Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-04-08
PERCHEROS HORSES.
Arrival at New York OF the Latest Importa
tions of Mr. Walters.

Arrival Mt New York oi tho Latest Importa-
tions Of Mr. Walters.
Mr.. VIM. 4. Walters was in New York
lately looking after his recent purchase OF
Percberon horses. They will DO brought to
Baltimore by the inland route OF steamers
OF the twenty-iour Percherons imported
thirteen are mares and eleven stations Ali
OF the animals are from the Department de
rOrne, where the Percheron breed Is purest
Only one or two of the collection Is more than
four years old, almost all OF them being very
young. They are all gray In color, OF various
shades, and fine examples Of their race, large
Of size strong of limb and stylish of carriage,
and their clean-cut heads and fine bone show
the Arabian blood which flows In their veins
One of the stations is yearling, already 10
hands high, while one, called very properly
Goliah, Is three years old and stands l7s4
hands high. The mares are from two TO six
years old, and from l6 to 1863. hands high.
Only ono of them has been bred.
The Percheron horse IL the cross Of a Nor
man and an Arabian. When Napoleon was
laying out post routes across France, he
look ed about for horses which, while strong
enough to pull the heavy mail coaches
would be light enough to travel rapidly. 1t
was decided to breed Arabian stations to
Norman mares, and stock farms for raising
the government drsught horses were placed
in the little district OF Le Perche. Horses
bred on those farms were therefore called
Percherona pure-bred Percheron has the
small head and ears OF his original Arabian
father, with the size and strength Of his Nor
man mother. HIS legs, when seen from
behind or In front, look very thin. From the
side, however, they are very broad, the bones
OF the leg being placed directly I'm line,
thus making the leg flat instead of round
pure-bred Percheron Is always black
when foal ed, but becomes gray when about
three years old. A black Percheron is con-
sidered not TO be of pure blood.
The adaptation OF Percheron horses 10
dTaught purposes here and especially To
farm work, Is admitted wherever they have
been tried. When Mr.. Walters began to i'm
port them into this country none of the
draught horses of baltimore had any cross OF
Percheron blood. Now more than one-third
Of them In and around the city have more or
less Percheron blood i'm her veins. The Per.
cheron has quick action, hardy constitu.
tion, and Is easily kept while his hoofs do
not split upon American pavements az do
those Of other imported horses. In France
the get Of q blooded stallion and q Percher.
on mare IL the fashionable carriage horse, and
the same horse, under the name OF French
carriage horse" has recently found favor in
this country.
The two Napoleons took great interest in
maintaining the breed of French horses, and
the government stations, after wintering In
lie Perche, which was considered the istr ic,
best adap pied to horse breeding, were SEM
through the country during the summer
months and bred to the best mares Premi
ums were also given TO the owners OF good
Walters, brought his French ownera small
but steady income from the govern msnt
The government stud stables are still main
tanned, the principal stable being at Pin, for.
merly one OF the hunting castles OF Louis
XVL