n6 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



organized to promote the purity of the breed, to register horses 

 within the Perche only, and to publish a studbook from time to 

 time. In 1890 the society passed a rule that all colts must be 

 entered for registry between the ages of three and six months. 

 At the time of registration a veterinarian appointed by the society 

 is required to brand its official mark on the colt's neck, and this 

 should always be found on imported Percheron horses registered 

 by the French society. Volume I of the French studbook first 

 appeared in 1883, and at intervals since that time volumes have 

 been published in two parts, one each for stallions and mares. 



FIG. 43. Percheron futurity winners at the Ohio State Fair, 1917. These are year- 

 ling horse colts. From photograph by the Columbus Photograph Service Company. 

 By courtesy of Professor D. J. Kays 



American Percheron horse associations date back to 1876. At 

 this time, owing to the common usage of the word " Norman," it 

 was planned to organize the Norman Horse Association. French 

 horses, known as Normans, had been used in the West some 

 years, for as far back as 1854 Dillon and Company of Normal, Illi- 

 nois, showed what they termed Normans. The word " Percheron " 

 was also in use. J. H. Sanders had been made secretary of the 

 new association, and he added the word " Percheron " to the title, so 

 that it read Percheron-Norman Horse Association, and his action 

 was approved. This was followed by some members withdrawing 

 and organizing the National Register of Norman Horses, which 

 was later changed to the National Register of French Draft 

 Horses. With the organization in France of a Percheron society 



