40 A HISTORY OF THE PEECHERON HORSE 



where. Plowing was done chiefly by oxen. The 

 carrying trade was done either by oxen or by pack 

 animals. Even as recently as about 200 years ago 

 we find from the old manuscripts on The Perche 

 that the native horses in that province transported 

 on their backs wheat and manufactured goods to 

 Paris (three days by road), to Rouen, Brittany and 

 other centers. There were three classes of horses 

 used — the destrier, or war charger, the palfrey, or 

 parade horse, and the roussin, or road horse. These 

 designations were in vogue until the beginning of 

 the nineteenth century. 



The horse that could serve successfully the pur- 

 poses of the mail-clad warriors of feudal times had 

 to be up to carrying a lot of weight. With the bur- 

 dens put upon them, no weakling steeds would long 

 survive the shock of joust or tournament or the more 

 serious work of the field of battle. Not only was the 

 charger himself sometimes loaded down with his 

 own gear — metal-ornamented caparison, with per- 

 chance steel breast-plate and head-piece — but in 

 the saddle was an athletic rider with his load of iron 

 and lance or battleaxe in place. Substance without 

 sluggishness was a prime consideration. Activity 

 in hand-to-hand combat meant losing or gaining all. 

 A horse Avith proud carriage was demanded to meet 

 the state and dignity of nobility and royalty. In 

 brief, only a grand good type of horse could meet 

 the imperative requirements of those whose lives 

 depended so largely upon the weight and mettle of 

 their mounts. 



