Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-03-24
From the Rockingham Register.]
PercherOn or Norman Horses

article in the Register giving an &C
count of Mr.. Dunham's breeding
establishment in Illinois for Perch
eron or Norman horses, and it oc-
CURED to me that something Of the
history of this fine breed of fine
draft horses might interest you and
perhaps some of your many readers.
The Percheron or Norman Gas it
is now frequently called the draft
horse of France takes its name from
the province or districts of La Per-
che and Normandy where it was
first found and most extensively
bred. Perche is a high rolling
country with climate eminently
suited for breeding horses. Its
waters are tonic and its grasses
sweet and remarkably nutritious.
The horse is great favoritc with
its inhabitants and is treated with
the greatest kindness and care. In
fact these people seemed to be a
race of natural horse tanners. In
the old feudal days of France the
horse seemed to be the chief pro-
duction of Porche Normandy, Or
lanis and Bologne and the boast OF
the nobility, who owned the whole
country, that they had more horses
than they could count. The horses
of these districts were noted at a
very early day for their action,
speed, strength, power ofendurance,
kind and gentle dispositions and
the remarkable soundress of their
feet and legs. No such thing as
splint, SPAWN, ringbone, curbOr,
hoof disease being known in Per-
che.
After the defeat of the famous
Saracen chief, Abderame,by Charles
Martel, on the plains of Vouville,
the magnificent cavalry of the Sara
Gems fell into the hands ofthe French
as over 100000 of the infdels were
killed on that day, and their horses.
like themselves were from the East
Upon the division of the spoils a
large number of the horses fell to
the men of La Perche, Orleanais,
Normandy and Bolonge, who COM
posed the bulk of the French troops.
The captured horses mostly of the
Arabian breed were crossed upon
the horses of Perche and the other
provinces mentioned, and bred to
the FLIES of their own get, out OF
the Percheron stock. The best OF
the produce of this coupling were
bred together and careful and skill
ful breeding continued until race
of horses was formed so remarka-
bic for their kind dispositions, ener-
gy, strength, action, speed and en-
durance that it became the most no.
ted in Europe. These horses were
used to the Diligence or mail coach
and carried the mails of France at
the rate of from ten to twelve miles
per hour over a billy, rough coun-
try. A heavier class of them haul
ed the heavy, cumbersome mail-post
or passenger coach with its heavy
load ofpassengers and baggage at
such speed as to attract the atten-
ton of all European travellers. The
heaviest class were used to the ON
nibusses Of Paris. Their patience,
speed and power in this service, too,
were no less matter Of comment
by the travelling public. To the
Diligence, which only carried four
passengers, the mail agent, mail and
driver, four Of the light class Of the
most speed and bottom were
driven. Five of the next class, two
at the wheel and three in front, were
driven to the mail-post coach and
the heaviest class, weighing from
LOO 10 1920 were used..to the ON
nibus. Their gray color, which
+bov not from the Arabian horse
seemed particularly attractive both
to the passengers and driver. The
color could be seen better in the
dark than any other, and much Of
France had to be traversed in the
night. There also seem to exist a
close feeling of companiOnship be-
tween the drivers and their teams
and they liked most the color they
could see best.
When railroads took the place
of the Diligence mail-pOst coaches,
this class of horses were no longer
needed. The breeders of Perche
and the other provinces devoted to
raising horses had to turn their at
tention to raising such horses as
suited expressmen, draymen, bull
ders and contractors Of Paris
They then imported large heavy
stations from England and where
ever else they could get them to
cross on their horses, TO increase
their size. This cross produced
legy, horses Of but little stamana
action. Soft and tender like the
English draft horse, which had been
raised on the best and richest food
in a land where he scarcely ever
saw the sun. When the produce
of this cross were coupled together
the offspring were awkward, clumsy,
illshapen brutes of almost no value
at all. La Perche found the cross
too violent and her noble race OF
horses almost ruined. She saw the
folly of her action in her mad-haste
in changing the size of her horses,