Flemish Horse
The Flemish Horse, also known as Belgian Horse (US) or Flanders Horse, Dutch: Vlaams Paard, French: Cheval Flamand, is a Belgian breed of draught horse originating in Flanders, Belgium.
| Conservation status | DAD-IS (2023): at risk |
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| Country of origin | Belgium |
| Distribution | Europe, Northern America |
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| Colour | usually flaxen chestnut |
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It became extinct in the nineteenth century in Europe when it was merged with the Brabant to create the Belgian Draught. From about 1993 it was recreated from some stock kept by Amish people in the United States and Canada. A breed association, Het Vlaams Paard (VP), was formed in 1999. In 2005 the breed was officially approved by the Flemish government, and the breed association authorised to manage the stud-book.
The Flemish Horse (Vlaams Paard) should not be confused with the South-African Vlaamperd breed, although both breeds directly translate to Flemish Horse in English. The Vlaamperd derives from the Dutch Friesian Horse, but was shipped from the Flemish port of Antwerp to South-Africa. Hence the confusion in name.