510 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE 



' ' The type that the government wants is a snugly- 

 built, compact stallion, with a rather short, level 

 back and moderately high withers, and showing a 

 pleasing symmetry of form, with a good length of 

 neck, sloping shoulders and rather small, neat and 

 clean head. But perhaps the most important point 

 for them is the action. The legs must be clean and 

 not show too much bone, while a general lightness 

 of foot is desired, with moderately high knee and 

 hock action. To put it plainly, the government haras 

 are always looking towards the problem of supplying 

 the army with good cavalry and artillery horses, 

 and the most of the stallions bought by them are 

 used on French Coach mares of different types. 



' ' The American likes a big-framed, heavy, draf ty 

 type, even if the head and neck are not quite ideal. 

 He is looking above all for strong underpinning, and 

 will not forgive a hock that is not perfectly straight 

 and clean. He also likes a good length of pastern 

 and pays considerable attention to action." 



James M. Fletcher. — The views of one so long asso- 

 ciated with Oaklawn's breeding and importing oper- 

 ations are surely worth printing: 



"In my opinion, a typical Percheron stallion 

 should weigh between 1,900 and 2,100 pounds in 

 good condition. His height will range from 16y2 

 to nVi hands. In selecting a stallion I look for an 

 intelligent head broad between the eyes and carry- 

 ing well-set ears, a well-cut neck set on sloping 

 shoulders, and a short back, with the tail set neither 

 too high nor too low. He should have a broad breast 

 with a muscular forearm, broad quarters, a deep 

 body with well-sprung rib, legs squarely set with 

 clean bone, sloping pastern not too long, and a wide, 

 deep foot. Avoid a stallion narrow between the eyes, 

 ugly-headed, with ears set too wide, narrow in front 



