164 THE HORSE BOOK. 



THE OTHER FRENCH BREEDS. 



Recognized by the French government as a 

 pure breed the Boulonnais has its home in the 

 neighborhood of the town of Boulogne, which is 

 situated on the northern coast of France and 

 just across the English channel from Britain. 

 While partaking quite largely of the type of 

 French draft horse exemplified by the Perche- 

 ron, it is undoubted, from the evidence of our 

 eyes, either that some English blood has been 

 injected into the race or that the conditions on 

 the two sides of the narrow channel of salt water 

 have tended toward the production of similar 

 characteristics in the French and British stocks. 

 White markings and colors in which the foxy red 

 is more or less prominent are much more com- 

 mon among the Boulonnais than among the 

 Percherons. Iron grays and roans are common, 

 bays, browns and chestnuts, also, together with 

 white stockings behind and white blazes. The 

 Boulonnais probably averages larger than the 

 Percheron, shows a great amount of bone but 

 possesses less breed character or type. 



Nivernais horses are pre-eminently like the 

 Percheron, which is not to be wondered at, see- 

 ing that the race is being improved by the use of 

 Percheron stallions. The color is black and all 

 black. In a catalogue of the Great Central Show 

 of Paris now at my hand, black Nivernais horses 

 and mares alone are listed. A rather short back 

 rib, light flank, and a tendency to undue length 



