I02 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



and cheerful, rarely showing bad temper, and very free from natural blemish, 

 trotting away cheerfully with heavy loads. The French call them the best 

 draft horses in the world. 



Yet even when Richardson penned this (1877) he stated that 

 these quaUties were rarely found combined in any of the Per- 

 cheron horses on account of the deteriorating influences to 

 which reference has already been made. 



The improvement of the Percheron in France is due to both 

 public and private methods. The best horses in France have been 

 in the past and are at present reserved by the government for 

 home improvement. In addition to this, subsidies are paid private 

 individuals to keep horses of merit in the stud. Animals are 

 critically inspected by government veterinarians, and if up to 

 a certain standard they are designated as subsidised and a cash 

 bonus is paid for keeping them in the country on the farm of 

 the owner, available to the owners of mares. This bonus ranges 

 from 300 to 500 francs (^60 to ^100) per year, according to the 

 breeding and excellence of the stallion. Horses of not quite so 

 good a grade are aittliorized after passing inspection, and the 

 owners are given a card which is a government recommendation 

 of the sires to farmers. A third class, known as approved, of 

 which there are but few, are permitted to be in service, but 

 neither bonus nor special certificate is given for them. Since 

 1885 a government decree has excluded from public service all 

 stallions not coming within these classes. 



The introduction of the Percheron to the United States dates 

 back many years. French horses were brought to America as 

 long ago as 18 16, when a stallion was taken to Quebec and later 

 sold to go to Washington County, New York. It has been as- 

 sumed that this was a Norman horse. In 1839 the first "genu- 

 ine " Percheron importation to America was brought over by 

 Edward Harris to Moorestown, New Jersey. This importation 

 consisted of one stallion and two mares. The stallion died at 

 sea, and the mares were unfortunate, one landing in poor health, 

 while the other injured herself in car shipment, necessitating 

 killing. Mr. Harris at once returned to France and imported the 

 stallions Diligence and Bonaparte, with several mares. These 

 were the smaller type of Percheron, standing about 1 5 hands 



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