Percheron

About the breed

The Percheron is a French cold-blooded draught horse from the Perche, a former province between Normandy and Paris, and one of the best-known heavy horse breeds in the world. It is recognised by its grey or black coat, its powerful yet harmonious build and a surprisingly lively trot. It once pulled mail coaches, Paris omnibuses and ploughs; today it works in harness, on small farms, in vineyards and forests, and is also ridden.

From Knights' Mounts to Paris Omnibuses: Origin of the Breed

The Percheron comes from the Perche, which the French breed society describes as the smallest of the French provinces; the American association adds that it lies some 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Paris and borders Normandy. According to the Société Hippique Percheronne de France (SHPF), the horse of the Perche was first a mount for knights, then a coach horse for the diligences and finally a farm horse, the role that established its worldwide reputation. It came to be regarded as a breed with fixed characteristics in the first decade of the 19th century, when the name "percheron" also came into use.

The French Academy of Agriculture reports that in 1894, 15,000 Percherons pulled the Paris omnibuses. The SHPF was founded in 1883, the studbook opened a year later, and in 1966 the neighbouring Trait du Maine, Augeron, Berrichon and Nivernais breeds joined it. Motorisation hit the breed so hard that in the 1960s and 1970s it was considered endangered; in the 1980s and 1990s leisure driving, riding and work in small-scale farming, viticulture and sensitive woodland brought it back.

Arabian Blood: A Presumption, Not a Proof

An Arabian origin is often claimed for the Percheron, but it has not been proven. In its breeding programme the SHPF writes of presumed but never fully proven Arabian roots. The French Academy of Agriculture mentions the tradition that the army defeated at Poitiers in 732 left part of its cavalry in the region, and adds that European origins are not foreign to the breed either. The French standard looks for a head whose expression evokes the Oriental ancestor, and the American association sees a hint of Arabian ancestry in the head and ears. This is therefore the position of the breed organisations and historical tradition, not a genetically confirmed fact.

The Percheron in America, Slovenia and Around the World

The breed reached its greatest success in North America. In 1876 breeders in Chicago formed an association and started the first studbook, which the Percheron Horse Association of America describes as the first purebred livestock association in the United States. In the 1880s almost 5,000 stallions and over 2,500 mares were imported from France, and in the 1930s Percherons made up more than 70% of all purebred draught horses in the US. After the Second World War they were given up on a massive scale: in 1954 only 85 were registered. Dedicated breeders and Amish farmers kept the breed alive.

The Livestock Conservancy reports that the global population exceeded 32,000 horses in 2013, and the Percheron graduated from its conservation priority list that year. In France in 2022, according to the Academy of Agriculture, 1,469 mares produced 903 foals, making the Percheron the third largest of the nine French draught breeds, after the Comtois and the Breton. The breed also left a mark in Slovenia: according to the breeding programme for the Slovenian Cold-blood, stallions of the Noriker and Percheron breeds were used alongside home-bred stallions between the two World Wars.

Height at the Withers, Weight and Build

The Percheron stands 155 to 185 cm at the withers; according to the French Academy of Agriculture the average is 168 cm. The French standard particularly values tall horses and divides the Trait type into two categories: horses aged three and over up to and including 169 cm are classed as small, those from 170 cm upwards as large. The American association gives a range of 15 to 19 hands (about 152–193 cm), with most between 16.2 and 17.3 hands, or roughly 168–180 cm.

According to the French studbook standard, weight ranges from 500 to 1,200 kg (the SHPF breeding programme gives 600–1,200 kg). The American association writes that a Percheron can weigh up to 2,600 lb (about 1,180 kg), with the average around 1,900 lb (about 860 kg). The standard asks for an expressive head with a straight or slightly dished profile, mobile ears, a medium to long and often arched neck, a long sloping shoulder, a straight and muscular back, an ample croup, a full tail set high, and sound legs with little feather at the lower limb and good-quality hoof horn.

Two Types: Trait and Diligencier

The French standard recognises two forms of the breed. The Trait Percheron is a tall, heavy horse (standard: over 164 cm and over 700 kg) with very muscular hindquarters and a more sloping croup, built to pull heavy loads at the walk; the standard describes it as the type sought by Japanese buyers for sled racing, by German buyers and by loggers. The Diligencier is lighter, according to the Academy of Agriculture; the standard describes it as more upstanding, with a more sloping shoulder, and looks for a brilliant, extended trot; in France this type is found today mainly among the tall horses; the standard calls it a common type in North America, popular with advertising hitches and competitive driving. Which type a horse belongs to is left to the judges at inspection.

Colours: Greys and Blacks

In France the studbook accepts only black and grey in all their shades; heavily dappled grey and jet black are the most prized, and greys turn whiter with age. Other colours, notably chestnut and bay, are disqualifying faults under the SHPF breeding programme, which therefore genotypes the extension and agouti genes and limits the share of stallions carrying the recessive chestnut gene. The American association, by contrast, says Percherons are usually black or grey but that sorrels, bays, roans and other colours also exist; excessive white markings are undesirable.

Percheron or Noriker: What Is the Difference?

The Percheron is generally taller and more uniform in colour than the Noriker. The Salzburg studbook of origin gives an ideal height of 156–164 cm for Noriker mares and 160–165 cm for mature stallions, whereas a Percheron can reach 185 cm. The Noriker is known for its wide range of colours, from blacks and bays to leopard-spotted tigers and Mohrenkopf roans, while a French Percheron may only be grey or black. The French standard looks for ample, active gaits in the Percheron and a brilliant, extended trot in the Diligencier type; the Salzburg studbook likewise expects an energetic, elastic trot from the Noriker, so the difference between the breeds lies less in the trot than in size and colour.

Temperament: Calm, Docile and Willing

The Percheron is known as a calm horse that is easy to work with. The SHPF describes it as docile, calm and easy to use thanks to its composure, as well as robust, courageous and valued for its generosity; the standard speaks of its "generous temperament". The American association describes it as proud, alert, intelligent and a willing worker, and expects a good horse to show marked tractability. The SHPF breeding programme explicitly lists docile horses with an easy character as a breeding goal. Even so, every horse is an individual, and upbringing and schooling shape behaviour as much as breed does.

Is the Percheron Suitable for Beginners and Children?

A Percheron can suit a beginner, but only conditionally. A calm, well-schooled horse and an experienced instructor are essential, because an animal that may weigh more than a tonne has a very different strength from a light riding horse when being led, tied up or put to a vehicle. For children the Percheron is suitable mainly under the direct supervision of an adult who knows the horse. Before owning one alone, a beginner is better off gaining experience at a yard with qualified staff.

Uses: Driving, Work, Riding and More

The Percheron is a versatile draught horse. According to the French Academy of Agriculture its main outlets are driving for work, sport and leisure, riding, and also meat. A 2020 survey by the French working-equine society SFET of 500 users, covering draught horses of all breeds, found that draught horses of all breeds were used 35% in market gardening, 27% in vineyards and 15% in forestry. The SHPF reports that Percherons have returned to towns, where they carry passengers, maintain green spaces and collect waste, and the American association points out that in small woodlot logging they do not need wide roads and spare the young trees.

Under saddle the Percheron is less common but capable: the American association says it can be ridden and that some have made fine jumpers, and the SHPF breeding programme includes leisure tests for riding, driving and pack work. A notable example is the Chevalait farm in Neuville-près-Sées, which according to the Academy keeps 200 Percherons (the largest herd of the breed in Europe), around a hundred of them mares kept for milk production.

Feeding: A Big Horse, but a Thrifty One

Forage is the basis of a Percheron's diet. The DEFRA Code of Practice for the welfare of horses recommends almost constant access to forage such as grass, hay or haylage during non-exercise hours, and continuous access to clean, fresh water. The code foresees vitamin and mineral supplements when grazing is inadequate, and concentrates only in the amount needed for the work done or any required weight gain. The American association expects a good Percheron to be an "easy keeper", so body condition should be monitored regularly and the ration adjusted to the individual horse's workload.

Exercise, Turnout and Equine Company

A Percheron needs daily movement and the company of other horses. DEFRA stresses that horses are herd animals that should be able to socialise with their own species and that isolation can have a negative psychological impact. Daily turnout lets them graze and socialise and may reduce the risk of abnormal behaviours such as crib-biting or weaving. Regular, moderate work in harness or under saddle is better for a horse this size than long periods standing in a stable.

Grooming: Hooves, Teeth and Coat

Caring for a Percheron is simple but physically more demanding because of its size. Since the French standard looks for legs with little feather, cleaning the lower legs is easier than in heavily feathered breeds; the hooves should be checked and picked out daily. The DEFRA code says hooves should be trimmed and/or re-shod as advised by the farrier, usually every 4 to 8 weeks, and teeth inspected by a vet or qualified equine dental technician at least once a year. A vaccination and parasite-control programme is best agreed with a vet; for parasites the code mentions faecal worm egg counts and wormers only when necessary. A horse this big needs a roomy, solid stable and strong enough tack.

Health and Lifespan

No breed-specific lifespan estimate has been published for the Percheron; the Merck Veterinary Manual gives 25 to 30 years for horses in general, depending on health, care and size. An important topic is type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM1), an inherited muscle disease caused by a mutation in the GYS1 gene, which is dominantly inherited and can be detected with a genetic test. The manual notes that it is frequently seen in draught horses and that affected horses can be managed with low-glucose diets and regular low-intensity exercise. In a study of selected North American and European breeds the mutation was found in 11 breeds, and Percherons had the highest mutant allele frequency among them.

In a cross-sectional endoscopic study of 183 competition draught horses (Belgians, Percherons and Clydesdales) at the 2005 Michigan Great Lakes Draft Horse Show, idiopathic left laryngeal hemiplegia (laryngeal paralysis) was found in 31% of the Percherons examined; in Percherons and Belgians, greater height was associated with a higher risk. The authors note that prevalence is higher in competition horses than in previously studied groups, so the figure need not apply to the whole population. In grey horses generally, the grey coat, caused by a duplication in the STX17 gene, is associated with a high incidence of melanoma. None of these findings means that every Percheron is affected; an individual horse's genetic status can be established with a test.

Who the Percheron Suits – and Who It Suits Less

The Percheron is a good choice for driving enthusiasts, small farms, vineyards and woodland work, and for calm leisure riders who want a strong, docile horse and can provide a roomy, solid stable, daily turnout and the company of other horses. It suits less well someone looking for a light sport horse for demanding dressage, or someone without the space, equipment or experience for an animal that may weigh over a tonne. Pedigree and schooling vary from horse to horse, and PSSM1 status can be established with a genetic test on blood or hair. Keeping records of vaccinations, farrier visits, dental checks and body condition is useful.

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