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[ INDEX ] Equine Type: Horse Breed: Desert Norman (DN) [ PREV ] [ NEXT ]
It all started with the original 'cavalry' Percheron:
Today, Percherons are known for their massive, tall, heavy build that makes them outstanding draft horses for heavy work. However, this wasn't always the case.
Back in Medieval times, Percherons were lighter and served as cavalry horses for knights. They were able to charge forward while carrying a rider in full armor, all while wearing armor themselves, a feat that was possible thanks to their strength.
When battle tactics changed and called for speedier and more agile horses, the Percherons were deemed too heavy. Breeders shifted their breeding goal, and focused on breeding them for their strength and ability to serve as draft horses. Several centuries of careful breeding generated the Percheron that we know today.
The birth of the Desert Norman:
The original Percheron might have gone extinct from the world, but not from everyone's heart. It was this passion to recreate the lost, lighter Percheron that led a woman named Peggy Stockbridge to cross Percherons with Arabians. The aim was, and still is, to create a versatile breed that combines the strength and calmness of the Percheron with the lightness and intelligence of the Arabian.
In the year 2000, Peggy founded the Desert Norman Horse Registry. The breed was named 'Desert'--after the Arabian blood that traces its origins to the deserts of the Middle East--and 'Norman'--after the Percheron that originated in France.
Today, Desert Normans serve as horses for riding, including for athletic disciplines like show-jumping and dressage.
Breeding:
Desert Normans always have between 25% to 75% Percheron blood, with the remaining percent being Arabian blood. Therefore, in Horse Isle, Desert Normans can only be crossed with each other but not with Percherons or Arabians.
Conformation:
Desert Normans vary in their conformation, with some having a stronger Arabian influence while others look more similar to their Percheron parent. The desired conformation is a mixture of the two, with more Arabian influence in the head, croup, and, to some extent, neck, but more Percheron influence in the rest of the body, particularly in the girth and legs.
Ideally, the head is light, with a slightly concave profile and large eyes. The neck is arched and tapers toward the head with a clear throat latch. The withers are slightly prominent although still on the smooth side. The back is short and straight, and the croup is long and rounded, slightly flat, and lower than the withers.
Overall, the body is broad and muscular, including in the neck, showing the influence of the Perchron on the Desert Norman. Equally, the girth is deep, and the legs are thick, with broad hooves and joints.
The hair of the mane and tail is either straight or wavy, and the mane is usually short or medium in length. The legs are either clear from feathering or have light feathering.
Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Desert Normans in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases,
Speed: 15.0-16.7, 15.9 (0.3), 0.07.
Sprint: 49-64, 56 (4), 0.69.
Accel: 0.84-1.07, 0.97 (0.05), 0.01.
Decel: 0.92-1.11, 1.01 (0.04), 0.01.
Jump: 5.11-5.41, 5.25 (0.07), 0.01.
Pull: 2.68-3.56, 3.10 (0.2), 0.04.
Turning: 45.60-61.53, 52.88 (3.46), 0.68.
Reverse: 2.4-3.0, 2.7 (0.1), 0.02.
Stamina: 45.14-51.62, 48.23 (1.34), 0.26.
Reaction: 0.74-0.82, 0.78 (0.02), 0.00.
Coats & Height:
Colors: grey, black, dark-bay (termed 'brown' in Horse Isle,) and more rarely, dominant-black.
Additionals: sooty, dark mane & tail. The coat is always solid, and while white markings are allowed, they must be minimal, with too loud of markings being undesirable.
Breeding notes: pick your foundation (Arabian/Percheron) stock carefully. Avoid horses who have loud markings or are of any coats not mentioned above, including bay or chestnut.
Height: 15hh to 17.1hh
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