Equestrian High School

The agricultural high school on the outskirts of Amboise specialises in two main streams of study -- winemaking and equestrian husbandry.

Recently we've encountered students and teachers out exercising the draft horses.

I think these are probably Comtois, the most popular breed of French draft horse. They come from the Jura mountains and were bred by the Burgundians in the early Middle Ages as war horses, later becoming draft animals.

At the school students get a grounding as professional grooms, breeders, jockeys, equestrian tourist guides, saddlers and osteopaths.