102 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHERON HORSE 



and they were easily able to produce blacks in con- 

 siderable numbers from within the breed itself by 

 natural selection. 



When the special demand for blacks abated, stal- 

 lions of that color were discarded and the farmers 

 began to put their mares again to grays. Similarly, 

 if a craze for bays had sprung up years ago, it would 

 have been possible to produce bay colts all over The 

 Perche. The first Percheron specifically mentioned 

 in the records of the government stud, as has already 

 been set forth, was of that color. The gray color, 

 however, has always been common to the Percheron, 

 and it was through the influence of the approved stal- 

 lions which we have listed that this color became 

 predominant. The stallions used in The Perche, 

 almost without exception, during the early formative 

 period were grays, and of these nearly all were dap- 

 ple-gray ("gris pommele"). 



That was the period when the popularity of the 

 Percheron as a stage-coach or diligence horse had 

 reached its zenith. Three important turnpike roads 

 from Paris to the coast passed through The Perche, 

 and as the railroads had not yet come traveling was 

 by diligence. Some of these coaches also carried the 

 mails, and good time had to be made regularly. The 

 lighter Percheron of those days was considered ideal 

 for this work, and the gray color pleased the pro- 

 prietors because the teams could be seen more dis- 

 tinctly at night. The introduction of railroads caused 

 the Percheron later to be drafted into omnibus work, 

 principally at Paris, where thousands of these dap- 



