The Percheron is a draft horse that originated in the Huisne river valley, part of the former Perche province in France from which the breed takes its name. Usually gray or black, Percherons are well muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Ancestors of the breed were present in Huisne by the 17th century, and were originally bred to be war horses. Over time, they were used for farm work, pulling stage coaches, and hauling heavy goods. The first purebred Percheron stud book was created in France in 1883. In the late 19th century, thousands of Percherons were shipped from France to the US, but after World War I began, some were shipped back to France to help in the fighting. In 1918 breeding of Percherons began in Great Britain and the British Percheron Horse Society was formed. The current US Percheron registry was created in 1934. Their numbers declined substantially after World War II, but later rebounded. The breed is still used today for riding, for pulling carriages and for heavier draft work. They have been crossed with light horse breeds to produce horses for a wide range of uses.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percheron
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
306:
Roman Herculian guard Adrian of Nicomedia, who had converted to Christianity after being impressed with the faith of Christians that he had been torturing, was martyred. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_and_Natalia_of_Nicomedia
1461:
Wars of the Roses in England: Lancastrian King Henry VI was deposed by his Yorkist cousin, who then became King Edward IV. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_IV_of_England
1769:
French astronomer Charles Messier first noted the Orion Nebula, a bright nebula situated south of Orion's Belt, later cataloguing it as Messier 42 in his list of Messier objects. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula
1941:
Second World War: British Commandos successfully executed Operation Claymore on the Lofoten Islands of Norway. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Claymore
2009:
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity regarding his actions during the War in Darfur. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_al-Bashir
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
prophylactic: 1. A medicine which preserves or defends against disease; a preventive. 2. (US) Specifically, a prophylactic condom. 3. (figuratively) Any device or mechanism intended to prevent harmful consequences. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prophylactic
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
How far should one accept the rules of the society in which one lives? To put it another way: at what point does conformity become corruption? Only by answering such questions does the conscience truly define itself. --Kenneth Tynan https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kenneth_Tynan