Like other French warmbloods, it was the result of crossing local agricultural horses with the Thoroughbred, and was known by the name of the region without ever having a specific stud-book.

During the late 19th century, additional Thoroughbred blood was added and a new type emerged that was principally used as a light cavalry mount.

[3] Some 19th- and early 20th-century sources claim that Arabian blood was also added from horses captured from the Saracens after the Battle of Poitiers.

The areas of Cluny, Charolles, Blanzy, Paray-le-Monial, and Digoin were preferred for breeding, due to the clay-limestone soils that favoured the development of the equine skeletal structure.

[10] It was thought by some enthusiasts, however, that this outcrossing reduced the quality of the breed,[4] and many missed the old-style Charolais, which had disappeared due to a lack of demand and use.

[3] The Charolais breed was small, and most closely physically resembled the Morvan horse, another now-extinct French type.