The Trait du Maine was officially recognized as a horse breed in 1926 and had up to 25,000 annual births in 1929.

[4] According to the Annals of Brittany and Western France, the "Studbook of the Mayenne Draft Horse" was created in 1907.

[2][5][6] The presentation of the breed at the Paris Horse Congress[a] in 1909 elicited praise from Mr. Lavalard: "The horses of Mayenne show the effects of a more methodical breeding; the mares and fillies now stand out for the solidity of their limbs, the correctness of their forms, and the freedom of their gaits.”[2] Mayenne provided about 10,000 horses for World War I, which significantly disrupted breeding, despite efforts by the Ministry of Agriculture to preserve the best broodmares.

[2] The following year, the breed was officially recognized as the "Trait du Maine",[15] subsidized for the purchase of departmental stallions,[16] and admitted to the Central Horse Show in Paris [fr] with 40,000 francs in prizes to be distributed.

[18] Significant progress was made in just a few years, notably due to the presentation of animals at the Central Horse Show in Paris.

[2] In L'Ouest-Éclair newspaper, on July 24, 1929, a "breeder, who is interested in the future of the Maine Horse, notes that a "noticeable improvement seems to have occurred, although the number of exhibitors does not increase".

[19] He adds that "Many breeders, who own elite subjects, are deterred by the expenses of a trip to Paris, with the concern of being absent from home for a week during haymaking season".

[23][24] In the Mayenne department alone, in 1929, 48,000 Trait du Maine mares were used for reproduction each year,[4] for 25,000 annual foal births.

A brand representing the letters "SM" was applied to the upper third of the left side of the neck and the owner received an identification card for their animal.

[30][3] The Trait du Maine was integrated into the Percheron stud book in 1966 according to the 2016 edition of the CAB International encyclopedia.