480 THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



This ancient history, thus briefly and imperfectly traced, may 

 be fairly considered the early history of all noted draft-horses 

 of the present century. France and England, located near this 

 remarkable territory, where the Northmen settled and founded a 

 mighty people and a mighty breed of horses, have not only 

 been most affected in their language, habits, and history by con- 

 tact and intercourse, but have also drawn from it horses which 

 have enabled them to establish their best breeds of draft-horses, 

 as well as horses of power and action and docility, suited to the 

 work of the plow or wagon. 



The French Draft-horse. In the United States the 

 farmer is bewildered by the number of names given to the draft- 

 horses imported from France. He hears them called Normans, 

 Percherons, Percheron-Normans, and Norman-Percherons. The 

 advocates of the name Norman claim this name, because two 

 centuries ago there was a noted breed of powerful horses in 

 Normandy; but they have failed to show that this breed had 

 any more to do in the make-up of the horses of the ancient 

 province of La Perche, than had the powerful horses of Flanders, 

 which became noted before those of the country south of it. 



La Perche was an ancient division of France, in the old 

 province of Maine, and is now divided among the departments 

 of Orne, Eure-et-Loire, and Eure, and is not so insignificant a 

 department as some would have us believe. But the powerful 

 horses, which are the base of the modern Percheron, were not 

 confined to Normandy, nor does history warrant the conclusion 

 that they were superior to those of Flanders or Picardie, or of 

 the country along the Scheldt, whence the modern breeders of 

 draft-horses in England and France have drawn mares and stall- 

 ions of great excellence. It is clear that the mighty race of 

 horses was not confined to any one of the provinces named. 

 As far back as the time of William the Conqueror we know 

 they had, from the Scheldt south to Bretagne, a most powerful 

 horse ; large, active, and spirited, well suited for the mode of 

 warfare when the riders wore heavy coats of mail, and carried 

 heavy lance and battle-ax and sword. How these wonderful 

 horses were produced has not been recorded in history. But 



