Editing Percheron (section)

== Uses ==

[[File:Attelage Percheron (St victor du Button)-2-cliche Jean Weber (23456744703).jpg|thumb|Percheron pulling a heavy farm cart in France]]
[[File:Percheron4.jpg|thumb|A Percheron pulling a cart in a [[Draft horse showing|horse show competition]]]]
[[File:Carroussel à 16 chevaux montés Mondial du percheron 2011 Cl J Weber09 (23455266714).jpg|thumb|Percherons being ridden]]
The Percheron is the most famous and populous of all French draft breeds in the world today.<ref name="DalSeccoLes" /><ref>Edwards, ''Les chevaux'', p. 192</ref> They were used to improve both the [[Ardennes horse|Ardennes]] and [[Vladimir Heavy Draft]] horses,<ref>Edwards, ''The Encyclopedia of the Horse'', pp. 262, 276</ref> and to create the [[Spanish-Norman horse|Spanish-Norman]] breed, a cross between the [[Andalusian horse|Andalusian]] and the Percheron.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imh.org/exhibits/online/spanish-norman|title=Spanish-Norman|publisher=International Museum of the Horse|access-date=4 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209130705/http://www.imh.org/exhibits/online/spanish-norman|archive-date=9 February 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> By the end of the 19th century, Percherons made up the majority of driving horses in Paris.<ref>Dal'Secco, ''Les chevaux de trait'', p. 59</ref> The Percheron is still used extensively for draft work and, like other draft breeds, it is also used in France for meat production.{{r|hendricks}} Around the world, Percherons are used for parades, [[sled|sleigh]] rides and [[hayride]]s, as well as being used to pull carriages in large cities.<ref name=OSU /> The largest team of working Percherons in Europe is found at [[Disneyland Paris]], where the breed makes up 30 percent of the horses in the park and the horses work to pull trams on the main park street.<ref>Dal'Secco, ''Les chevaux de trait'', p. 9</ref> One of the most famous horse teams in the United States is the [[Heinz]] hitch of Percherons, having appeared multiple times at the [[Tournament of Roses Parade]].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=The Horse|access-date=27 December 2009|url=http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=4008|title=Heinz Hitch Percheron Horses Appear In Rose Parade|date=1 February 1999|url-access=registration }}</ref>

In Great Britain, the Percheron is used for advertising and publicity, as well as forestry and farm work. They are crossbred with lighter horses by breeders of heavy [[Field hunter|hunters]] in order to increase size and improve disposition.<ref name=Rowena /> Purebred Percherons are also ridden, and some have proven useful at [[show jumping]].<ref name=Dispo /> Crossbred Percherons have been used successfully in [[dressage]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.percheron.org.uk/about/use.html|title=Use of the British Percheron|publisher=British Percheron Horse Society|access-date=7 October 2009}}</ref> In both the [[Falkland Islands]] and northern Australia, Percherons have been crossed with local mares, primarily [[Criollo horse|Criollos]] in the Falklands, to produce larger [[stock horse]]s with greater stamina. These crossbred horses are used extensively in both the sub-Antarctic climate of the Falklands and the sub-tropical climate of Australia for working stock. In Australia they are also crossed with [[Thoroughbred]]s for use as [[mounted police]] horses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.percheron.com.au/history.htm|title=History of the Breed|publisher=Percheron Horse Breeders Association of Australia|access-date=27 April 2012}}</ref>

In 1978, the first World Percheron Congress was held in Great Britain, and has been held annually ever since. Although the majority of the shows have been held in North America, four&nbsp;– in 1980, 1989, 2001 and 2011&nbsp;– have been held in France.<ref name=Virginia>{{cite journal|url=https://www.drafthorsejournal.com/read/summer2011/france-hosts |title=France Hosts the 2011 World Percheron Congress |date=27 May 2011 |access-date=7 September 2011 |author=Kouyoumdjian, Virginia |journal=The Draft Horse Journal |url-access=subscription  |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327102949/https://www.drafthorsejournal.com/read/summer2011/france-hosts |archive-date=27 March 2012 }}</ref> Each year, in July, the French national breed show is held in [[Haras du Pin]].<ref>Dal'Secco, ''Les chevaux de trait'', p. 108</ref>

Since the early 2000's the United States Army's [[Fort Sam Houston]] Caisson and Funeral Honors Platoon have used Percherons for pulling the casket-bearing [[Limbers and caissons#Caissons in American and British culture|military caisson]] during funeral details. As of 2019, the Fort Sam Houston Caisson Platoon had 11 working Percherons and one lighter horse used as the [[riderless horse]] in a funeral procession. In addition to funeral details, which they perform year round, the Caisson Percherons are routinely featured at the [[San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo]] and other United States Army recruiting events in the south Texas area.<ref>{{Multiref2 |1={{Cite web| title = Caisson Section: The Ultimate Honor| work = San Antonio Magazine| access-date = 2023-11-25| date = 2015-01-28| url = https://www.sanantoniomag.com/caisson-section-the-ultimate-honor/ |first=Chris |last=Warren}} |2={{Cite web| title = Newest member of the Fort Sam Houston Caisson makes his debut| work = Joint Base San Antonio| access-date = 2023-11-25| url = https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/1763230/newest-member-of-the-fort-sam-houston-caisson-makes-his-debut/ |first=Timothy |last=Hickman |date=February 21, 2019}} }}</ref>