32 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HOKSE 



and Sartlie include the greater part of the territory, 

 but Eure-et-Loir, in which the cit}' of Nogent-lo- 

 Rotrou is situated, is perhaps of the greatest impor- 

 tance so far as the Percheron breed is concerned. 

 Loir-et-Cher has the least territory in The Perche, 

 and yet the neighborhood of Montdoubleau and 

 Savigny-sur-Bray has always been famous for pro- 

 ducing fine draft mares of true Percheron character. 

 The birthplace of the modern type is found within 

 a radius of 18 or 20 miles around Nogent, a territory 

 which includes a little of all four of the departments. 

 It should here be observed that not one of these 

 departments in its entirety is found in The Perche. 

 For example, a part of Ome is situated in what has 

 long been Ijnown as Normandy. The great breed- 

 ing centers of the Percheron race at this date, and 

 in fact for many years past, have been Nogent-le- 

 Eotrou in Eure-et-Loir, La Ferte Bernard in the 

 Sarthe, and Mortagne in Ome. 



What the farmers of The Perche were in the olden 

 times so are they today, in so far as relates to their 

 devotion to home and land and horses. Their horses 

 are a part of their inheritance particularly prized and 

 accustomed to the affectionate attention of the entire 

 household. Their docility, growing out of this in- 

 timate human companionship, is therefore an inborn 

 trait. 



Such is, in brief, the cradle of the breed of which 

 we are to write — a region of green hills and verdant 

 vales, populated by a patient, persistent, kindly, 

 frugal, shrewd, home-loving people rooted firmly to 



