54 DEVELOPMENT OF* THE MODERN HORSE 



ing Agriculture made several importations. Canadian horses carry 

 much of this blood, but have reduced in size in the new country. 



No draft breed is so widely and generally distributed through- 

 out America. Percheron grade draft horses in cities, on farms and 

 in horse markets largely outnumber all other breeds combined. 

 They have achieved their premier position by priority in the field 

 and by intrinsic value. Not only weight but active habits com- 

 mend them to users and their clean legs are generally preferred to 

 the profuse feather on the legs of some British breeds, particularly 

 for farm work. 



Description 



Size: large, 15 to 17 hands, 1300 to 2000 pounds weight. 

 There has been a great demand for heavy horses in America dur- 

 ing the last two or three decades, and the Percheron horse has in 

 consequence been selected more for size, whereas formerly activity 

 was more insisted upon. As a result the breed is much heavier 

 and less active than formerly. Color : dappled gray, turning to 

 white with advancing age, was formerly a characteristic color. On 

 this account the Percheron lost somewhat as compared with the 

 bay of the Clydesdale and darker colors of other breeds. Conse- 

 quently black has become the prevailing color of late. It may be 

 said that with the great demand for blacks, anything and every- 

 thing in the line of black stallions of heavy weight has been ac- 

 cepted, while only the very best of the grays found favor. Very 

 naturally the superior quality of many of these grays is causing a 

 decided reaction in favor of the color, on the principle that a good 

 horse is never of a bad color. , 



General form: broad, low, blocky, massive, and symmetrical. 

 The head is medium large, showing some Arabian lines ; the neck 

 is massive and short with high crest ; the shoulders wide, oblique, 

 and smooth ; body deep, round, and short ; loins strongly muscled ; 

 croup rather sloping ; quarters big and powerful ; legs short, wide 



Careless feeding and watering ruins many a valuable horse. 



