounds / 500 to more than 1,000 kg), and a stocky and powerful morphology with a short back and a very muscular croup.