draft: horses 20s 



originated In France, being founded partly upon the 

 Arab horse, and the breed has been developed mainly 

 in a small district in the northwest of France called 

 Perche. The first notable Percheron stallion brought 

 to this country was Louis Napoleon, Imported to 

 Pennsylvania in 1851, and soon afterward taken to 

 Ohio. 



Originally the Percheron was a comparatively small 

 horse weighing about 1,250 or 1,300 pounds, and he 

 was much like a magnified Morgan with short, lively 

 action, an excellent disposition, an arched neck, and a 

 smoothly turned body. Of recent years, by the infu- 

 sion of Flemish blood, the Percheron horse has become 

 much larger, and the biggest of them now weigh a ton. 

 However, there are many Percherons weighing not 

 over 1,400 pounds, and these smaller horses retain the 

 original characteristics of the breed. 



The Percheron Is a somewhat smaller horse than the 

 Belgian and Shire, but he Is somewhat heavier on the 

 average than the Clydesdale. The Percheron has a 

 smaller and prettier head than any other draft breed, 

 except perhaps the Suffolk Punch, and less hair on his 

 legs. The neck Is sometimes a little short, but, as a 

 rule. It is longer than the neck of the Belgian. The 

 neck Is well-crested and arched, and in these respects 

 very much superior to the neck of the Clydesdale and 

 Shire, which, though fairly long, Is straight. The bone 

 of the Percheron is usually good and probably superior 

 to that of the Shire and Clydesdale, and his action, 

 both at the walk and the trot, has the snap and light- 

 ness of a small horse. In fact, the Percheron combines 



