Established in the autumn of 1783, it originally functioned as a depot for royal stallions, operating from a single stable within a barracks in the town of Lamballe.

Although it was abolished in 1790 and briefly recreated in 1825, the national stud assumed its definitive form in 1842, tasked with providing breeding stallions to the owners of approximately 70,000 broodmares in its district.

The National Stud played a major role in the development of the Norfolk-Breton breed, the future Breton horse, by importing Norfolk Trotter stallions from England.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Haras National de Lamballe came under the management of a Syndicat Mixte, losing its former role as a public stallion and turning to tourism and the preservation of the Breton horse.

It organizes numerous events, including the national Breton horse show, and Brittany's biggest equestrian festival, the Mille Sabots, held every September.

[3] The creation of the official stud dates back to a royal stallion depot initiated in 1783, following a report from the Rennes Academy of Agriculture.

[4] This depot was set up in the autumn of that year within a stable at Lamballe's Saint-Martin barracks, with an annual rental fee of 240 pounds and the employment of two grooms and a master marshal for the eight royal stallions.

[9] In 1819, Lamballe mayor Collas de la Baronnais reported that foreign horse traders were buying the commune's best animals from breeders; he again called for a stallion depot in 1818 and 1819.

[1] The mayor of Lamballe called for a stallion depot to be set up in his town, and the Dinan arrondissement council passed a resolution to this effect.

[6] The Côtes-du-Nord equestrian commission, meeting in February 1829, emphasized the high quality of the department's broodmares and asked Lamballe for funds to buy the best local stallions before they were sold commercially.

[15][16] However, with the opening of the Haras National de Langonnet, the creation of a stallion depot in Lamballe was deemed unnecessary.

[16] Numerous complaints from breeders reached the prefect and the general council, as the transfer of equine breeding activities to Langonnet for the entire Côtes-du-Nord department caused major disruption.

Situated in the midst of fertile, well-cultivated regions, immensely rich in beautiful broodmares, this establishment cannot fail to produce the greatest good and to contribute powerfully to the improvement of the various breeds of horses that are spread over the soil of Brittany.At the time, it had only one stable.

[28] In 1842, the stud welcomed Brittany's first Norfolk Trotter stallion, Sir Henry Dimsdale, who bred for a year before being transferred to the Haras National de Saint-Lô.

[25] At this time, the stud also housed Percheron diligence horses and military saddlebred stallions of the Thoroughbred, Arabian, and Anglo-Norman types.

Thanks to a warm welcome from breeders, Lamballe increased its imports of Norfolk Trotter stallions from England, via northern Finistère.

[38] The appointment of a Breton-born stud inspector, Mr. Auguste Ollivier, and Mr. Dupont-Auberville's position as director in Lamballe, provided support for traction horse breeding.

[47] In the early 1990s, the Haras National de Lamballe managed the breeding of some 2,000 mares, as well as stud farms in the towns of Bégard, Bourbriac, Callac, Corlay, Lannion, Loudéac, Merdrignac, Quintin, Rostrenen, Landivisiau, Lanmeur, Lannilis, Saint-Pol-de-Léon and Saint-Renan.

[48] In 1993, Breton stallions from the Lamballe stud took part in the first French interbreed endurance cup for draft horses.

[50] On October 15, 2015, the Institut français du cheval et de l'équitation (IFCE by its acronym in French) announced that this stud, like all the sites it manages that are not national in vocation, will be put up for sale in January 2016, unless an agreement or partnership is signed before the end of the year.

[53] The evolution of the site's function includes accentuating its equestrian vocation by diversifying the breeds of horses accommodated, welcoming residents, organizing shows and art exhibitions, creating a museum, and innovating.

[53] A prefiguration association for the public interest group aimed at preserving the Breton horse was created in December 2014 and has since been based at the Lamballe stud farm.

[56] Compared with other French national stud farms, its buildings are concentrated in a relatively small area of around 5 hectares.

Two rows of symmetrical stables abutting the main entrance were built perpendicular to each other, on the site formerly known as "La ferme du Pavillon", at the time of management by Mr.

[56] The stud farm was listed as a historic monument by decree on December 11, 2015: this concerns all buildings dating from before World War I, as well as stable No.

[58] This collection includes many equestrian objects used before the beginning of the 20th century, notably equine dentistry tools and one of the first models of mechanical clippers.

[59] The Lamballe stud site boasts a large number of tree species and varieties of flowering plants.

For example, according to Commandant Saint-Gal de Pons, Mr. Ollivier, Inspector General of the studs at the beginning of the 20th century, "deserves to have his name inscribed in gold letters on the splendors of the Lamballe depot", because of his efforts to promote the Breton letter carrier as an artillery horse, which contributed greatly to the service of the French Army and the economic prosperity of this region of Brittany.

An artist of honor then performs in the main arena of the Haras National de Lamballe, where a variety of events take place (such as pony games, show jumping, in-hand horse presentations, driving, and dressage).

[85] In July 2019, old photographs of Lamballe's past will be displayed on the gates of the stud farm, and circular paintings in the aisles.