DRAFT HORSES 63 



WEIGHT Draft horses of above good type weigh from 1,500 to 



AND HEIGHT 2,000 Ibs. The rule for estimating value is 25c for each 

 additional pound the heavy horse in harness means 

 more horse power in the collar. Hence weight is more important than 

 height. The average height is 16 to \7 l / 2 hands. 



PERCHERON The one most popular draft horse in America is the 



Percheron. 



These big, gray fellows (black, bays and roan are getting to be com- 

 mon) have rather small heads with nicely arched necks, broad muscular 

 hindquarters, short legs showing little "feather." While obscure in origin, 

 they have been bred for many centuries in La Perche, France, blended 

 and improved with the Arab and Barb blood introduced into France from 

 the Saracen invasion (732 A. D.). The French government early realized 

 the advantage of the careful breeding of Percheron horses, and govern- 

 ment studs were established back in the 18th century. The Percheron 

 type was early introduced into America: but the real history of the breed 

 over here dates from the importing of the gray colt Louis Napoleon into 

 Ohio. 



LOUIS NAPOLEON Louis Napoleon proved a marvelous breeder and 

 it is claimed to his credit that over 400 of his sons 



proved successful stallions. The average of power in the Percheron 

 "grades" today is said to be fully one-fourth greater on account of the 

 influence of this wonderful sire. Since Louis Napoleon there have been 

 many importations and the Percheron is well established in this country. 

 They are the most popular of all the drafters, no doubt of that. The regis- 

 ter contains some 30,000 names, the actual number of pure bred mares 

 being very small however. Percherons have been used with common brood 

 mares to improve stock, so that cross breeds and grades are now exceed- 

 ingly common. Louis Napoleon was 15^ hands high, weight 1,600 Ibs. The 

 Percheron standard here is 16 to 17.2 hands, however, weight 1,600 Ibs. to 

 2,200 Ibs. Percherons mature very quickly, in fact, it is possible to breed 

 the mares at 2 years of age but farm mares should not be bred under 3 years. 

 Docile, but with plenty of brain back of the full and prominent eyes; true 

 and snappy action, reliable in heavy work, the Percheron deserves all its 

 honors. Competition is keen among supporters of the breed so that show- 

 ring contests are always sure to bring out worthy contestants. 



FRENCH DRAFT Formerly the Percherrfn was mixed with the French 

 Draft class, but now the French Draft is kept as a 



distinct breed. They originated in Northern France, and thus for years 

 they were called Normans. If classified according to their place of develop- 

 ment we might follow Prof. Plumb's* distinction of the French Draft breeds 

 as 1, Percheron (from La Perche, France), 2, Boulonnais (from Boulogne), 

 3, Breton (from Brittony), 4, Nivernais (from Central France), 5, Ardenais 

 (from Ardennes, en the Belgian frontier), 6, Picardy, sometimes' consid- 

 ered Belgian, sometimes Boulonnais. 



French draft horses are exceedingly heavy, 2,200 Ibs. or more, height 

 16 hands and higher. They are not so true to type breeding, because of 

 the mixed ancestry, but with greater care this fault will in time be cor- 

 rected. 



BELGIAN By no means as popular as the Percheron and many other 



draft types, the Belgian is every year making great strides, 



chiefly on account of the greater attention given importing and breeding. 



* "Types and Breeds of Farm Animals," by C. S. Plumb 



