High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Boulonnais, also known as the "White Marble Horse", is a heavy draft horse breed. It is known for its elegant, though large, appearance and is found in many colors. The breed`s origins trace to a period before the Crusades and, during the 17th century, Spanish Barb, Arabian and Andalusian blood was added to create the modern type. During the early 1900s, the Boulonnais were imported in large numbers to the United States and were quite popular in France; however, the European population suffered severe decreases during 20th century wars. There were originally two strains of Boulonnais – the smaller has died out while the larger is still bred in small numbers in Europe, mainly by studs funded by the French government. The breed was originally used to pull carts full of fresh fish from Boulogne to Paris but today is bred mainly for horsemeat. It has also been used to create and refine several other draft breeds.