THE DRAFT BREEDS OF HORSES 11 
one, as the importations of horses of this breed have 
been very extensive. The Percheron breed has made 
rapid progress in popularity in this country. It is the 
most numerous and the most generally popular of any 
breed of draft horses in America. This is accounted 
for chiefly by the degree to which the Percheron is adapted 
for the work on most of our farms, as well as to produce 
an active draft horse for the market. ’ 
4. Description of Percherons. — Nearly a century ago 
the aim of the breeders of horses in La Perche was to 
produce a medium-weight draft horse, suited in type and 
action for pulling a “diligence”? or omnibus. At an 
early day, the demand existed in France for a horse that 
could haul a load at as rapid a rate as possible. At this 
time, the breed was represented by horses of upstanding 
type, somewhat rangy but strongly built, with attractive 
and unusual action for draft horses. They were then 
gray in color, and these were the first to be brought to 
America. While not so drafty in type as the modern 
Percheron, they were horses of superb style, full of vigor, 
and they had powerful action which enabled them to 
pull strongly and move quickly at the same time. In 
themselves, the gray Percherons of early days were 
unusual draft horses, and it was the degree to which they 
combined activity with pulling power that made the 
Percheron a very popular horse for farm work. But the 
demand in America became more insistent for a heavier, 
blockier, shorter-legged type, that would grade the prod- 
uce of our lighter mares to a draft weight quicker. 
This demand resulted in the modern black Percheron 
of somewhat stouter build, deeper body, more weight, and 
as much quality as the prototype; but there was some 
sacrifice of style, standing or going, with somewhat less 
