When you think of horses in France, there is a good chance the first one that comes to mind is the traditional, working Camargue breed.
However, in the south-west the rare Black Arabian horse is making its presence felt, thanks to an Englishwoman’s lifelong passion.
Karen Lowell, 56, has loved Arabian horses since she was a child, buying her first Black Arabian when she was just 21.
In 2020, she and her partner Ritchie Hallam, as well as 11 horses and two dogs, swapped the cold and rain of Clee Hill in Shropshire for the sun-warmed village of Saint-Michel in the Gers.
The dream materialises
“I've always wanted to speak the language better than I did. I had been to Paris and Perpignan on holiday a few times, but it was a dream I never thought would turn into a reality,” she said.
“I was fed up with pushing a wheelbarrow through mud every winter and the horses standing up to their knees in mud, looking miserable for the whole season.
“When we viewed the property, it was August and hot and hazy. It has a fabulous view of the Pyrenees right out of the front window. It's absolutely gorgeous.”
They left the UK just days before Brexit came into effect, beginning their new life on December 14, 2020 – only for the Covid-19 pandemic to hit.
“It was a stressful time to move,” Mrs Lowell admitted, “but we love it here.”
Equally complicated was certifying her horses, which include two stallions and four brood mares.
“The paperwork for the horses actually caused more of a headache and stress than anything else,” she said.
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“The Arab Horse Society in the UK forwarded all the paperwork to the French Horse and Riding Institute (IFCE). Then I had to get in touch with them and check they'd received my export papers.
"They had – but they didn't accept the English registration paperwork over here. Each registration certificate had to be rewritten in French and supplied with a French certificate for all 11 horses.
“We had to get a vet out there to check the microchips, read all the markings and redo everything. That took about four months. Then there was organising the stallions to get them licences allowing me to breed.”
Paperwork sorted
Mrs Lowell said Arabian horses in particular are prone to certain diseases, and must have regular health checks.
Fortunately, she had done the required tests in the UK, and with a bit of help from a friend with good French, everything was sorted out with the IFCE within a few trips.
Amid the paperwork hassles, the horses have settled into their new home well.
“We've got 26 hectares altogether, 16 of which are forest and 10 are paddocks that are split up into five big fields,” Mrs Lowell said.
“The fields at the back are in a little bit of a valley. There's woodland either side, so the back field tends to stay rather green in the summer.”
Mrs Lowell only sells one or two foals every year. “Bidallon Black Arabians is only a small stud, I don't breed a huge amount,” she said. “Mine are predominantly for people who want to breed Black Arabs.
“They're all homozygous black, which means they carry two sets of the black gene. If you put them with another black horse, you’re guaranteed a black foal.
“They are beautiful, though the stallions know it. If somebody new comes down the drive, they're there, posing up and down, thinking they've come to take their photograph.
“They've got this kind of ‘look at me’ attitude. I love it. I think that's what attracted me to Arabs: their character and their presence,” Mrs Lowell said.
Her five-year plan is to focus on freeing up some time to enjoy France.
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“We’ve got a couple of gîtes we want to rent out because, although we were lucky to be able to buy somewhere outright, we still need to earn a living,” she said.
“My goal is to carry on breeding and selling a couple of foals a year so that we can enjoy ourselves. It’s nice to be able to go out for meals and visit different areas we haven't been to.
“It's now all about getting the balance right.”
An equestrian nation
Anyone doubting the reverence with which horses are held in France need look no further than the choice of Versailles to host the equestrian events at this summer’s Olympic Games.
The stately backdrop is the perfect expression of France’s status as one of the world’s greatest equestrian nations – not just in terms of sporting excellence, but general participation, breeding renown and how horses have shaped its agricultural and military developments over the centuries.
Indeed, so important is this equestrian tradition that in 2011 it was inscribed on the United Nations’ List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Among France’s most famous breeds are the athletic Selle Français, commonly seen in show jumping, eventing and dressage competitions, as well as the French Trotter, French Saddle Pony and wild Camargue, a working horse indigenous to southern France.
However, the country also breeds Thoroughbreds, Arabians and Anglo-Arabians.
Normandy’s Le Pin National Stud, nicknamed ‘Versailles for horses’ and the oldest stud in France, is where 40% of all French racehorses and 30% of all French sport horses are bred.
The demand is great for this is the nation that organises the largest number of international events each year,
Recreationally, some two million people in France ride horses regularly or occasionally. They are well served – the country has 8,600 clubs and 5,000 riding centres. There are also 400 equestrian tourism centres.
