CART HORSES. 221 



renders the Perckeron a mure desirable, cross than the 

 Clydesdale, when tke object is to obtaiu a road horse 

 or a light cart horse. The Percheron's trot also is 

 faster than that of the Clydesdale, which consti- 

 tutes another reason for his superiority in this di- 

 rection. The Clydesdale, on the other hand, being a 

 more rapid walker than the Percheron, and being un- 

 likely to breed smaller animals than himself, makes 

 the better cross when the object is to produce a 

 heavy cart horse. 



Many stories are told of feats performed by Per- 

 cherons, some of wkick I kave mentioned in tke pre- 

 ceding ckapter. 



M. du Hays, equerry to Xapoleon III., relates tke 

 following : " In 1845, a gray mare accomplisked tkis 

 matck. Harnessed to a travelling tilbury, ske started 

 from Bernay at tke same time as tke mail carrier 

 from Rouen to Bordeaux, and arrived before kim at 

 Alencon : having made fifty-five and tkree fifths 

 miles, over a hilly and difficult road, in four hours 

 and twenty-four minutes." 



Another case vouched for by M. du Hays is thus 

 reported : " A gray mare, seven years old, in 1864, 

 harnessed to a tilbury, travelled fifty-eight miles and 

 back on two consecutive days, going at a trot and 

 without being touched by the whip. The following 

 time was made : the first day, the distance was 

 trotted in four hours, one minute, and thirty-five 

 seconds ; the second day. in four hours, one minute, 

 and thirty seconds. The last thirteen and three 

 quarters miles were made in one hour, although at 

 about the fortv-first mile the mare was obliged to 

 pass her stable to finish the distance." 



