50 



HISTORICAL. 



M. Andre Sanson, Professor of Zoology and Zootechny at tii^ 

 National College of Agriculture at Grignon and at the National 

 Institute of Agriculture, in the revised edition of 1884 of his work on 

 " The Origin of the French Races of Horses," page 95, Vol. Ill, 

 gives the following history of the Percheron breed : 



The Percheron is the draft breed of the most superior quality, and 

 for this reason it enjoys a universal reputation. It possesses an 

 active, quick, energetic temperament ; the right one to pull heavy 

 weights at a quick gait. Fast steppers are common in this race. 



Before the establishment of railways it was this breed that was used 

 more than any other for our omnibuses. Its zootechnic feature is 

 swiftness combined with strength. Together with this it easily 

 possesses elegance of form while preserving all its zoological features. 

 This is the reason why Percherons are sought after by all the nations 

 who are trying to improve their draft horses or to create a breed for 

 themselves. 



Indeed the Percherons is one of the breeds that enjoys in Europe, 

 and even in the whole world, the highest consideration. It has, on 

 account of its incontestible merits, carried all over the world the 

 fame of the little French province where the best centre of produc- 

 tion is to be found. This fame of the Percheron horse is only to be 

 compared to that of the thoroughbred horse of England ; for the 

 Percheron is to the draft breeds what the English thoroughbred is to 

 the light breeds — a regenerator and improver. The rest of Europe 

 envies France the possession of this breed ; and this can be said in 

 speaking of the Percherons without National vanity. 



Some hippologists, believing they were going to give to this breed 

 titles of nobility, have traced it as far back as the Crusade, giving it 

 thereby an Eastern origin. If, in order to be noble, it is necessary 

 to trace its descent from far distant ancestors, the race of Percheron 

 horses has nothing to fear in this respect as compared with other 

 breeds, for we possess authentic documents concerning its origin, 

 showing in the most positive manner that the Percheron type existed 

 in the very place in which it is to be found to-day during the geolo- 

 gical periods which preceded our own This Percheron breed, like 

 all others, is contemporaneous with the mammoth of alluvian times. 

 It traces back to the diluvium, and possessing such an antiquity the 

 epoch of the Crusade is, as compared with it, but of 



