Percheron - famous french horse, one of the oldest on the planet. Its homeland is considered to be the Perche region in the south of France, whose climate, plains, lakes and rich vegetation were favorable for keeping horses, the predecessors of modern heavy trucks. Some experts consider Percherons to be descendants of wild horses, others - the result of crossing Norman heavyweights with Arabian horses, but there is no clear explanation for their origin.

French Percherons were used in military cavalry, in Napoleonic battles, were used by knights in steel armor during the Crusades, and in transporting Parisian stagecoaches.

Relatives of the Percherons

It is currently unknown with which breeds the Percheron was formed. Over the centuries, the genes of various breeds have been combined: Breton, Arabian, Danish, Boulogne, English. The closest relative of the French Percheron is considered to be the local Norman heavy horse with a lush mane and luxurious tail, used in the era of Caesar. Not every horse could race with an armored rider on its back. Over time, Percheron horses began to be distinguished by size: large and small ones were distinguished, distributing their varieties for postal transportation and field work.

Gallery: Percheron horse (25 photos)

Origin

In the 18th century, the Arabian breed was crossed with the Percheron. Count Robert de Rotrou personally brought the horses that participated in the development of the Percheron breed. Breeding a universal breed suitable for many areas of activity was carried out successfully.

During the French Revolution (1789−1799), due to economic instability in the country, the Percheron breed was lost.

In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte signed a decree for the restoration of the breed: his army needed horses that were distinguished by speed and endurance. Light types corresponding to easy riding were selected.

In 1820, Arabian and Turkish horses appeared in Perche, among which was the famous Gallipoli, a descendant of the Jean le Blanc breed, which established itself as a leader in the history of French horse breeding. Only thanks to Arab genes a suit of gray shades has formed and the proud posture of the Percherons, and thanks to gradual breeding, a breed was formed that was resistant to climatic conditions and diseases.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, crossing Belgian heavyweights with local Russian horses contributed to the development of the Russian heavyweight. The not so remarkable physique of the powerful Belgian horse, through many years of selection, was transformed into the beautiful exterior of the Russian hero.

Horses as a vehicle

The beginning of the 19th century in France was the time of the development of organized passenger transportation using horses. Carriages, stagecoaches, and omnibuses were used. French Percheron breed turned out to be ideal in terms of endurance, strength, easy-going character, and was distinguished by a soft, smooth step. The main valuable feature of the Percheron horse was its ability to ride smoothly, continuously; it began to trot gently and stopped just as smoothly.

The era of transportation served the maximum development of the breed and was characterized by the highest demand for horses, of which there were up to 10 thousand in the city. Percheron horses spread intensively in Europe. Gradually, long-distance postal and passenger transportation began to be carried out by rail (since 1838), but French Percherons remained in demand as a means of transport and labor in agriculture until the twentieth century.

Description of the breed

Domestic breeds differ from foreign ones in their smaller size and gray color, while the latter are black and red. The most small breeds were used for riding and sleds, medium - for traveling in a carriage, which delivered mail and doctors to their destination, large - as heavy haulers in agricultural work. Size characteristics vary depending on the type and purpose of the horse.

Key Features:

• withers height - 150-200 cm;
• chest volume - 196 cm;
• mouth girth - up to 23 cm;
• live weight of females is up to 740 kg.

The largest Percheron became a truly knightly horse with a height at the withers of 2.13 m and a weight of 1370 kg at the beginning of the 20th century.

Percheron appearance resembles a fairy-tale heroic horse: a relatively small head, a convex forehead, large eyes, prominent nostrils, a flat nose. The neck is short, powerful, wide chest, smooth, strong back, strong legs. It is distinguished by a low stroke and very strong limbs with a long brush.

The horses are fertile (a mare gives birth to up to 20 foals during her life), calm, have a quick reaction and intelligence, which, in addition to endurance, characterizes the horse as optimal for agriculture and passenger transportation.

Activity and grace, combined with flexibility and trainability, make this horse effective in circus performances.

The working life of a horse is 20 – 25 years with a lifespan of about 30 years. The combination of Percheron genes with the genes of lightweight horses is practiced to breed sports and hunting breeds.

Percheron in Russia

Percheron appeared in Russia in 1891 and was grown by the Khrenovsky plant. In Talovsky State in the Voronezh region there was a breeding nursery for Percherons with the aim of improving the breed for mass distribution. The difference between these horses was their large, proportional physique and high performance.

In 1941, the Oktyabrsky horse breeding plant began operating in the Ulyanovsk region, famous for its records of heavy trucks.

In 2010, the company was forced to sell off its property due to instability. Later, factories in the Tambov, Voronezh, and Bryansk regions began breeding horses. Thanks to them new breeds have appeared− Ixoda, Apra, Vuitry, Bardadyma. But in the absence of replenishment of breeding stallions, the renewal of breeds stopped and only one remained - Ixoda.

In 2011, Percheron horses were bought by a businessman and transported to a farm, thanks to which it was possible to preserve the breed and continue its breeding. With the support of the authorities, the horse farm received the status of a stud farm, which has a positive effect on the development of the breed.

At the end of the 20th century, the Baltika company began using a team of Percheron horses to transport drinks, so the French Percheron is not alien to the Russian capital.

The Russian Percheron horse breed is graceful, light and fast, unlike the massive heavy draft horses of the West. Modern French Percherons do not have long brushes on their lower legs.; the tail remains long or docked.

Conditions of detention

The period of maturation of Percherons lasts up to 2 years. Foals require adequate nutrition and sufficient physical activity to develop. For their healthy condition and proper formation of muscles, walks in the air and open sun are necessary, as well as feeding on pasture grass, as befits a knightly horse. Percherons quickly adapt to climate changes and new conditions.

Stables where horses are kept must be equipped with spacious stalls, as well as a cleaning area. Grilles should be installed between the stalls so that horses can see each other through them. It is advisable to finish the floor with a rubber surface to reduce the load on the feet, and put straw or sawdust on top of it.

Feed should include:

• quality hay;
• corn;
• oats;
• clover;
• vegetables;
• vitamin supplements.

Price

The price of a Percheron horse in Russia depends on the pedigree and its purity, age, appearance of the animal, its physical condition, character and can vary between 100-700 thousand rubles. Usually a horse aged 5-8 years costs no more than 10 thousand dollars. You can purchase a foal at a more affordable price, but taking into account the costs of its development and maintenance, it also costs a lot. Sales have declined in recent decades, which has a lot to do with the type of property− Percherons are mainly owned by private owners.

Percheron horses have absorbed the best and there is no place on earth where this beautiful French breed, its power, grace, agility, endurance, and courage in battles are not appreciated. But regardless of the name, the horse remains a wonderful animal and just a friend; it can be both a helper and peace for the soul.

Attention, TODAY only!

Kira Stoletova

The Percheron horse surprises with its exterior and character. The representatives of the breed have such an interesting name, thanks to the French word “Perche”, this is the name of one of the French provinces.

External characteristics

The Percheron breed of horses has a record height, which at the withers is 213 cm. Exterior characteristics are as follows:

• the bones are very wide, the chest is deep;
• withers height is 1.60 m;
• chest girth - from 2 m;
• The length of the body along the oblique is 1.7 m.

Mares and stallions still differ slightly in terms of appearance, which can be seen in the photo. The Percheron breed is distinguished by its athletic build, massiveness and enormous strength. The hooves of such horses are strong and have a low stroke. The hind and front limbs can safely be called tireless.

These horses can also be called beautiful. They have an interesting head shape, which they inherited from Arabian horses. The ancestors of this breed took great pleasure in serving as a means of transportation for ancient knights, but the armor weighed a lot.

Fashion for suit

Both in ancient times and now, there was a fashion for the color of horses. As for the Percherons, in ancient times they were bred of a certain color. Time and fashion changed and, accordingly, the demand for the suit changed. Today, black and gray colors are considered fashionable among Percherons, as can be seen from the photo. Sometimes you can find a roan shade and red.

An interesting fact is that until 1996, Percheron horses had their tails docked, but after that such actions were prohibited. This was achieved by the Animal Welfare Society. Representatives of this society managed to prove that horses feel pain, because it is with the help of their tail that they fight insects.

Modern Features

Today, the Percheron breed is distinguished by the fact that it does not have brushes on its front legs. This is an advantage, because it makes it easier to use animals for work in the field. To be fair, it is worth noting that these horses are no longer used so often in the fields. Currently there is a demand for them to work in crews. This is because their musculoskeletal system is well developed.

Despite the large size of these horses, large bones, their stroke is low, their movements are very light and graceful. The character of the Percheron also does not prevent a person from using it for such work. The French Percheron type is distinguished by intelligence and hard work.

Percheron and its dimensions

Modern conditions make it possible for a horse breeder to breed Percheron stallions of a certain size for himself. As a rule, these are medium or large stallions. The height of such a horse is in the range from 1.5 to 2 m and above.

A small-sized horse is rarely seen, which is not surprising, since the title of “the largest horse in the world” is held by a stallion of this breed. At the withers he is more than 2.13 m, and his weight is 1.37 tons.

Percherons in adaptation

Percheron stallions feel great in almost any climatic conditions. Percheron stallions have the advantage that they can graze on pasture almost the whole year. The Percheron horse can easily tolerate any hot or cold weather.

Breeders send horses to stalls only if the weather is bad. The good thing about the Percheron horse is that it is absolutely not picky about feed. The owners cannot but rejoice in the fact that this horse has high immunity to many diseases. However, one should not think that the breed acquired such advantages on its own: breeders have been working on developing these qualities for many years.

Temper of the Percherons

The Percheron horse is famous for its nice disposition. The horse is very kind, flexible, and not capricious. He has a wonderful character, the horse is patient and happy to train. This horse has great vitality, is energetic and playful.

Percheron stallions have a soft ride, despite their large size.

The Percheron horse was not updated regularly, which led to the disappearance of new lines. There is only Iskod.

In order for the French Percheron species to be preserved and developed, it is regularly replenished with breeding stallions. It must be said that the Percheron horse of the domestic manufacturer has its own distinctive characteristics in comparison with representatives of the American breed. The Russian Percheron horse is very light, distinguished by its speed and grace. The Western horse of this breed is more massive, muscular, like a real heavy truck.

Over the past 10 years, the Percheron horse has not been very popular. It is usually bred by private breeders, and this situation, of course, dictates its prices for the breed. Percheron stallions can be bought there.

When hearing the word “horse,” many people immediately imagine a light, fleet-footed, beautiful and graceful animal that accompanies a person like the spirit of freedom and flight throughout his difficult history. Indeed, this creation seemed to embodied mankind’s eternal desire for ideal and harmony. However, there is a category of horses that cannot boast of such qualities. No songs are written about them, they are not sung in poetry, but without them life and work would be much more complex and unbearable. We are talking about heavy-duty horses, which since ancient times have been used to transport overwhelming loads and cultivate heavy, often stubborn and unsuitable for plowing lands. There are many well-proven breeds in this category, and one of the first places among them is the Percheron.

A little history

The history of the Percheron breed is lost in the mists of time. It is generally accepted that it was bred at the beginning of the 19th century in the northwestern French province of Perche, which has long been famous for its climate and horse-breeding traditions, but even in the Middle Ages the so-called. “the ancient horse of Persha,” which was distinguished by its average height, strong constitution, enormous strength and incredible performance. Many researchers believe that she was the same knight's horse that could easily rush a rider in heavy armor without stopping for a long time. That is, according to this version, the modern Percheron is a descendant of knightly horses, which were retrained with the disappearance of knighthood into draft horses.

It is also unclear which breed participated in the creation of the Percheron. They were bred over several centuries, each time taking into account the needs of the time. It is reliably known that Percherons carry the blood of Arabian horses that came to France during the First Crusade. In addition, since 1760, Persh horse breeders were allowed to use Arabian stallions from the Le Pen state stud farm, located in neighboring Normandy, to develop the breed. It is also assumed that, in addition to Arabians, the Perche horse was crossed with Danish, half-bred English and some French native breeds (for example, Breton and Boulogne).

The turbulent events of French history were not in vain not only for people, but also for animals. During the Great French Revolution, the breed almost completely died, but in 1803 Napoleon Bonaparte, while still consul, ordered its restoration by a special decree. Work on breeding the species resumed, and in 1820 a batch of Arabian and Turkish stallions were brought to the newly built stud farms of Persha. The latter, especially the stallions named Gallipoli and Jean le Blanc (his descendant), played a significant role in shaping the modern breed appearance of French draft horses.

In 1826, the first exhibition of Percherons took place, at which horse breeders presented more than 70 breeding animals - the result of their many years of painstaking work. Their work was appreciated - almost every second horse received a prize. A significant role in achieving such recognition was played by a specially developed rearing technology, according to which foals at five or six months of age were weaned from the uterus and sold to elevator farms - farms that raised and subsequently sold young animals. The foal was raised on these elevators until it was one and a half years old, after which they began to accustom it to work. At the age of three, the young Percheron was resold to another farm, and at 4-5 years old it was sold as an already formed horse.

In addition to heavy agricultural work, Percherons were also used in the postal sector as a harness horse for postal stagecoaches running between cities. They coped with this task so brilliantly that not a single fleet-footed, beautiful horse of the purest breed could compare with them. But in 1838, when the first railway began to be built in France, the Percherons, like their distant ancestors, had to retrain, harnessing the first city omnibuses. The Percherons coped with this task in such a way that up to 4 thousand heavy trucks were purchased annually for the Parisian city transport sector alone. In 1883, the Society of Percheron Horse Breeders was created and the first volume of the student book was published, which included 530 horses born in Perche that had distinct species characteristics. From that moment on, the improvement of the Percheron was carried out through breeding within the breed, with only those horses whose ancestors were mentioned in the first volume being recorded in the studbook. Around the same time, Percherons began to spread throughout Europe, even earlier - in 1815 - they came to North America, and in 1891 - to Russia, where their breeding was immediately started at the famous Khrenovsky stud farm (Voronezh region). Its specialists not only preserved the purity of the breed, but also developed several of their own lines, thereby further improving the original appearance and adapting it to the needs of Russian and then Soviet reality. Subsequently, Percherons began to be raised on other breeding farms in the Voronezh, Tambov and Bryansk regions, and during the war, in 1941, the Oktyabrsky Plant was created in Ulyanovsk for horse breeders evacuated from Voronezh, where they began to engage in exclusively purebred breeding of Percherons. The plant existed until 2011, making a significant contribution to the development, preservation and improvement of the breed, then it was sold along with the livestock available at that time to pay off the debts of the enterprise.

Despite the period of decline in popularity that occurred in the 60s - 70s of the twentieth century and associated with the mechanization of production, the Percheron is still one of the most recognizable and sought-after heavy breeds. In France alone there are about 4.5 thousand queens, and the share of Percherons in the Canadian and American herds is still approximately 75%.

Percheron today

The modern French Percheron is distributed in almost all corners of the planet from Canada to Australia. In terms of a number of qualities, it is a unique animal, since it harmoniously combines what is at first glance incompatible: the massiveness of a heavy truck and the dryness and ease of movements of a horse. The breed is divided into three types: small, medium and large. Small Percherons are of medium height and easy to move; they are most often used in horse riding and in sleds. Large Percherons fully correspond to the human idea of ​​a draft horse: tall, massive and dense. But the most common type in the world is the middle one, which combines the qualities of both types.

In general, the breed has the following exterior characteristics:

1. height from 158 to 175 cm, weight - from 700 to 900 kg. A case was recorded when a Percheron reached 213 cm in height and weighed 1.3 tons.
2. large, but at the same time graceful head with a wide forehead and straight profile.
3. long soft ears and a flat nose.
4. well developed, slightly raised withers.
5. wide and deep chest.
6. elongated, straight and slightly forked croup.
7. rounded ribs.
8. dry muscular legs with strong joints.
9. short and straight back and lower back.
10. implicit expression of the leg brushes (sometimes you can come across the statement that they do not exist at all).
11. strong hooves and short and wide pasterns.
12. fluffy, slightly low-set tail. Interesting fact: throughout the history of the breed, Percherons had their tails docked, explaining that they could get tangled in the harness. However, this resulted in constant suffering for the horses, since docking deprived them of their natural protection from insects, and the procedure itself was not pleasant. The situation was saved only by the intervention of animal rights activists, who achieved a ban on this tradition in 1996.
13. predominantly gray color, “gifted” to the heavy truck by Arabian horses. There are also black color and much less often - roan and red.

It is always difficult to create a verbal description, so to confirm our words, we invite you to look at these photos, which show Percherons of the main colors.

photo 2

In addition to its exterior, the Percheron is distinguished by the following highly valued qualities:

1. good calm disposition.
2. unpretentiousness and undemandingness in feeding and maintenance.
3. fertility and good survival rate of young animals (75-85%).
4. longevity (the lifespan of a Percheron is 22-25 years).
5. enormous strength and endurance (at one time, harnessed to omnibuses, these horses walked about 65 km every day).
6. excellent adaptation qualities to any climate, due to which at stud farms Percherons are kept on pastures almost all year round and are driven into stables only during very bad weather or cold weather.
7. quick response.
8. intelligence, understanding, sensitivity.
9. great patience.
10. natural resistance to many diseases.

It is not surprising that even now its price on the international market is quite high. A young horse five to ten years old is valued at no less than 8-10 thousand dollars, and some - even 15 thousand. The highest price is for stallions with a pedigree. In Russia, the cost of horses depends on the age and degree of their training and also ranges from 2 (the price of a six-month-old foal) to 10 thousand dollars.

Raising Percherons is not particularly difficult, but you should always remember about the free method of breeding, so from a young age foals should have a walk. Proper, complete feeding is also of great importance, for which you need to select high-quality pastures.

Conclusion

In one of his poems, Sergei Yesenin, a passionate fan of horses, was afraid that living horses would be defeated by “steel cavalry.” At one time it seemed that this would happen. However, fortunately, the poet was wrong: in our time, horses - in particular, Percherons - are just as popular as in former times. They may not deliver mail off-road or carry passengers in cities, but not a single agriculture in any, even the most developed country in the world, can do without them. Percherons are in demand in the entertainment industry: their paired teams can be found, for example, in all American Disneyland parks. Sometimes they are used in advertising: for example, in the late 90s - early 2000s, four Percherons of a classic gray color with riders dressed in costumes from the era of Peter the Great carried a huge advertising barrel of the Baltika brewing company around St. Petersburg. There was also a place for Percherons in the circus - for example, at the beginning of the 21st century, a number with hoops was very popular, performed on a Percheron by the famous Russian tightrope walker and trainer Yana Shanikova. In addition, even simply observing such a horse has a calming effect on a modern person exposed to various kinds of stress. This means that horses - and, in particular, Percherons - will not disappear from human life for a very long time.

The ancestors of heavy draft horses grazed in the meadows of France back in the Ice Age, but, of course, it was not a Percheron horse. Roman horsemen willingly used energetic horses, which were bred in the town of Perche, in Normandy. And knights, dressed in heavy armor, during the Crusades felt confident riding these hard workers.

Origin

It has not yet been established exactly when exactly this famous breed appeared. Some hippologists are inclined to believe that its ancestors are ancient French horses. Others believe that the Percheron breed of horses was selected not very long ago.

There are some descriptions of an ancient horse. This is a medium-sized animal with considerable strength and extraordinary performance. She was bay, unlike the typical Percheron color, gray.

The prototype of the modern heavy truck was a massive riding horse, which was adapted for transporting heavily armed riders. But with the departure of knightly cavalry as a type of army, the need for heavy riding horses also disappeared. Then they became harnessed.

It is very difficult to determine exactly which specific breeds of blood flows in the veins of Percherons. It is generally accepted that the Percheron heavy draft horses were bred by “breeding within” the eastern (mainly Arabian), as well as Breton and Boulogne breeds. Therefore, the heavy Percheron has absorbed various qualities:

• amazing endurance;
• dry constitution;
• harmony of addition;
• the highest power and massiveness;
• amazing dexterity;
• soft ride at any gait.

The Percheron horse took a unique gray color from its distant Arabian relatives, which gave it elegance.

The most famous representatives of the breed were selected in the middle of the 19th century. Selection began at the end of the previous century at the Le Pin plant. Then, to improve the breed, Arabian horses were brought to the lands of France.

Condition of the breed

The import of heavy trucks from the French Republic has been going on since the beginning of the century before last. Horses thrive in any climate type. The Percheron breed of horses has become especially popular in North America.

The first breeding breeders were brought to Russia in 1891. The Khrenovsky plant began developing a new type of Percheron. Later, breeding of horses began to be carried out at stud farms in Voronezh and Bryansk. The Russian Percheron horse has some differences from the French one. The latter is slightly larger and stronger.

The results of the work of Russian stud farms resulted in the emergence of new lines of the breed, of which only one has survived: Ixoda. Lines were also created: Troubadour, Solexa, etc. But the population of horses was very small, which did not allow it to develop without sires, the last of which was imported from France back in 1991.

The most successful breeder of Percherons was the Oktyabrsky Stud Farm (Ulyanovsk Region). This is where French manufacturers ended up. The pets of this breed are characterized by large growth, correct build, and good performance, which allows them to be classified as an elite class.

But at this time, after a series of courts and lawsuits, the situation at the stud farm is catastrophic. The complex turned out to be partly sold out and partly destroyed, which means the end of the process of raising breeding horses.

Nowadays only private breeders are engaged in raising heavyweights, so there is no large-scale distribution of the breed.

In France, Percherons have recently been in demand again. New areas of use have opened up for them, and the state subsidizes and encourages horse breeding. The Percheron horse breed is one of the most common draft breeds. The number of queens totals more than 4.5 thousand heads.

To fully raise a Percheron foal, special conditions are required:

• a complete diet;
• quality pastures;
• constant walking of pregnant mares.

Exterior description

The modern French heavy truck is a very large, broad-boned animal. The dimensions of a Percheron stallion (mare) have the following values:

• height at withers – 162 (160) cm;
• oblique body length – 169 (169) cm;
• chest circumference – 202 (197) cm;
• metacarpal girth – 24.4 (22.7) cm.

The most widespread colors are gray and black, but roan and red are also found. The horse’s exterior is very expressive, which is clearly visible in the photo of a Percheron horse.

1. Head. Compared to the entire mass of the animal, it is small, but beautiful and expressive. The forehead is wide and convex. The eyes are slightly protruding and lively. The ears are long and soft. The nose is flat, the nostrils are wide.
2. The neck is muscular, of moderate length, and well set. The mane is thick.
3. Withers. Somewhat elevated.
4. Croup Powerful, long, straight and slightly forked.
5. Tail. Its landing is somewhat low, but it is very fluffy.
6. Back. Short, strong, well set, which facilitates movements with particular freedom and smoothness.
7. The chest is wide and deep.
8. Legs. Very muscular and strong. The forearms are of medium length and the pasterns are short but strong. In the joints, the bones are very dense, and the tendons have high power and endurance.

All these excellent characteristics, complemented by temperament, enormous strength and extraordinary endurance, make the Percheron horse unique.

Percherons serve 22–25 years. It is practiced to cross them with lighter breeds to produce sports and hunting horses.

In the past, the tails of draft horses were cut off. This was done so that the long tail did not get tangled in the harness. But since 1996, docking has been prohibited.

Character and disposition of heavy trucks

The Percheron horse is endowed with a kind, calm disposition and great patience. However, this does not in any way detract from her activity and mobility. The animal has a very fast reaction and can think quickly.

A giant horse can be easily trained to plow or perform in a circus arena. He will quickly understand what exactly is required of him. This is an amazing combination of massiveness, grace and kindness.

Photos of Percheron horses show that these horses look the most respectable and advantageous in comparison with horses of other breeds.

Use of draft horses

The use of French draft horses is highly versatile. At all times they have been used in all sorts of qualities. These were wars, hunting trips, working with a cart, plow or under saddle.

The Percheron horse breed is divided into two types: small and large. Horses of the first type are of medium height, easy to move, and can be used under saddle and for fast riding in harness. Horses of the second type are taller, more massive, and dense.

Nowadays, heavyweights are not so common. Their purpose is to work in agriculture or transport tourists in parks and green areas. A Percheron horse, without visible effort, easily and elegantly runs with a load at a trot of up to 56 kilometers per day.

During the Great Patriotic War, heavy trucks successfully dragged artillery pieces, which was their feasible contribution to the victory.

In Russia, it is quite possible to buy or rent Percheron horses. The purchase price ranges from $2,000 to $10,000 and depends on the age and level of training of the horse. These animals are highly valued in our country as assistants in agricultural work. They are also used to improve the breed of working and productive breeds.

Of course, not everyone will admire a huge, massive horse that can easily transport heavy carts. Most people prefer graceful horses. But if you take a closer look at how a Percheron horse works, its universal qualities will definitely come to light: power and grace, strength and endurance, agility and flexibility. Because this breed has absorbed all the best that nature has created in horses.