Editing Percheron

{{Short description|Breed of draft horse from France}}
{{About||the novel trilogy|Percheron (series)|the rocket|Percheron (rocket)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox horse
| name            = Percheron
| image           = File:Cheval-percheron-gris SDA2014 (cropped).jpg
| image2          = File:Haras in Saint-Lô , Normandië, France.jpg
| features        = Draft horse breed. Mostly gray or black. Clean-limbed, powerful and docile.
| altname=
| nickname=
| country         = France
| group1          = Haras nationaux (France)
<!--Note: The Haras Nationaux has been broken up and separated by each stud. I think the Percherons are at [[Haras national du Pin]].-->
| std1            = https://web.archive.org/web/20181010011433/http://www.haras-nationaux.fr/fileadmin/bibliotheque/Reglementation/Stud-books/Chevaux_de_trait/Reglement_Percheron-01-04-2011.pdf
| group2          = Percheron Horse Association of America
| std2            = https://www.percheronhorse.org/percheron-disposition-and-characteristics/
| group3          = British Percheron Horse Society
| std3            = https://percheron.org.uk/427/Characteristics-of-the-British-Percheron-Horse
| group4          = Percheron Horse Breeders Association of Australia
| std4            = https://www.percheron.com.au/breedstandard.htm
}}
The '''Percheron''' is a [[horse breed|breed]] of [[draft horse]] that originated in the [[Huisne]] river valley in western France, part of the former [[Perche]] province, from which the breed takes its name. Usually [[gray (horse)|gray]] or [[black (horse)|black]] in color, Percherons are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were present in the valley by the 17th century. They are believed to descend from [[war horse|war horses]]. Over time, they began to be used for pulling [[stagecoach]]es; and later, for agriculture and hauling heavy goods. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] blood was added to the breed. Exports of Percherons from France rose exponentially in the late 19th century, and the first purely Percheron [[stud book]] was created in France in 1893.

Before [[World War I]], thousands of Percherons were shipped from France to the United States, but after the war began, an [[embargo]] stopped shipping. The breed was used extensively in Europe during the war, with some horses being shipped from the United States back to France to help in the war effort. Beginning in 1918, Percherons began to be bred in the United Kingdom; in 1918, the British Percheron Horse Society (BPHS) was formed. After a series of name and studbook ownership changes, the current United States Percheron [[Breed registry|registry]] was created in 1934. In the 1930s, Percherons accounted for 70% of the draft horse population in the United States, but their numbers declined substantially after {{nowrap|World War II}}. However, the population began to recover; and, as of 2009, around 2,500 Percheron horses were registered annually in the United States alone. 

The breed is still used extensively for draft work; in France, they are also bred for [[horse meat]]. They have been crossed with several light horse breeds to produce both [[stock horse]]s and [[sport horse]]s. [[Purebred]] Percherons are used for forestry work and pulling [[horse carriage|carriages]], as well as work under saddle, including competition in various [[English riding]] disciplines, including [[show jumping]].

== Characteristics ==
[[File:Cheval-percheron-noir SDA2014.JPG|thumb|upright|A black Percheron]]

Percherons are generally [[gray (horse)|gray]] or [[black (horse)|black]] in coloring. The head has a straight profile, broad forehead, large eyes and long thin ears. The chest is deep and wide and the [[rump (animal)|croup]] long and level. The legs are heavily muscled, and the lower legs have little or no [[feathering (horse)|feathering]]. Enthusiasts describe the temperament as alert, and members of the breed are considered intelligent, willing workers with good dispositions, and [[easy keeper]]s. In the 19th century, they were known to travel up to {{convert|60|km|mi}} a day at a [[trot (horse gait)|trot]].{{r|hendricks|edwards|haras|BritishStand|Dispo|DalSeccoLes}}

The size considered ideal for the Percheron varies between countries. In France, height ranges from {{hands|15.1|to|18.1}} and weight from {{convert|500|to|1200|kg|lb|order=flip}}.<ref name=haras>{{cite web |url= http://www.haras-nationaux.fr/fileadmin/bibliotheque/Reglementation/Stud-books/Chevaux_de_trait/Reglement_Percheron-01-04-2011.pdf |title=Règlement du stud-book du cheval Percheron |language=fr|publisher=Les Haras Nationaux |year=2010 |access-date=6 September 2011}}</ref> Percherons in the United States generally stand between {{hands|16.2|and|17.3|lk=off}}, with a range of {{hands|15|&ndash;|19|lk=off}}. American Percherons average {{convert|1900|lb|kg}}, and their top weight is around {{convert|2600|lb|kg}}.<ref name=Dispo /> In Great Britain, {{hands|16.2|lk=off}} is the shortest acceptable height for stallions and {{hands|16.1|lk=off}} for mares, while weights range from around {{convert|2000|&ndash;|2200|lbs|kg}} for stallions and {{convert|1800|&ndash;|2000|lbs|kg}} for mares.<ref name=BritishStand>{{cite web |url= http://www.percheron.org.uk/about/percheron.html |title= Characteristics of the British Percheron |publisher=British Percheron Horse Society |access-date=1 May 2012}}</ref> 

Horses in the French registry are branded on the neck with the intertwined letters "SP", the initials of the ''Société Hippique Percheronne''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.percheron-france.org/fr/percheron/marque.html |title=La marque |trans-title=The brand |publisher=Société Hippique Percheronne de France |access-date= 13 September 2011 |language=fr}}</ref>

== 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-->

== 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>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="DalSeccoLes">Dal'Secco, ''Les chevaux de trait'', p. 28</ref> 

<ref name=Dispo>{{cite web |url= http://www.percheronhorse.org/percheron/default.html |title= Disposition and |publisher= Percheron Horse Association of America |access-date= 7 October 2009 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20140110100545/http://www.percheronhorse.org/percheron/default.html |archive-date= 10 January 2014 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name="edwards">{{Cite book |first=Elwyn Hartley |last=Edwards |author-link=Elwyn Hartley Edwards |year=2008 |orig-year=1994 |title=The Encyclopedia of the Horse |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |isbn=9780756628949 |ol=21938319M}}</ref>

<ref name="hendricks">{{cite book |year=1995 |title=International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds |last=Hendricks |first=Bonnie |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=0806127538 |ol=1279627M |pages=335–7}}</ref>

}}

== Sources ==
* {{cite book|author=Audiot, Annick|title=Races d'hier pour l'élevage de demain: Espaces ruraux|publisher=Éditions Quae|year=1995|isbn=978-2-7380-0581-6|language=fr}}
* {{cite book |editor= Bongianni, Maurizio |title= Simon & Schuster's Guide to Horses and Ponies |publisher= Simon & Schuster, Inc |year= 1988 |isbn= 978-0-671-66068-0 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/lish00maur }}
* {{cite book|author=Dal'Secco, Emmanuelle |title=Les chevaux de trait|publisher=Artemis Éditions|year= 2006|isbn=978-2-84416-459-9|language=fr}}
* {{cite book|author=Dugast, Jean-Léo|title=Sur les traces du cheval percheron|publisher=L'Étrave|year=2007|isbn=978-2-909599-80-9}}
* {{cite book|author=Edwards, Elwyn Hartley|title=Les chevaux|publisher=De Borée|year=2006|isbn=978-2-84494-449-8|language=fr}}
* {{cite book |author= Edwards, Elwyn Hartley |title= The Encyclopedia of the Horse |publisher= Dorling Kindersley |edition=1st American|year=1994|isbn=978-1-56458-614-8}}
* {{cite book|author=Fox, Charles Philip|title=Circus Baggage Stock: A Tribute to the Percheron|year=1983|isbn=978-0-9622663-0-0|publisher=Heart Prairie Press}}
* {{cite book|author=Mavré, Marcel |title=Attelages et attelées : un siècle d'utilisation du cheval de trait|trans-title=Hitches and harness: a century of using the workhorse|publisher=France Agricole Éditions|year=2004|isbn=978-2-85557-115-7|language=fr}}
* {{cite book|author=McDermott, Rowena|chapter=The British Percheron|title=The Working Horse Manual|publisher=Farming Press|year=1998|isbn=978-0-85236-401-7}}
* {{cite book|author=Mischka, Joseph|title=The Percheron Horse in America|publisher=Heart Prairie Press|year=1991|isbn=978-0-9622663-5-5}}
* {{cite book|author1=Roger, Alain  |author2=Beaune, Jean-Claude |name-list-style=amp |title=Maîtres et protecteurs de la nature|publisher=Éditions Champ Vallon|year=1991|isbn=978-2-87673-099-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Terry|first=Patricia|author2=Nancy Vine Durling|title=The Romance of the Rose or Guillaume De Dole|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|year=1993|isbn=978-0-8122-1388-1}}

== External links ==
{{Commons|Percheron|Percheron}}
* [http://www.percheron-france.org/ Société hippique Percheronne de France]
* [http://www.percheronhorse.org/ Percheron Horse Association of America]
* [http://www.percheron.org.uk/ British Percheron Horse Society]
* [http://www.percheron.com.au/ Percheron Horse Breeders Association of Australia]

{{Horse breeds of France}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Featured article}}
{{#related:List of French Horse Breeds}}

[[Category:Horse breeds]]
[[Category:Horse breeds originating in France]]
[[Category:Draft horses]]