The Spanish Norman is a breed which is created by crossing a Percheron with an Andalusian or a Lusitano.

The original knight's horse:
Percheron horses were not always as massive as they are today. Back in the Middle Ages, Percherons were light but strong, and served as war horses. They were popular in cavalries, being able to charge forward while carrying a knight in full, heavy armor.

That changed when war tactics called for lighter, more agile horses. Percherons were perceived to be too heavy for the task, and started serving as farm horses. They were bred to be larger, heavier, and stronger, with speed and agility taking the back seat. Eventually, the original lighter and swifter Percherons disappeared completely.

Recreating the horse that fits a knight:
During the 1990s, breeders sought to recreate the old, medieval warhorse. Using the Percheron as a starting point was the way to go, given the conformation and history of this breed.

In order to make the Percheron lighter, breeders crossed it with the Andalusian. That was a logical choice, given the Andalusian's light yet sturdy conformation and given that both breeds descended from Oriental Barb horses and were therefore genetically linked. This new crossbred was called "Spanish Norman."

A versatile "war" horse:
Spanish Normans combine the strength and temperament of the Percheron with the swiftness and agility of the Andalusian.

Spanish Normans have the qualities and disposition of the medieval warhorse, which is why they are mainly used for re-enactment of medieval tournaments and fights. That said, they are versatile horses who are also capable of other disciplines.

Breeding:
Spanish Normans are created when an Andalusian or a Lusitano stallion is crossed with a Percheron mare. The British registry also accepts crosses between Percheron stallions to Andalusian mares as long as the mare is at least 15.3hh tall.

Spanish Normans must have between 25% to 75% Andalusian/Lusitano blood, with the remaining percent being Percheron blood. Therefore, in Horse Isle, Spanish Normans can only be crossed with each other rather than with Andalusians, Lusitanos, or Percherons.

Conformation:
Spanish Normans have muscular and relatively large bodies, far heavier than the Andalusian, but not as large or heavy as today's Percheron.

The head is large with a deep jaw and a straight or convex profile, tapering to a muzzle which can be narrow. The neck is muscular, arched, and high-set, connecting to low withers. The back is short, and the hindquarters are muscular. The body is wide and muscular, the legs are sturdy with dense boning, and the hooves are large.

The mane and tail can grow long and thick and be wavy, and the legs can have light feathering on them.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Spanish Normans 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: 15.5-16.9, 16.2 (0.3), 0.06.
Sprint: 57-69, 63 (2), 0.49.

Accel: 0.97-1.12, 1.05 (0.03), 0.01.
Decel: 1.00-1.15, 1.08 (0.04), 0.01.

Jump: 4.94-5.33, 5.13 (0.07), 0.01.
Pull: 3.06-4.07, 3.49 (0.19), 0.04.

Turning: 54.53-66.07, 61.04 (2.61), 0.51.
Reverse: 2.7-3.2, 3.0 (0.1), 0.02.

Stamina: 51.42-58.05, 54.55 (1.36), 0.27.
Reaction: 0.75-0.86, 0.81 (0.02), 0.00.

Coats & Height:
Colors: bay, black, brown, chestnut, gray, cream-dilutes, pearl, dun, and champagne.

Additionals: flaxen, linebacked, sooty, dark mane & tail. The coat is always solid, and although markings can be found on the face and legs they are kept to a minimum.

Height: 15.3hh to 18hh.