THE PERCHERON 



101 



Germany, and elsewhere began to draw upon La Perche for 

 their horse stock. 



Percheron deterioration came in with the improvement of the 

 breed. Toward the close of the first third of the nineteenth cen- 

 tury the demand for these horses in La Perche became so great 

 that the farmers sold their best brood mares and stallions to 

 such an extent as to require their replacement. Not enough 

 good Percherons were available, so that other French races were 

 introduced. Large numbers of mares similar to Percherons in 

 size and style were introduced from Brittany, Picardy, Boulogne, 

 Caux, and elsewhere. These often lacked bone, substance, and 

 quality. With the improvement of highways came a demand for 

 heavier horses, and then buyers purchased large ones to meet 

 the increased demand. For a time quality was sacrificed for 

 quantity, the heaviest stallion being most in demand. Many of 

 the best brood mares of lighter type were sacrificed, thus causing 

 serious deterioration. This condition of affairs continued for some 

 years, until breeders recognized the absolute necessity of superior 

 type and quality with increased size. 



The type of Percheron about 1877 is thus described by Rich- 

 ardson, an English writer who was familiar with these horses 

 in their native home. 



The characteristics of the best 

 horses are that they run from 15 

 to 1 6 hands in height; the head is 

 handsome, though perhaps some- 

 times heavy, but more frequently 

 as fine as an Arab's ; the nostrils 

 wide ; the eye large and expressive ; 

 the forehead broad ; ears silky ; 

 neck rather short, but with a good 

 crest ; withers high ; shoulders long 

 and sloping ; chest rather flat, but 

 broad and deep ; body well ribbed ; 

 loins rather long ; crupper level and 

 muscular ; the buttocks often high, 

 leaving a depression above the 

 junction of the tail, which is set on 

 high ; joints short and strong ; the tendons often weak ; legs clean and free 

 from coarse hair ; feet always good, though rather flat when reared upon 

 moist pastures ; the skin fine, and mane silky and abundant ; the color 



FIG. 37. Pyrrhus, a prize- winning Percheron 

 stallion in France at Nogent-le-Rotrou 

 and Vendome. Photograph taken in 

 France by James B. McLaughlin 



