The Norman Cob (also known as 'French Cob') is a light-draft breed that originated in France, and is known for its athleticism and iconic, squarish conformation. It is named after the region of Normandy, where it originated.

Origins:
In the 19th century, French breeders in Normandy crossed Thoroughbreds with Norfolk Trotters (a now-extinct breed) to create carriage horses, which became known as Norman Coach Horses. They served as the basis for the development of the Norman Cob at the beginning of the 20th century.

Bred to serve as a saddle and farm horse, the Norman Cob was developed into a light-draft breed who has agile gaits, an energetic temper, and the necessary strength for light fieldwork. Eventually, it was split into two subtypes: the saddle type, which doesn't exist today, and the farm type, which became known as Norman Cob.

The Norman Cob and the Selle Francais:
Following World War II, breeders were at loss regarding how to promote the Norman Cob. Back at the time, many draft breeders started to breed their horses for their size and promote them for their meat. The breeders of Norman Cobs, however, took a different approach.

Under the leadership of Monsieur de Laurens de Saint-Martin, they crossed Norman Cob mares with Thoroughbred stallions. The result of these crossings was a talented sport breed called Selle Francais (see the 'Selle Francais' for more info).

In 1950, the Norman Cob was officially recognized as a distinct breed, and its studbook was created. However, because Norman Cobs served primarily as breeding stock to breed Selle Francais horses, many of them were crossed to Thoroughbreds. As such, the numbers of purebred Norman Cobs decreased over the next couple of decades.

The Norman Cob today:
In 1995, the Norman Cob was promoted as an all-around light draft, who can perform well in driving and harness events. This attracted new attention to this breed, and his numbers remained stable since then.

Today, Norman Cobs are regarded as all-around horses, and are used for both riding and driving. They are bred for their natural athleticism which resembles that of a warmblood more than that of a light-draft. They have an energetic temper, light gaits, and the strength required for pulling a cart, all of which allow them to excel in harness races and driving disciplines.

Conformation:
Norman Cobs have a characteristic conformation that is often described as "squarish".

The muzzle is often squarish compared to muzzles seen in other breeds, the profile is straight or convex, the ears are usually small, the neck is thick and is often held relatively high, the withers are prominent, the back is short and adds to the squarish frame of the horse, the croup is double and sloping, the chest is deep, the legs are thick and sturdy, and the hooves are large and solid. While the overall build of the Norman Cob is lighter and taller than that of other light draft breeds, it is still heavier and more compact than the typical warmbloods.

The mane and tail are often cut short, but when they grow long they are often wavy. The legs have light feathering, which can vary from little fetlocks to light feathering behind the cannon and around the coronet.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Norman Cobs in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases, horses might have metrics outside of the range. Breeders can produce horses that are beyond this range.

Speed: 15.9-17.1, 16.5 (0.3), 0.05.
Sprint: 55-67, 61 (3), 0.55.

Accel: 0.94-1.11, 1.02 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 1.04-1.18, 1.09 (0.03), 0.01.

Jump: 4.96-5.22, 5.10 (0.06), 0.01.
Pull: 3.30-3.88, 3.56 (0.13), 0.03.

Turning: 53.87-67.11, 60.06 (2.98), 0.58.
Reverse: 2.6-3.3, 2.8 (0.2), 0.03.

Stamina: 53.92-59.02, 55.99 (0.94), 0.18.
Reaction: 0.81-0.89, 0.85 (0.02), 0.00.

Coats & Height:
Colors: bay, black, brown, and chestnut.
Gray note: while gray exists in this breed, it is not accepted for registration, and therefore doesn't exist among Norman Cobs in Horse Isle.

Additionals: flaxen, sooty. The coat is solid, and while white markings are common, stockings and blazes are not characteristic of this breed.
Mealy note: while there are Norman Cobs who are described as "mealy black", their coat is not truly mealy (pangare), but simply seal brown.

Height: 15.2hh to 16.3hh.