THE BREEDS OF HORSES. 277 



which they took in the subject of breeding horses; and as 

 late as about 1820 we find that two famous Arabian stallions, 

 Godolphin and Gallipoli, both grey, were imported and ex- 

 tensively used under the direction of the government. * * * 



Aside from the history and traditions of the country the 

 Percheron horse himself furnishes unmistakable evidence, 

 in his form, disposition, color, and general characteristics, 

 that he is closely allied to the Arab. These characteristics 

 have been materially modified, it is true, and the size has 

 been greatly increased; but, in the hands of the excellent 

 horsemen of La Perche, and under the careful and fostering 

 supervision of the government, which exercised a direct con- 

 trol over the selection of sires, he seems to have retained 

 many of the excellent qualities of his Oriental ancestry; and 

 this, added to the greatly increased size which had been at- 

 tained, made the horses of La Perche many years ago the 

 wonder of the world for their specialty of rapid draft their 

 ability to move a heavy load at a rapid gait. 



It was this acknowledged superiority of the Percheron 

 horse in the diligences, post-coaches, and omnibuses of 

 France that first caused the attention of the outside world 

 to be directed to them. It was not simply as draft or cart 

 horses that they were distinguished; on the contrary, had 

 they possessed no excellence beyond this they would scarcely 

 have attracted any attention; for other countries possessed 

 horses that, for the purposes of heavy draft alone, were cer- 

 tainly their equals, if not their superiors; but it was in that 

 happy combination of size and form which gave them activ- 

 ity, quickness of motion, strength, and endurance that they 

 were found to excel the horses of all other countries. * * * 

 But, with the introduction of railroads, the use of the post- 

 coach and diligence was practically abandoned; and as this 

 was the speciality for which the Percherons we have de- 

 scribed had been bred, so, with the new order of things, 

 came a demand for horses of larger type (greater weight, a 

 heavier bone, and more substance were required), and since 

 that time the improvement of the Percheron in this direc- 

 tion has especially engrossed the attention of the French 

 breeder. * * * 



