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The Mulassier is a rare breed of draft horse. Most people (and this includes people in France) have never heard of them. Yet the breed is over 1000 years old. They were developed to help in draining the marshes, and their background is that of "dutch" horses. Dutch in this case translates out the the same stock used to develop the Friesian horse. More people have seen a Friesian, expecially if you have seen dressage exhibitions. Or go to your local bookstore, pick up some Encyclopaedia of Horses type book, and you will find Friesians, but few will reference the Mulassier. If they do, the description is rather unflattering. My dear friend the stallion Dartagnan would be unhappy at the low opinion of his breed
The fact of the matter is that the Mulassier nearly died out. Were it not for the efforts of a small handful of breeders, this unique draft horse would have dissapeared entirely in the 1950's. In 1977, the Poitou Donkey (to whom Mulassier mares were bred to produce the magnificent Poitou Mule) numbered only 44 in the entire world. A census of Mulassiers read 27 by some accounts. Today there are only about 300 Mulassier horses (this includes B-Book or partbred females) in the entire world. Only 3 are in the USA (a fourth is touring with a Canadian Equine Expo group, but is not resident). The stallion family bloodlines in this breed stand at 6. Careful breeding records and planning is done to avoid serious inbreeding in a very limited gene pool. This is why part-bred females (using French Percheron mares) is allowed. The part-bred female must be inspected and accepted before being allowed to breed for improvement of the Mulassier.
This is where Molly Rose comes in. It is fairly close to impossible to import either a Poitou Donkey (numbers in the world, about 450, 60-70 in the USA) or a Mulassier horse. The most crippling factor is import cost, at about $10,000 right now. But this is IF and ONLY IF the animal can pass the USA blood tests - which most cannot. Spiroplasmosis has been eradicated (so we are told) in the USA, and the French animals often test positive. This may be just titres (meaning exposure has activated antibodies) and not actual carriers of the disease (once called Texas Tick Fever in this region) but nonetheless, the USA says no way.
So, I have discussed with the French the possiblity of breeding for my own Mulassier. I want a Grullo draft horse. Not only is their body shape different, they are the only breed of drafter to come in dun. They are striking. So with the possibility to import the semen of a Grullo stallion from one ot the National Studs, I needed a mare. Molly Rose fits the bill to a T. She is heavier than some of the US percherons, but not as heavy as those in France. If we get a filly, and whether or not is approved as a half-Mulassier, I will be quite happy. Better still, down the road, if we have and filly AND she is approved as a Mulasier, I can breed her for an authentic Poitou Mule. What a set to take to expos!!!
3-5-03 UPDATE - Boy- did we put in the right order or WHAT!!! See Molly's foal SPIRIT!!!
WHOO-HOO!!! See what happened Mar 5!!!
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