Bidet horse

The Bidet was a type of small horse from France, now extinct. It was a landrace developed principally in the area around Brittany, Morvan, Auvergne, Poitou, and Burgundy. It stood about 110–135 centimetres at the withers. Two distinct groups are documented, which were bred in a semi-feral state. Bidets were first identified in the 15th century. They were used as "jack-of-all-trades" animals, equally suited for riding, farm work and passenger transport. They declined during the 19th century, when railways and better-kept roads pressured horse breeders into specialising their breeds. Despite the animal's disappearance, the name "bidet" survives in several French cultural references. The term "bidet" first appeared in 1564, used by François Rabelais to describe a small horse. He probably borrowed the word from the Old French "bider", meaning "to trott", itself derived from "rabider", meaning "to run in haste", which was used in the 14th century. According to the Trésor de la langue française, a bidet horse is a "small post horse, stocky and vigorous, ridden by couriers; a small saddle horse or draft horse." The usage of the feminine form "bidette" can also be found in one of Gustave Flaubert's works. The word "bidet" came to refer to a small saddle horse of the people, of a "genre peu élevé" ("a lowly kind"); thus, this term also came to have a pejorative connotation. Some tillers during the mid-20th century still referred to their workhorses as bidets, but usage of the term has significantly decreased, with "poney" replacing it as the common word. The plumbing fixture known as the bidet has been referred to by this name since 1739, coming from a metaphor that most likely refers to the straddling position that one must assume while using the bidet. The history of the bidet is associated with the history of commoners and the state. These horses were only valuable for the work they were able to carry out at a low cost. Therefore, the beauty, size, coat color, and sex of the horse were of no importance; only working ability and hardiness were taken into account.