136 DRAFT HORSES. 



Upon a division of the spoil a large number of these were 

 assigned to the men of La Perche, who composed a portion of 

 the French forces, and they must necessarily have left in their 

 progeny indelible traces of their blood. The Lord of Mont- 

 donblea, the Count Roger of Bellsmer, and others also imported 

 the Arabian horse into France. These Arabian stallions were 

 crossed upon the large black mares of Flanders, the prevailing 

 draft horse of France in those days, but as the gray has for 

 many generations been the prevailing color, and for other no- 

 ticeable variations, it is evident that this breed has but little in 

 common with the old parent stock except in size. 



A horse of the type and style, and with the disposition, 

 foot, and leg of the Arabian, and the size of the heavier draft 

 horses, cannot but be the best in the category of draft horses. 



The Percheron is especially distinguished for its capacity for 

 rapid locomotion with heavy load, and is peculiarly adapted for 

 drawing the heavy post and traveling carriages of that country 

 before the advent of the railways. 



The most active and powerful of the heavy breeds of Orien- 

 tal origin, what the Darley Arabian was to the English thor- 

 oughbred and the gray Arabian Serctan to the Orlofs, the 

 gray Arabian Gallipoli, imported in 1820, has been to the 

 Percheron horse of France. In fact, this Oriental Arabian 

 blood, wherever introduced, in all nations and all climates, has 

 been a powerful factor of improvement in the equme race. 



There is every reason to believe that this breed, like the 

 draft breeds of England and Scotland, derived its size, orig- 

 inally, from the large black horses of Flanders ; but the 

 Percheron horse, as now bred, shows a very great analogy by 

 his coat, conformation, character of race, mild disposition, and 

 endurance to the Arab, of which he seems to be the son, not- 

 withstanding certain differences, the result of time, climate, and 

 the region in which he is bred and in which he lives. 



The Percheron of the primitive type has a gray coat like 

 the Arab, and, like him, an abundant and silky mane, a fine 

 skin, and a large, prominent, and expressive eye. 



