158 THE HORSE 



War still continued to be the chief and paramount 

 vocation of large numbers of able-bodied men. As im- 

 plements of warfare were improved and made more 

 deadly, recourse was had to coats of mail for protection. 

 At first these were of light weight, but, as the efficiency 

 of weapons was increased, the armor was also increased 

 in weight, until it not infrequently outweighed the 

 warrior who w r ore it. Simultaneously with the increase 

 of the weight to be carried, came an increase in the 

 size and weight of the war-horse. Just how this was 

 accomplished is not certain, but it is believed that 

 resort was had to both English and Danish stallions. 

 Later, the post -roads opened through the country also 

 had an effect on the size and character of French 

 horses in many districts. 



The change from the old type, which had some of the 

 characteristics of the Oriental horse, to a more distinc- 

 tive draft type was accomplished by 1760; but, between 

 this date and 732, many unrecorded influences were 

 operating, without doubt, to change the small Arabian 

 types of the horses of LaPerche to a larger draft type. 

 As late as 1873, I saw a few specimens of the modified 

 Oriental horses in the districts which had long since 

 adopted a larger animal of the draft type. Up to 1820, 

 the draft -horses of France lacked the symmetry and 

 finish which they now possess. It is not an easy task to 

 harmoniously unite two varieties of horses so dissimilar 

 as the Oriental and the English draft. Although the 

 draft-blood was introduced as early as 1760, up to 1820 

 it had not been satisfactorily united with the Oriental 

 and native blood; for, about the latter date, a system- 



