 From the 1830s to the interwar period (1919 – 1939), the Anglo-Norman was one of the main horses used by the French cavalry. Although author Alfred Gallier stated that it was a good breed for this use, many opposing scholars argued that this was not the case. Military requirements conflicted with Norman breeders, as the carriage horses preferred by the breeders were very different from the style sought by the military, which required fast horses with stamina and agility. According to military equestrian Denis Bogros, the economic weight of the Norman horse breeders was such as they negatively influenced the effectiveness of the French army until the early 20th century, producing only large, overweight trotters that became fatigued more easily than Barbs or Arabians. Bogros states that breeders of Norman horses managed to deceive the French government, through powerful lobbying groups, by selling the military rejects from the breeding programs. The Anglo-Norman was a commercial success as carriage horses, but proved worthless for the cavalry. This led to the creation of the Société du cheval de guerre (Society of the War Horse), which in 1906 severely criticized the use of the Anglo-Norman. Bogros considered the Anglo-Arabians bred near Tarbes to be much more useful for the military.
