452 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE 



he took 7 Percheron stallions and 26 mares to the 

 ranch, about 30 miles south of Medora, S. D. "With 

 this seed stock he began the improvement of about 

 500 grade horses. Many of the mares were of the 

 trotting type, weighing not over 900 pounds. The 

 work of grading up this mixed band of mares 

 until in 1906 the holdings numbered more than 

 4,000 head, with approximately 1,000 foals branded 

 that season, all of true Percheron type, was an 

 object lesson of incalculable value to western horse- 

 men. Some size was lacking, due to the fact the 

 colts were raised on the range without grain, 

 but the grades matured at weights from 1,500 to 

 1,800 pounds and were so uniformly good that the 

 type became famous among marketmen. Mr. Huide- 

 koper, commenting on his reasons for preferriing 

 Perch erons for his work, says: 



"I can not refrain from calling attention to the 

 activity of the Percheron horse. My experience 

 at the ranch taught me that a Percheron stallion 

 turned into a large corral will take the exercise that 

 he requires to keep him in good, serviceable con- 

 dition. Furthermore, he does it intelligently. When 

 first turned out he takes several minutes to play, 

 to work off his surplus spirit, and then looks over 

 the corral to see what is going on outside. He 

 watches the men at the cookhouse, the men at the 

 stable, the people around the ranch. If he sees a 

 cowboy saddling up, he knows the rider is going 

 out to get the harem. During the interval of waiting 

 he trots around and around his enclosure, and takes 

 his exercise like an athlete in training. This disposi- 

 tion of the Percheron to be active and to keep 



