According to Guy de Sallier Dupin, an ambler bidet existed in Brittany before any Arab influence, as early as the 5th century.

[7] Historian Guy de Sallier Dupin has noted several references to an Arab origin in his work, but also some oppositions, particularly from Éphrem Houël, for whom the Breton bidet is a native breed whose appearance is simply the result of a semi-feral lifestyle,[8] soil and climate.

[8] Guy de Sallier Dupin notes a correspondence from the 15th century, in which a Rohan son-in-law of François II deals with the Turks to import horses, falcons and greyhounds.

[13] An unverifiable tradition has it that several oriental horses contemporary with Godolphin Arabian (1730), perhaps of the Barb breed, influenced the livestock in Brittany's Lorge forest.

[9] Road improvements in Brittany in the 18th century led to changes in the bidets bred on the coast, as they were considered bad horses.

This made them faster and stronger, better suited to pulling, and represented the beginnings of the development of the Breton draft horse.

[15] After the French Revolution, the Haras Nationaux lost interest in the mountainous regions of inland Brittany where they were bred, and made no imported stallions available: the large horses brought by the stud farms from northern Europe were not suited to the size of the "bidettes".

[16] As far back as 1756, an edict ordered breeders to trim or cut off one ear of superior quality animals, so as to differentiate them more quickly.

[17] The animal has a bad reputation in the memories of the time, although some documents report crossbreeding with Barb horses and an Arabian stallion in 1785.

[20] According to anthropologist Philippe Lacombe, the Haras Nationaux are engaged in a process of "nationalization" and "civilization" of animals and people, as they attack bidet breeding, which is being "stigmatized".

[21] The Breton bidet, decried by the French stud farm administration for its lack of elegance,[22] is, in their view, the embodiment of peasant gaucherie.

[21] Yann Brekilien speaks of a "merciless struggle" to impose standards in defiance of the real needs of Brittany's inhabitants.

[4] Théophile de Pompéry is equally critical, saying (in 1851) that the stud system confuses and deteriorates horse breeds by denying their regional particularities.

[24] The stud officer in charge of Langonnet between 1837 and 1847, Éphrem Houël, reports on numerous efforts to force farmers to breed larger animals.

[31] Several reasons are cited for this disappearance: modernization of transport, crossbreeding with hot-blooded or draft horses, and the influence of Haras Nationaux.

[11] According to Yann Brekilien[4] and Thierry Jigourel,[34] it was the Haras Nationaux's action against the breeding of bidets that led directly to the disappearance of this little horse throughout Brittany, an analysis previously defended by Jacques Charpy, director of the Finistère archives.

[40] The Breton bidet is probably a small, primitive type of horse, comparable to the Sorraia pony from Portugal and the Fjord from Norway.

[46] The bidet from Derval and Blain barely exceeds 1.20 m,[33] and the small horse from Ushant is the size of a Shetland pony.

They work well into old age, without their legs or limbs suffering, while making do with little food,[47] usually a supplement of crushed gorse and very little hay in winter.

[16]"The Breton bidet is satisfied with what Mother Nature offers: a little hay, crushed heath, exceptionally bran and a few measures of oats.

– Alexandre Bouët[48]This sobriety would have earned the Breton bidet the nickname of "France's Cossack" during the Russian campaign,[43] but Guy de Sallier Dupin casts doubt on the veracity of this Napoleonic statement.

[33] Yann Brekilien also testifies to the qualities of hardiness, docility, resistance and courage that are uncommon in Breton bidets.

[4] Period documents are full of praise for its vigor and stamina,[16] evoking "surprising" means despite its small size, unfailing hardiness, exceptional endurance and ability to bear the weight of traction.

[44] A testimonial published in the press in 1894 reported that one bidet covered forty leagues in one day, with no signs of fatigue.

Breton bidets carry all kinds of loads: grain, flour, salt, coal, linen, canvas or slate tiles.

[53] Sallier Dupin's critical study reveals that Moggy is not a pure-bred Breton bidet, having been bred from an Arabian horse.

[11] They are found around Briec and Carhaix, in the valleys and on the sunset of the Monts d'Arrée, and on the Morbihan coast, generally bred by fairly poor farmers.

[16] Briec bidets were particularly expensive in the early 19th century, with the price of a good animal rising to 800 francs.

[58] A breeder in Haut Corlay is trying to revive the local bidet by crossing Breton draft horses with thoroughbreds.

A folk tale collected by Émile Souvestre, La Groac'h de l'île du Lok, tells of a stick that changes into "Saint-Thégonnec's red bidet" with an incantation:[60]"From Saint Vouga, remember!