Collection of horse-drawn carriages

The Horse-Drawn Carriage Collection

A Unique Heritage Identity

Unusual Carriages

The Haras national du Pin boasts an exceptional collection of horse-drawn carriages, most of which are listed as historical monuments.

During the guided and self-guided tour, visitors can see this collection. These horse-drawn carriages bear witness to a 19th-century way of life, its customs and traditions: every detail of these vintage vehicles reveals the comfort and safety of the travellers, their social standing, and their habits.

Coachbuilding: French Expertise

Today, the horse-drawn carriage heritage comprises 4,500 vehicles in Europe, from grand state coaches to small English carts. 1,300 bear the hallmark of a French coachbuilder. Coachbuilding is one of the most prestigious areas of French craftsmanship and technical creation.

Every detail is meticulously considered and represents a work of art in itself.

Horse-drawn carriages are remarkable for the richness and luxury of their materials, the beauty and splendour of their decoration, their extraordinary dimensions, and above all, their exceptional status as animated objects, a kind of rolling stage or theatre, designed to dazzle the crowds.

The coachwork has long been in harmony with the artistic context of each era, evolving at the same pace as decorative fashions.

French carriages have established themselves on the international market through their beauty, quality, luxury, and perfection. This supremacy of French taste, unrivalled in the world of industrial arts, has established our national coachbuilding as the model that many foreign manufacturers seek to imitate.

An exceptional collection at the Haras du Pin

In 1991, Jean-Louis Libourel, heritage curator and carriage driving enthusiast, undertook the first historical study of the horse-drawn carriage heritage at the Haras national du Pin. This unprecedented historical research led to the publication of a book entitled "Heritage Itinerary" on the horse-drawn carriages of Le Pin. Today, thanks to the patronage of Jean-Paul Guerlain and the Heritage Foundation, two exceptionally elegant carriages have been restored: the Milord Ferme and the traveling coupé, also known as the "dormouse (dormeuse)."

We have a collection of five horse-drawn vehicles in the coach house, which visitors can see during the tours.

The Milord Ferme or French Cab:

This carriage was manufactured by Jacques Rothschild, (no relation to the Rothschild family) who was renowned for producing luxury and elegant cars.  Used for getting around town, but rather impractical, it was not very commercially successful. Four examples exist in France, one which is here at the Haras national du Pin.

The Phaeton:

Its origins lie in Greek mythology. It was the son of Helios, the sun, who took his father's chariot; the universe nearly burst into flames. Carriages bearing this name had a sleek and light appearance from the 17th century onward, and a sporty one from the 18th century. In the rear, one can see the seats for the servants.

The Grand Break:

The grand break was used in stud farms to transport the director's guests for tours of the estate, allowing them to see the stallions.

The Park Drag or Road Coach:

Built in London at the end of the 19th century by the Holland & Holland firm, this carriage was gifted by Baroness de Zuylen to the Haras National du Pin.  It is a private vehicle for transporting passengers and is highly sought after by carriage enthusiasts - it is always drawn by four horses. It was a leisure carriage, used for pleasure drives, country outings, picnics, and trips to the racetrack, where it served as a private box, just like at the theatre.

The traveling coupé or sleeper:

Built in Paris in the mid-19th century, this robust carriage, designed for long journeys, was conceived to tackle all roads, even in the worst conditions, offering passengers maximum comfort and safety. The four-horse team, led by two postilions mounted on the left-hand horses, ensured a safer ride.

Collection of horse-drawn carriages

A symbol of heritage, unique to the National Stud institution and to “Le Pin” National Stud

What extraordinary contraptions!

Le Pin National Stud boasts an exceptional collection of horse-drawn vehicles, most of them listed as historical property. These unique items can be admired by the visitor during a guided tour of the National Stud. They represent a true witness of life in the 19th Century, of the customs and traditions of the day. Every detail depicts the comfort and safety of travellers, their social status and their routine.

Coachbuilding, a know-how “à la française”

Today, heritage in terms of horse-drawn carriages and coaches represents 4,500 vehicles across Europe, from the regal State Coach down to the basic Dogcart.  Of such wealth, 1,300 carry the name of a French coachbuilder.

Coachbuilding encompasses one of the most prestigious areas of French craftsmanship and techniques.  Every detail is studied, each one of them representing a work of art.  Horse-drawn carriages are remarkable by the wealth and luxury of their materials, the beauty and splendour of their decor, their extraordinary size and, above all, their exceptional image inspiring motion and life, such as a moving stage or a rolling theatre, having the aim to amaze the crowds.

The art of coachbuilding was for a long time linked to the artistic context of the era, evolving in unison with the current fashionable decor.  French carriages have adopted a significant position on the international market, due to their beauty, their quality, their luxury and their perfection.  Such supremacy “à la française”, having no other rival in the sector of industrial art, has thrust national coachbuilding techniques into a model position that many foreign builders seek to copy!

Extract from the book entitled, “Voitures, Chevaux et Attelages du XVIème au XIXème Siècle, sous la direction de Daniel Roche" [Carriages, Horses and Driving from the 16th to the 19th Century, by Daniel Roche], 2002, edited by Art Equestre De Versailles.  Available in French.

An exceptional collection hidden away at Le Pin National Stud

In 1991, Jean-Louis LIBOUREL, a curator having the passion for carriage driving, undertook the first historical analysis of the horse-drawn coaches, carriages and traps that comprise the heritage of the Le Pin National Stud. This historical research, conducted for the first time, provided an excellent opportunity to publish a Heritage Tour, Itineraire du Patrimoine, of the horse-drawn carriages at Le Pin.. 

Today, due to the kind patronage of Jean-Paul GUERLAIN and to the French Heritage Foundation, Fondation du Patrimoine, two extremely elegant carriages are undergoing restoration: the Milord a larger version of the English Cab, often with four wheels and the travelling coupé, often called the “Dormeuse” (lit. the “Sleeper”, referring to any horse-drawn vehicle fitted out to enable passengers to lie down and sleep after folding down the front or the rear to provide the necessary space).

Click here to find out more on the “Coaches and Carriages of Le Pin National Stud”, a document compiled by Itinéraires du Patrimoine, edited only in French in 1991 by the Lower-Normandy Regional Inventory Office.

Milord Fermé or English Cab, buillt in Paris during the last quarter of the 19th Century by Jacques Rotschild and Sons, Coachbuilders, listed as Historical Property since 1987 

Carriage or coach-driving, a know-how of the National Stud institution  

Harnessing, hitching up or driving a horse-drawn vehicle constitutes a part of the unique expertise practised by the National Stud officers during their daily work-out of the horses at stud.  In such a manner, they are always ready to go on parade, whether for “Le Pin Thursdays” show or for the breeders’ stallion procession in February.

Every visitor to Le Pin National Stud will surely revel in a delightful horse & trap outing, around the main courtyard or along the lanes and vales of Le Pin estate!