In the early 1970s, the market for horse meat began to decline, and the Trait du Nord, like many European draft breeds, was in danger of extinction.

The Trait du Nord is large, with stallions weighing upwards of 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb), and is bred for traction ability and pulling power.

[8] It was then described as a born laborer, built for traction and with a conformation that allowed it to move huge weights over short distances.

[9] Although some breeds of draft horses have declined in weight in modern times, the Trait du Nord has remained relatively large.

[1][4] In France, the National Stud regulates the physical standards of the Trait du Nord and eight other French breeds.

[5] Auxois, Ardennes, Brabant and some Dutch draft breeds may be admitted to the Trait du Nord studbook after being inspected and approved by a review panel.

[1] Registered horses are marked with a stylized "N" brand on the left side of the neck, signifying conformity to the breed standard.

[5] Although it is a popular myth that many French draft breeds, including the Trait du Nord, are descendants of the prehistoric horses found at Solutré, this is not true.

Two or possibly three subspecies of now-extinct equines have been found at Solutré, but there is no evidence that they migrated to the area that later produced the Trait du Nord.

[12] Like Dutch and Belgian draft breeds such as the Brabant, the origin of the Trait du Nord is found in the large, fertile Flemish grasslands that cover the southern portion of the Netherlands, northern France and all of Belgium.

[13] The Trait du Nord was unique in being selected specifically for farming, as many draft breeds were also bred for use in transport.

[13] The Trait du Nord proved a successful breed for the farmers that developed it,[10] and quickly spread throughout the Netherlands, Belgium and northern France.

[14] The Trait du Nord gradually began to differ from the Ardennes as they gained size and volume and improved their gaits, and the breed became popular in the north and east of France.

[4][16] During World War II, the armed forces used all stocks of fuel, and the draft horse was used to continue agricultural production in France.

A French decree on 24 August 1976, published in the Official Journal, encouraged farmers to select the biggest, heaviest stallions for breeding.

The French National Stud backed this decree, and encouraged the breeding of foals that would fatten rapidly, to be butchered at the age of eighteen months.

On 11 March 1994 the Trait du Nord was officially declared to be a workhorse again, and in 1996 another decree prohibited docking of tails in horses.

[20] Members of the breed are occasionally exported from France, with some going to Italy, Belgium and Germany, mainly for work in logging and pulling brewery wagons.

[22] The stamina and energy of the breed allows them to perform well in the heavy and compact soils in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and recover quickly after exercise.

[22] Since the 1950s, the Trait du Nord has been the preferred breed for farmers who practiced intensive cropping of cereals and beets in the Northern Great Plains of France.

Since the mid-1990s, colts not intended for breeding, recreational riding, or harness work are heavily fed and sent out to slaughter before the age of eighteen months.

[25] The revival of team driving has prompted farmers who use the Trait du Nord to attend competitions and improve the quality of their horses.

However, breed numbers were already low when these initiatives began to be implemented,[5] and media attention on the Trait du Nord is insufficient to maintain economically viable interest.

The production of horse meat has declined due to a decrease in consumption, and most male foals are neither selected for reproduction nor work.

[31] The main breeding areas are located around the former Compiegne Stud and include the departments of Nord, the Pas-de-Calais, the Oise, the Aisne and Somme.

To combat this danger, farmers are cross breeding the Trait du Nord with approved Belgian and Dutch horses.