66 



It is the model draft horse ; it was formerly the stage-coach horse, 

 and the horse used on diligences. StaMstics for the past twenty 

 years show that the Paris Omnibus Company have purchased 65.31 

 per cent, of Percherons for use on their omnibuses. 



The Percheron is active, energetic, and a quick mover ; it is the 

 type of draft horse for carrying weight with great rapidity. 



The birthplace of the Percheron breed is to be found in the neigh- 

 borhood of Mortagne, Belleme, St. Calais, Mondou 'eau, and Court- 

 alain; the colts are more specially raised in the departments ofOrne, 

 Loir et Cher, Eure et Loir, and Sarthe. Illiers is a centre, as well 

 as Mondoubleau in Loir et Cher, where Percheron horses are to be 

 found. 



For some years there has existed a stud-book for the Percheron 

 breed, which is a great guarantee for buyers. 



Besides these two great and fine breeds whose characteristic features 

 are well defined, we possess in France other well established draft 

 breeds whose characters are transmitted from generation to genera- 

 tion. These are the Breton breed, the Ardennais breed, the Berri- 

 chonne breed, and the Poitevin breed. 



The Breton breed is a breed of light draft, smaller in size than the 

 Percheron. The principle centres of production of this breed are 

 the districts of Brest and Morlaix (Finistere), between Lamion and 

 St. Malo, in the department of Cotes du Nord, and around Le Con- 

 quet. The finest Breton horses are to be found in the canton of 

 Leon. The following are the features of the breed : — Cranium 

 brachycephalous ; forehead square and flat ; strait head ; nose often 

 flat; height i meter 55, reaching sometimes as much as i meter 60, 

 and sometimes as low as i meter 48 ; color gray, sometimes roan, 

 seldom bay ; heavy coat of hair ; croup very shoit ; shoulder bony 

 at the top and fleshy at the point where joined to fore arm ; cannon 

 bone sufficiently strong ; feet solid and horny ; nostrils open ; mouth 

 small ; ears short, thick, and erect ; eye bright ; physiognomy ex- 

 pressive. This is an excellent race of small-sized, active draft horses, 

 that will in time acquire greater importance and which must be kept 

 pure. 



The Ardennais breed differs very plainly from the preceding. 

 The ty^ f the French Ardennais is much smaller than the Belgian 

 Ardennais. It is characterized by a large foreheaa, brachycephalous ; 

 arches of the eye salient ; chanfrin strongly depressed ; lower jaw 

 wide and strong ; head short, energetic, and looking wild ; com- 



