Percheron
| Percheron | |
|---|---|
Percheron stallion |
|
| Important data | |
| Origin: | Le Perche , France |
| Main breeding area: | France |
| Distribution: | France, Great Britain , Russia , North and South America , South Africa , Australia , Japan |
| Stick measure : | 150-165 cm, 165-180 cm, 180-210 cm |
| Colors : | all colors, mostly mold |
| Main application area: | Draft and work horse, war horse (battle horse) and leisure horse |
The Percheron is a draft horse - horse breed from the Perche -type region in northwestern France.
Background information on horse evaluation and breeding can be found under: Exterior , interior and horse breeding .
Exterior
In Europe, most of the percherons are real gray , blacks are less common. Blacks and browns are more common in the United States. Percherons can reach a height of 1.55 to 1.72 meters with an average weight of about 900 kg; the average height is 1.66 m.
The fine head with lively eyes, a straight bridge of the nose, large nostrils and long, fine ears sits on a long, strong neck. Percherons have noticeably sloping shoulders, a lot of belt depth and a broad and deep chest. The back is short and straight. Further characteristics are the good arching of the ribs and the long, slightly sloping, split croup. The limbs are strong, but dry and have light droppings. Since the Percheron was bred, among other things, to move forward in deep mud in fields, its forehand often has a tendency to develop knock knees and hoof misalignments; the corridor can also have a “shoveling” or “ironing” effect.
use
Originally bred as a heavy workhorse in front of the plow and the carriage, it can still be seen today as a backhorse in forest work. Wine growers can also use percherons instead of a tractor, as they are cheaper and their hooves do less damage to the sensitive soil. Above all, however, experienced carriage drivers appreciate the Percheron because of its excellent driving characteristics. Since the percheron is a very massive animal, it is also bred for meat production.
The sloping shoulder of the Percheron and the associated good riding characteristics of this animal are one reason that these animals are increasingly used for riding. In general, too, there is an increasing tendency to use cold-blooded horses no longer as work horses but as riding horses.
The Percheron stands out from other draft horses with its noble gait, high knee action, agility, flexibility and its great talent for dressage. So the French noble cold blood is quite capable of the lessons of the high school ; For example, the French Arnaud Gilette demonstrated a Percheron stallion in such demanding lessons at the Apassionata in 2006 and 2007 .
Breeding history
The Percheron was originally bred as a heavy draft and work horse.
It is also said that the Percheron is the descendant of the horse of the time. Nowadays a back-breeding of knight horses is attempted with the Percheron. From a selected Percheron mare and a Pura Raza Española stallion approved for breeding , the new breed of "Spanish Norman" is born.
The French national stud Haras du Pin is located in the Norman département Orne and is the stronghold of the Percheron breed. The stud was built in 1715 and is known as the “Versailles of horses” due to its extraordinary architecture. In the summer months of July and August, a horse parade called "Les Jeudis" takes place every Thursday in the inner courtyard of the stud. On this occasion, especially Percherons are mounted and presented in front of the carriage.
Famous Percherons
With a height of 2.13 m and a weight of 1372 kg, the Percheron stallion “Dr. Le Gear “one of the greatest horses of all time.
