- Breeding
- Horse Breeding, Part 3: Birth and Care of a Foal
- The History of Horse Breeding
- Should You Go Into Horse Breeding?
- Buying a Horse
- So You Bought A Friesian, Now what!
- Top 3 Ways Using Horse Classifieds Can Save You Money
- What do do when the Panic is On to keep our Horses Safe!
- General Horse Articles
- Let Sleeping Horses Lie: A Look at Horse Sleep Patterns
- Targeted Nutrient Therapy for Insulin Resistance
- Developing Balance: Exercises
- Horse Feeding
- Essential Fatty Acids – The Functions and Benefits in Horses
- A Look at Horse Feed
- Fueling the Motor – Energy Sources for Horses
- Horse Grooming
- Keeping Your Horse Beautiful with Horse Products
- When Dealing With Horses Get It in Writing - Sign Up for May 16 FREE Webinar
- What do do when the Panic is On to keep our Horses Safe!
- Horse Health Issues
- Equine Health 101: How to Keep Your Horse Healthy
- Common Horse Illnesses: Laminitis
- Let's Talk About Equine Probiotics - Equitivia
- Horse Training
- Equestrian Education: Choosing the Right Horse School
- So You Bought A Friesian, Now what!
- What do do when the Panic is On to keep our Horses Safe!
- Horses & History
- A Brief History of Draft Horses
- Equine Experts Send Us Your Best Tip - Win $750 Worth of KAM’s Healthy Horse Products and More
- The Feral Horse and Its Impact
- Horses & Sports
- In Defense of Horses in Sport
- When Dealing With Horses Get It in Writing - Sign Up for May 16 FREE Webinar
- Halter Horse Show
Percheron
05/27/2008
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.
Average Height:
15.2 - 17 hands
Colors:
Grey or black
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.
Members of this breed often excel in the following disciplines:
* Driving
* Hauling
* Show / Pleasure
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:
Percheron Horse Association of America
P.O. Box 141
Fredericktown, OH 43019
www.percheronhorse.org
percheron@percheronhorse.org
Native Country Breed Association:
la Société Hippique Percheronne de France
1 rue Doullay, BP32
28402 NOGENT LE ROTROU cedex,
France
www.percheron-france.org
percherons.avendre@percheron-france.org
