AY Honors/Percheron
Breed History: The Percheron gets its name from the La Peche valley in the south of France. Like many old breeds, the Percheron's exact origins are unknown, but it is said that its ancestors were the Arabians that were brought to Europe by the Moors.
Percherons probably owe their size and weight (the largest Percherons can weigh as much as 2,600 pounds) to their use as battle mounts during the middle ages. After the invention of gunpowder, heavy warhorses were no longer needed, so the Percheron took up its new job pulling heavy French stage coaches. With the invention of the railroad, Percherons switched to farm duty and heavy labor.
It is probably because of this evolution that the modern Percheron is such a versatile and adaptable horse. Today, Percherons still serve as logging horses, but are also valued as driving and riding horses.
US Breed Association:
Conformation:
The Percheron is characterized by a square forehead, long ears, and a straight profile. Percherons have long, heavy necks, a broad chest, prominent withers, a short back, heavy muscles in the lower thigh, and a deep girth. A quality example of this breed should have a long croup and a round hip. The Percheron's mane is generally very thick and the color is always grey or black.
Temperament: Alert, intelligent, and willing.
Percherons are generally black or gray, though chestnut, sorrel, or bay are acceptable for registration in the US with a DNA test confirming their parentage. The red gene is recessive, and a red foal can result from the mating of two black horses providing that the red gene is present in both sire and dam. North American horses with a high percentage of Justamere Showtime breeding are more likely to carry the recessive gene.
A Percheron's life span is about 27-39years.
One of the tallest horses on record was a Percheron named Dr Le Gear. Foaled in 1902, he stood 7 feet or 21hh at the withers and weighed just under 1,370kg. However, there was once a Percheron on record that rose to a full 24hh.
They are generally very gentle horses, though strong and willing. They are true giants, capable of reaching 20hh in a push.
They are usually quite muscular, and well-suited for driving.
External links
- Societe hippique Percheronne de France
- Percheron Horse Association of America
- Oklahoma State University's Percheron Page
- British Percheron Horse Society
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