Bidet

The Bidet was a historical French small horse or pony type rather than a modern standardized breed. From the Middle Ages into the nineteenth century, the word was used for compact riding horses found in several regions, including Brittany, Normandy, Poitou, and the Morvan. Many bidets had an easy ambling gait, making them useful everyday mounts before roads, carriages, and rail transport changed demand for small saddle horses. The label describes a practical type more than a single closed studbook population.

There is no living Bidet studbook in the usual breed sense, so the name is most useful for historians, museum interpretation, and people tracing the background of French horse populations. Modern animals advertised under the label should be treated cautiously unless a preservation group documents a specific local line. Comparable management today would suit native pony types: turnout, simple feed, careful saddle fit, hoof care, and work matched to a small horse's build.