At the end of the Pliocene, the climate in North America began to cool significantly and most of the animals were forced to move south.
Pasma, ki je najbolj vplivala na razvoj Selle Français, je "anglo-normanska" (nastala je s križanjem konj arabske, angleške čistokrvne in Norfolk Trotter pasme), ki se je razvila v Normandiji v 19. stoletju.