104 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



smoothly blended with the body and cleanly attached to the head, 

 being crowned with profuse mane and foretop. Those things 

 which give special distinction to the Percheron breed are the 

 head and neck suggesting the Arabian, the blocky body and 

 droopy tendency of rump, the short smooth legs, the charac- 

 teristic color, and the superior action. As a draft beast the 

 pure-bred or high-grade Percheron ranks in France and America 

 at the very front, with no superior. 



The improvement of the Percheron in France is due to both 

 public and private methods. The government for over a century 

 has maintained studs in which select animals have been kept for 

 breeding purposes. The best horses in France have been in the 

 past and are at present reserved by the government for home 

 improvement. In addition to this, subsidies are paid private indi- 

 viduals to keep horses of merit in the stud. Animals are crit- 

 ically inspected by government veterinarians, and if up to a 

 certain standard, they are designated as subsidized, and a cash 

 bonus is paid for keeping them in the country on the farm of the 

 owner, available to the owners of mares. This bonus ranges from 

 300 to 500 francs ($60 to $100) per year, according to the 

 breeding and excellence of the stallion. Horses of not quite so 

 good a grade are authorized after passing inspection, and the 

 owners are given a card which is a government recommendation 

 of the sires to farmers. A third class, known as approved, of 

 which there are but few, are permitted to be in service, but 

 neither bonus nor special certificate is given for them. 



Since 1885 a government decree has excluded from public 

 service all stallions not coming within these classes. 



The Percheron horse society of France (Societe Hippique Per- 

 cheronne) was organized in 1883, and its purpose has been to 

 promote the purity of the breed. In 1890 this 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 veteri- 

 narian appointed by the society is required to brand its official 

 mark on the colt's neck. 



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 



