Editing Percheron (section)

== History ==
The Percheron breed originated in the [[Huisne]] river valley in France,<ref>Dugast, ''Sur les traces du cheval percheron'', cover copy</ref> which arises in [[Orne]], part of the former [[Perche]] province, from which the breed gets its name. Several theories have been put forth as to the ancestry of the breed, though its exact origins are unknown.  One source of [[foundation bloodstock]] may have been mares captured by {{nowrap|[[Clovis I]]}} from the [[Bretons]] some time after 496 AD.  Another may have been [[Barb horse]] cavalry stallions brought from Spain by [[Moors]] in the 8th century. The Moorish were defeated at the [[Battle of Tours|Battle of Poitiers]] in 732 AD, and some of their horses may have been taken by warriors from Perche. A final theory posits that the Percheron and the [[Boulonnais horse|Boulonnais]] breed are closely related, and that the Boulonnais influenced the Percheron when they were brought to [[Brittany]] as reinforcements for the legions of [[Julius Caesar|Caesar]]. It is known that during the 8th century, Barb [[stallion]]s were crossed with [[mare]]s native to the area, and more [[Oriental horse]] blood was introduced by the [[Lords, counts and dukes of Perche|Comte du Perche]] upon his return from the [[Crusades]] and expeditions into territory claimed by Spain. Further blood from [[Iberian horse|Spanish breeds]] was added when [[Rotrou III, Count of Perche|Rotrou III]] imported horses from [[Castile (historical region)|Castile]].{{r|hendricks}} No matter the theory of origin, breed historians agree that the terrain and climate of the Perche area had the greatest influence on the development of the breed.<ref>Mavré, ''Attelages et attelées'', p. 40</ref> A possible reference to the horse is made in the 13th-century romance ''[[Guillaume de Dole]]'', in which the title character asks for "the Count of Perche's horse" to be made ready, possibly indicating the "'great horse,' which could accommodate an armored knight" and was bred in the geographical setting of the poem.<ref>Terry and Durling, ''The Romance of the Rose or Guillaume de Dole'', pp. 32, 96</ref>

During the 17th century, horses from Perche, ancestors of the current Percheron, were smaller, standing between {{hands|15|and|16|lk=off}} high, and more agile.<ref name=OSU>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/percheron/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104120342/http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/percheron/index.htm|archive-date=4 January 2012|title=Percheron|work=Breeds of Livestock|publisher=Oklahoma State University|access-date=26 January 2012}}</ref> These horses were almost uniformly gray; paintings and drawings from the [[Middle Ages]] generally show French knights on mounts of this color. After the days of the [[knight|armored knight]], the emphasis in horse breeding was shifted so as to develop horses better able to pull heavy stage coaches at a fast trot. Gray horses were preferred because their light coloring was more visible at night. This new type of horse was called the "Diligence Horse", because the stage coaches they pulled were named "diligences". After the stage coach was replaced by rail, the modern Percheron type arose as a slightly heavier horse for use in agriculture and heavy hauling work, moving goods from docks to railway terminals.<ref name=History>{{cite web|url=http://www.percheronhorse.org/origin/default.html|title=The Origin and History of the Percheron Horse|publisher=Percheron Horse Association of America|access-date=7 October 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150210045033/http://www.percheronhorse.org/origin/default.html|archive-date=10 February 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

=== 19th century ===

Arabian stallions were made available to Percheron breeders for use in breeding army mounts, beginning in 1760 at the royal stud at [[Le Pin, Seine-et-Marne|Le Pin]].<ref name=OSU /><ref name=Edwards>Edwards, ''The Encyclopedia of the Horse'', pp. 94–95</ref> Between 1789 and the early 1800s, the Percheron was in danger of becoming extinct as horse breeding was suppressed during the [[French Revolution]] and its aftermath. Early histories of the breed point to two gray Arabian stallions from Le Pin, Godolphin and Gallipoly, as the blood that helped to restart Percheron breeding. However, later research found that Godolphin was a [[chestnut (coat)|chestnut]] Arabian of ordinary conformation and no special worth, while Gallipoly was a gray saddle horse of unknown breeding. Modern breed historians contest that there was enough breeding stock left after the early 19th century to restart the breed without further Arabian influence, and state that it is unlikely that two horses of unremarkable breeding and conformation had a significant influence on the breed.<ref name=Mischka30>Mischka, ''The Percheron Horse in America'', pp. 30–31</ref> Jean le Blanc, a [[foundation bloodstock|founding stallion]] of the Percheron breed, was [[foal]]ed in 1823. Today, all Percherons trace their ancestry to this stallion.<ref name=OSU /> At this time the breed also became larger, with horses from other French districts being imported to Perche to change the Percheron from a coach horse averaging {{convert|1200|&ndash;|1400|lbs|kg}} to a draft horse averaging {{convert|2000|lbs|kg}}.<ref name=Mischka30 /> The Percheron [[stud book]] was created in France in 1893.{{r|hendricks}} By 1910, French registrations had risen to almost 32,000 horses. Between 1880 and 1920, Percheron breeders in France exported horses all over the world, including South Africa, South America, Australia and North America.<ref name=Edwards />

==== In the United States and Great Britain ====
Percherons were first imported into the United States in 1839 by [[Edward Harris (ornithologist)|Edward Harris II]] of [[Moorestown, New Jersey]].  Only one of the initial four horses survived the ocean trip. Soon after, two [[stallion]]s and two [[mare]]s were imported; one mare died shortly after arrival and one stallion went blind and was retired within a year. Although the first importations of Percherons were less than successful, the remaining stallion owned by Edward Harris II, named Diligence, was credited with siring almost 400 foals. In 1851, three stallions were imported: {{nowrap|Normandy 351}}, Louis {{nowrap|Napoleon 281}} and Gray Billy. Throughout their stud careers, each had significant influence on American draft horse stock.<ref>Mischka, ''The Percheron Horse in America'', pp. 34–35</ref> In the mid-19th century in the United States, Percheron stallions were crossed with homebred mares to improve the local stock, resulting in thousands of [[crossbred]] horses.<ref name=Rowena>McDermott, ''The Working Horse Manual'', pp. 22–23</ref> After the [[American Civil War]] in the 1860s greatly reduced the number of horses, there was a significant need for large draft horses, especially in growing cities and in the expanding West.<ref name=History /> Large numbers of Percherons were imported to the United States beginning in the early 1870s, and they became popular with draft horse breeders and owners.{{r|hendricks}} In the 1880s, approximately 7,500 horses were exported to the United States.<ref name=Edwards /> This extensive importation lasted until 1893, when the US experienced a [[Panic of 1893|financial panic]], and virtually no Percheron imports occurred between 1894 and 1898. In addition, many existing horses were lost as people were too poor to purchase or care for large draft horses. In 1898, importations began again as abruptly as they had ceased, with an average of 700 horses a year imported between 1898 and 1905. In 1906 alone, over 13,000 horses were imported to the United States from France.<ref name=History /> In the American [[traveling circus]]es of the late 19th century and early 20th century, the Percheron was the most frequently seen draft horse. Drivers appreciated the breed's agility, stamina and quick-footed [[horse gait|gait]].<ref>Fox, ''Circus Baggage Stock'', pp. 3–4</ref>

In 1876, the Norman-Percheron Association was formed by a group of Percheron breeders in Chicago, and at the same time the stud book was begun. The Norman-Percheron Association was the United States' first [[purebred]] livestock association. In 1877, the word "Norman" was dropped from the name.<ref name=About>{{cite web |url= http://www.percheronhorse.org/about/default.html |title= About Us |publisher= Percheron Horse Association of America |access-date= 7 October 2009 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20150210045037/http://www.percheronhorse.org/about/default.html |archive-date= 10 February 2015 |df= dmy-all }}</ref> Later, in the panic of 1893, the Percheron Association went bankrupt and ceased to function.<ref name=History /> In 1905, also in Chicago, Percheron breeders met again to reform as the Percheron Society of America. Since 1934, the group has been known as the Percheron Horse Association of America.<ref name=About /> At its height, the organization was the largest draft horse association in the world, in the early 20th century registering over 10,000 horses annually.<ref name=History /><ref name=IMH>{{cite web |url= http://imh.org/index.php?option=com_flexicontent&view=items&cid=192:breeds-of-the-world-by-continent&id=2183:percheron&Itemid=193 |title= Percheron |work= Breeds of the World |publisher= International Museum of the Horse |access-date= 29 January 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130524021908/http://imh.org/index.php?option=com_flexicontent&view=items&cid=192:breeds-of-the-world-by-continent&id=2183:percheron&Itemid=193 |archive-date= 24 May 2013 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

In the late 19th century, Percherons also began to be exported from the United States to Great Britain, where they were used to pull horse-drawn buses in large cities. The first Percherons imported to Britain included some of the thousands of crossbreds from the United States. In Britain, many of the horses, once they finished their bus-pulling career, were sold to farmers. Other imported horses were sold to the British Army, and in 1900, 325 horses were shipped to South Africa for use in the [[Boer War]].<ref name=Rowena />

=== 20th and 21st centuries ===

[[File:Percheron, draw2.JPG|thumb|A 1904 drawing of a Percheron]]
In 1911, the French society [[closed stud book|restricted registration]] to horses with both parents already registered with the society.<ref name=Bongianni>Bongianni, ''Simon & Schuster's Guide to Horses and Ponies'', Entry 87</ref> In the early 20th century, the Percheron was one of the four major draft horse breeds, along with the [[Belgian Draught|Belgian]], the [[Clydesdale horse|Clydesdale]] and the [[Shire horse|Shire]]. Breeders could sell their horses for significant amounts of money, especially in the United States and Canada, where breeding stock brought a premium price.<ref>Mavré, ''Attelages et attelées'', p. 80</ref>

Prior to {{nowrap|World War I}}, a flourishing trade route for Percherons existed between [[Nogent-le-Rotrou]], [[Le Havre]] and the United States.<ref>Dal'Secco, ''Les chevaux de trait'', p. 42</ref> However, after the war began, an embargo was placed on French Percherons, disallowing them from exportation. Other than an exception in April 1916 to allow 59 horses to be shipped from France to the US, this embargo remained in place until the end of the war. The war took its toll on the Percheron breed as horses, fodder, and handlers were requisitioned for the fighting, and even after the embargo was lifted France did not have the quality or quantity of stock to fulfill the needs of American breeders. The embargo created a breeding boom in the US, replacing the previous practice of importing the majority of Percherons from France, and late in the war horses were shipped the other way&nbsp;– from the US to Europe&nbsp;– to supply those needed in the war.<ref>Mischka, ''The Percheron Horse in America'', pp. 4–6</ref> The lack of [[feathering (horse)|feathering]] on the Percheron's lower legs made them easier to care for in the mud that they often worked in during wartime. Their quick trot on paved roads made them more versatile than motorized vehicles, and they were useful for work with guns and in forward units due to their calm temperaments.<ref name=Rowena />

Between 1918 and 1922, over 350 Percherons were imported to Britain from France and, combined with stock from the US and Canada, were used as breeding stock to establish the breed in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.percheron.org.uk/about/ |title= History of the British Percheron Horse Society |publisher= British Percheron Horse Society |access-date= 3 May 2012 |archive-date= 23 February 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200223171115/http://www.percheron.org.uk/about/ |url-status= dead }}</ref> In 1918, the British Percheron Horse Society was formed. British breeders and owners continue to import Percherons from France, and also occasionally from Canada, when not prohibitively expensive.<ref name=Rowena />

By the 1930s, Percherons accounted for over 70 percent of the purebred draft horses in the United States, and all of the major [[land-grant university|land-grant universities]] maintained stables of Percherons.<ref name=History /> A 1930 census of horses found over 33,000 Percherons in the United States, with the next most popular breed, the Belgian, having a population of less than 10,000. One Percheron historian attributes this popularity to the breed's "strength, energy, activity, robustness and endurance".<ref>Mischka, ''The Percheron Horse in America'', pp. 14–16</ref> After {{nowrap|World War II}}, increasing mechanization prompted a decline in the Percheron population.<ref name=OSU /> In 1954, only 85 Percherons were registered in the US, a record low.<ref name=History />  The 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s were bad years for the US Percheron population, and breeding was reduced to only a few farms. These breeders kept the American population alive through these years, however, and the 1980s saw renewed interest in the breed.<ref>Mischka, ''The Percheron Horse in America'', p. 21</ref>

In 1966, the French stud book was changed to include draft types from other areas of France that were closely related to the Percheron—including the horses of [[Berrichon horse|Berrichon]], [[Nivernais horse|Nivernais]], [[Marne (department)|Marne]], [[Augeron]], [[Bourbonnais]], [[Loire]] and [[Saône-et-Loire]].{{r|hendricks}} French Percherons were also hit hard by the advent of mechanization, and between 1970 and 1990 focus was placed on breeding horses of greater mass for the [[horse meat|meat]] market. The largest and heaviest stallions were selected for breeding.<ref name=Virginia /><ref>Mavré, ''Attelages et attelées'', p. 31</ref> Beginning at the 1989 World Percheron Congress, French breeders realized that they needed a lighter breed for tourism, export to Japan for draft work, and other markets.<ref name=Virginia /><ref>Audiot, ''Races d'hier pour l'élevage de demain'', p. 26</ref> In 1993, a trend of importing American stallions to France was started with the [[black (horse)|black]] stallion Silver Shadows Sheik.<ref>[http://www.percheron-france.org/userfiles/1297/File/documents/2012/dhj-real-french-studs-(1).pdf , p. 2]</ref> This stallion and others were used to create a more elegant, smaller and sleeker look in the French Percheron, while still retaining the traditional bone and foot structure. All the imported stallions were black, reviving the popularity of black Percherons in France.<ref name=Virginia /> French breeders continue to import American-bred Percheron stallions in order to produce lighter foals, moving away from the heavier meat-type horses of the late 20th century.<ref>Mavré, ''Attelages et attelées'', p. 36</ref> Also in 1993, the Société Hippique Percheronne anticipated the increasing tourist and exportation markets by prohibiting [[docking (animal)|docking]], which was not prohibited for other draft breeds until 1996.<ref>{{cite journal |author= Pilley-Mirande, Nathalie |title =Les traits français dans le monde|language=fr |journal= Cheval Magazine |date=October 2002 |pages=62&ndash;65|issue=371}}</ref> This was partly at the request of the Germans,<ref>{{cite thesis |author= Leboucq, Christophe |type=Thèse d'exercice |language=fr |publisher =École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse |title=Origine et avenir du cheval de trait Percheron |date=2002 |page=19}}</ref> and partly due to the influence of magazines such as [[Cheval magazine|''Cheval'']].<ref>Roger & Beaune, ''Maîtres et protecteurs de la nature'', p. 292</ref>

In 1988, there were 1,088 Percherons in the United States, rising to 2,257 by 1998.<ref name=History /> As of 2009, the Percheron Horse Association of America had horses registered in all 50 states, and had nearly 3,000 members, with around 2,500 new horses being registered annually.<ref name=IMH /> The French ''Société Hippique Percheronne de France'' (Percheron Horse Society of France) registered between 750 and 885 horses in each year between 2007 and 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.percheron-france.org/fr/percheron/stud-book.html| publisher= Société Hippique Percheronne de France| language=fr |title= Règlement Stud Book |access-date=8 September 2011}}</ref>

=== Augeron ===
The Augeron, also known as Caen or Virois, was developed from the Percheron during the 19th century<ref name="Mange1857" /> and was merged back into the Percheron in the 1960s. Bred mainly in the [[Pays d'Auge]] region, it previously had its own studbook, registered by the ''Société hippique du trait augeron''.<ref name="JacouletChomel1895">{{cite book| first1=J. |last1=Jacoulet| first2=Claude| last2=Chomel |title= Traité d'Hippologie |volume=II |publisher= S. Milon fils |date=1895 |page=491 |language=fr}}</ref><ref name="Faucher1951" /> The status of the subtype has been repeatedly debated because of its origin from Percherons bred in Pays d'Auge, a breeding group that was modified from the original breed standard due to the influence of soil and climate over the years, creating the Augeron type.<ref>Mavré, ''Attelages et attelées'', p. 223</ref> Augerons are light gray in color, tall, strong, well-built, and energetic.<ref name="Mange1857" /><ref name="Gossin1858">{{cite book |first1= Louis |last1= Gossin |title=French agriculture |publisher= Lacroix and Baudry |date=1858 |url= https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_PkFJAAAAcAAJ|quote= CHEVAL AUGERON. |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_PkFJAAAAcAAJ/page/n346 316]–317 |language=fr}}</ref><ref name="Dechambre1928">{{cite book |first1=Paul |last1=Dechambre |title=Traité de zootechnie: Les équidés [Study of Animal Husbandry: Equidae] |volume= Traité de zootechnie, II|publisher=Librairie agricole de la maison rustique |date=1928 |page=114 |language= fr}}</ref><ref name="Levasseur1890">{{cite book |first1= Emile |last1= Levasseur |title= La France et ses colonies (géographie et statistique) |volume=II |publisher= C. Delagrave|date=1890 |page= 124|language= fr}}</ref> They stand {{convert|158|–|170|cm|hand|1|abbr=in|lk=out}} in height, but those horses bred in [[Vire]] are known to be smaller than the standard.<ref name="Mange1857" />

In the 19th century, the existence of the Augeron population was, despite its popularity, generally ignored by authors.{{efn|Original quote in {{langx|fr|link=no|"généralement passée sous silence par les auteurs"}}}} In Paris, they were named "Caen" and "Virois", after their region of origin,<ref name="Mange1857">{{cite book|first1=Jean Henri|last1=Magne|title=Hygiène vétérinaire appliquée : Étude de nos races d'animaux domestiques et des moyens de les améliorer [Applied Animal Health: Study of our breeds of domestic animals and ways to improve them|volume=1|publisher=Labe|date=1857|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7xtEAAAAYAAJ|pages=260–261|language=fr}}</ref> although specialists included the "Caen Virois" breed with the Augeron in a 1904 text.<ref name="Diffloth1904">{{cite book|first=Paul|last=Diffloth|title=Zootechnie générale : production et alimentation du bétail. Zootechnie spéciale; cheval, âne, mulet [General husbandry : production and feeding of livestock. Special husbandry: horse, donkey, mule|publisher=Encyclopédie agricole, J.-B. Baillière et fils|date=1904|page=352|language=fr}}</ref> In the 19th century, these horses were sold at fairs in [[Argences]] and [[Bayeux]] in [[Lower Normandy]].<ref name="Mange1857" /> They were noticed several times for their homogeneity, beauty,<ref>{{cite book|title=Proceedings of the Académie d'agriculture de France: Volume 39|publisher=Académie d'agriculture de France|year=1953|page=342|language=fr}}</ref> and high value.<ref>{{cite book|author=H. Vallé de Loncey|title=Les races de chevaux de trait|location=France, Belgique, Angleterre|publisher=Bureaux de l'Acclimatation|year=1888|page=368|language=fr}}</ref> In 1858, Augerons were sold for between 600 and 1200 [[French franc|francs]].<ref name="Cegarra1999">{{cite book|first1=Marie|last1=Cegarra| title=L'animal inventé: ethnographie d'un bestiaire familier (The invented animal: ethnography of a familiar bestiary) |place=Paris|publisher=L'Harmattan|date=1999| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PkFJAAAAcAAJ&q=CHEVAL+AUGERON&pg=PA317|page=317|language=fr}}</ref>

The ''Société hippique du trait augeron'', or Augeron Horse Society, was formed in 1913 by breeders in Auge to record these horses in a [[breed registry]]. One reason for this lay in the desire to protect the cradle of breeding Percheron horses: only animals born near the [[Perche]] were entitled to registration in the [[studbook]], and hence to use the name of "Percheron". This limitation excluded several nearby populations of horses<!--of recorded Percheron bloodlines?--> foaled outside of Perche, such as the ''Maine'' and the Augeron.<ref name="Faucher1951">{{cite book|first1=Daniel|last1=Faucher|title=La France, géographie-tourisme [France, geography, tourism]|volume=2|publisher=Librairie Larousse|date=1951|page=120|language=fr}}</ref><ref>Mavré, ''Attelages et attelées'', p. 44</ref><!--need to add how and why merged back in-->