The Cheval Navarrin, also called Navarin, Navarrois, Tarbais, Tarbésan or Bigourdin, was an extinct French horse breed. It originated in the plains of the Pyrenees around Tarbes, as well as in Bigorre in the Hautes-Pyrénées, and was more broadly distributed across southwestern France. The breed was reputed to have been a prestigious riding horse during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and it enjoyed a strong reputation throughout the 18th century. Small in stature, hardy, refined, and lively, the Cheval Navarrin was widely used as a remount for light cavalry. It was also employed as a saddle horse in riding schools and for the practice of classical dressage, owing to its elegance and agility.
Terminology According to a 19th-century academic source, the breed was originally designated as race navarraise and cheval navarrais. However, common usage within equestrian circles led to the adoption of the terms cheval navarrin and race navarrine. The hippologist Alexandre-Bernard Vallon noted that “usage must be the law", emphasizing the primacy of common practice in nomenclature. In the early 20th century, it was suggested that the breed might more appropriately have been named Pyrénéenne. The term navarrins was used to describe the small horses found in the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Ariège, and Haute-Garonne. The designation cheval navarin also appears in the literature, though less frequently.
The name of the breed evolved over time, reflecting changes in breeding practices. Cheval navarrin is considered the earliest designation. Following crossbreeding with Arabian horses in the Tarbes plain during the 19th century, the breed became known as the cheval tarbéen. Subsequent crossbreeding with Thoroughbreds led to the name cheval bigourdin. By around 1850, the director of the Tarbes national stud was already referring to these horses as Bigourdins.
History up to 1833
Origins The Navarrin horse, described in the 19th century as “the natural product of the Tarbes plain", is believed to have originated in Navarre. Its characteristics were shaped by the climate and terrain of its native region, while crossbreeding with other local and foreign breeds influenced its development.
The proximity of southwestern France to Spain facilitated frequent equine exchanges over the centuries. While the Navarrin may have incorporated some Arabian or Barb influence, it appears to have been more closely related to Spanish horses, which contributed significantly to its morphology. Nineteenth-century encyclopedias often described it as a variety of Spanish horse infused with Oriental blood. The breed was present throughout most of southwestern France, with its primary centers of origin in Béarn, French Lower Navarre, and Bigorre, corresponding to the modern Hautes- and Basses-Pyrénées departments.
Antiquity, Middle Ages, and Renaissance Éphrem Houël noted in 1848 that the Navarrin had been considered one of the best horses in Gaul since the time of Julius Caesar.
During the Middle Ages, the breed was valued as a jennet: vigorous and agile, though less robust than palfreys. Medieval French genets are thought to have been Navarrin horses rather than Andalusians, with both breeds competing in the practice of classical dressage. During the Renaissance, the Navarrin remained prized. Under Louis XIV, breeders continued to seek horses with a “Barb-like head,” a characteristic associated with the breed.
18th century
In the 18th century, Navarrins were regarded as one of France’s finest saddle horse breeds. They were present in the remount depots of Tarbes and at the Visens estate in Lourdes. Crossbreeding with Spanish stallions had been ongoing for generations. In the Pyrenean region, policies between 1763 and 1779 prioritized the preservation of the Navarrin breed, even at the expense of mule breeding.
It is unclear when the breed reached its peak in terms of prosperity and distribution, although its breeding predates the French Revolution. By the late 18th century, however, some hippologists expressed concern over the breed’s “degeneration.” Wars and requisitions during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods significantly reduced its numbers, as occurred with most French saddle horse breeds. Spanish armies, whether Carlist or Christino, frequently purchased young horses at high prices, benefiting breeders in the Tarbes region.
From 1779 onward, imported Arabian stallions were crossed with local horses, altering the traditional Navarrin type. The Spanish-style head characteristic of the breed disappeared, and Navarrins became lighter, more elegant, and closer in type to Arabian horses—slimmer, smaller, and more refined—compared with the generally more powerful and corpulent Andalusian horse.
1800–1833
Requisitions
During the Napoleonic Wars, the Navarrin horse was significantly affected by military demands. In 1807, Napoleon re-established the national stud administration, which had been abolished during the French Revolution, with the aim of improving local breeds for military purposes. The ongoing war against Spain led to the loss of many horses each year, prompting efforts to reinforce the regional equine stock. At that time, the Navarrin was believed to descend directly from Spanish horses, and Spanish stallions were introduced into the Pyrenees to restore “substance, bone, size, and depth” to local horses. However, these imports also introduced traits considered undesirable for light cavalry, including a large head, long and widely set ears, and elevated, shortened movement, poorly suited to the demands of cavalry service. Spanish horses were also thought to produce offspring inferior to those of Oriental breeds.
Stock reconstitution Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, breeders and zootechnicians sought to rebuild the Navarrin population after extensive requisitions. Crossbreeding with Arabian and Thoroughbred stallions was undertaken under the direction of the Tarbes national stud. Arabian stallions, as well as Turkish and Persian horses, were imported into Béarn and Navarre and bred with the remaining Navarrin mares. The resulting horses, sometimes referred to as the “Tarbais horse,” generally met the size requirements for light cavalry but rarely exceeded .
Breeding methods
Most Pyrenean breeders were smallholders who recognized that Arabian blood was particularly suited to their local stock. The Navarrin type remained most distinct in the Tarbes region. Certain Arabian stallions, including Mahomet, Camasch, Schamitz, and Schaklarvic, were noted for their influence on the breed, described in contemporary accounts as “noble sires who planted the precious seeds of improvement in the Navarrin breed". Despite being raised and maintained economically by peasants, the breed exhibited a remarkably uniform type and a pronounced Oriental character, particularly among broodmares in the Tarbes valley, Ossau, Aspe, and along both banks of the Gaves of Pau and Oloron.
Description
Portraying the Navarrin horse prior to systematic stud crossing is challenging. It was considered a noble and prestigious breed, described as “the noble and light horses of this breed, which cannot be confused with the common stock, resemble either the Andalusian type or the English type".
Morphology
General appearance of the old Navarrin
The external conformation of the early Navarrin likely resembled that of the Barb or Andalusian horses from which it descended, but it exhibited distinct characteristics. Compared with the Andalusian, the Navarrin was generally taller and less massive, with a longer and less arched neck, higher withers, a lower back that was occasionally slightly hollow, a more angular croup, bent hocks, and gaits that were more elevated and cadenced rather than extended. While less supple and elegant than the Andalusian, it was valued for its vigor and lightness, with an overall angular build.
General appearance after Arabian crossings
Following crossbreeding with Arabian stallions, the Navarrin acquired a distinct “Arabian stamp,” reflecting traits well adapted to the climate and terrain of the Pyrenees. The breed developed more elegant and harmonious forms, becoming a small, refined, and well-balanced horse. Mares in particular displayed “dry, elegant, and well-harmonized” conformation reminiscent of primitive Arabian types. The Navarrin was renowned for its elegance, combining the prized qualities of light saddle horses with characteristics inherited from its Pyrenean and Spanish origins. At a time when purebred Arabians were considered the epitome of equine perfection, these traits made the Tarbes horse one of France’s most esteemed and aesthetically admired mounts, before the English horse gained prominence in fashion and military preference.
Height
The ideal height of the Navarrin horse ranged from 1.48 m to 1.51 m at the withers. Horses exceeding this range were considered to lose proportional harmony and elegance. The smallest horses, particularly those of pure stock raised on the Pyrenean soil, were traditionally regarded as the best.
Head
The head of the Navarrin varied with breeding influences. In the old Spanish type, it was relatively strong, often convex, heavy, but expressive, with a bulging forehead and a slanted muzzle. Through Arabian crossbreeding, the head became smaller and lighter, though the ears were not always ideally set.
Forehand and back
Spanish-type Navarrins had a powerful neck, whereas Arabian-influenced horses displayed a longer, lighter neck, well set on, muscled, and sometimes gracefully arched in motion. The withers were high, the chest narrow (though broader in the Tarbes type), and the shoulder strong, straight, and well-loaded. The back was low with a well-aligned topline. The body, originally thick-set, became more refined under Arabian influence.
Hindquarters
The loin line was generally well defined, with long loins (shorter in the Tarbes horse), and a short, angular croup that was sharp-edged, sometimes sloping, yet well muscled. The tail was well set.
Limbs
The limbs combined strength and solidity with slender, fine, and dry characteristics. They were well muscled in the upper parts, though the lower limbs sometimes exhibited light cannon bones and tendons with long pasterns, terminating in small, solid, and sure feet. The forelimbs tended to be close-set due to a narrow chest, while the hind limbs were stronger, with hocks often close together. Toed-out conformation was occasionally observed but declined during the 19th century.
Temperament Despite a slender and slight appearance, the Navarrin horse was energetic, courageous, and exhibited all qualities desirable in a saddle horse: supple, agile, spirited, tireless, and hard-working. The breed was characterized by a sanguine and nervous temperament, while remaining gentle, frugal, patient, and hardy. It was esteemed for both its elegance and the suppleness of its movements, as well as the speed and lightness of its action. Eugène Gayot described it as “a saddle horse full of elegance, pride, and kindness, more charming and pretty than powerful and handsome".
Uses
The Navarrin horse was long regarded as a prestigious saddle horse, often compared favorably to the Andalusian and described as “this Thoroughbred of another era."