THE BREEDS OF HORSES. 287 



also found in the districts of Bethune and St. 

 Omer, and somewhat through the departments 

 of Oise, Aisne, Eure et Loir and Seine Inferie- 

 ure. For more than a century its existence as a 

 distinct breed has been recognized, and its char- 

 acteristic features well defined. It differs from 

 the, to us better known, Percheron, in that it 

 is more thoroughly and exclusively a horse for 

 heavy draft especially fitted for a heavy load 

 at a slow pace. They have heavier quarters, 

 shorter heads, thicker necks, with shorter, 

 bushier mane than the Percheron, but with 

 correspondingly lighter bodies. The prevailing 

 colors are grey, bay and roan, the grey perhaps 

 preponderating. A very considerable number 

 of horses of this breed have been imported into 

 the United States under some of the many 

 aliases mentioned in connection with the Per- 

 cheron breed on the preceding pages, but more 

 latterly perhaps simply as French draft horses. 

 But as they now have a distinct sfcud book of 

 their own in France there is no necessity for 

 further confusion, and certainly the breed has 

 enough of merit in and of itself to render any 

 attempt at concealment of its identity posi- 

 tively foolish. 



OTHER FRENCH DRAFT BREEDS. 



The other well-defined and generally recog- 

 nized French draft breeds are the Breton breed, 



