Origin
France
Ursprünge der Rasse
The Norman Cob is descended from the small horses known as bidets, which lived in Brittany and Normandy from before the time of the Roman Empire. These hard, enduring little horses came out of Asia with the Celts and then passed through Russia, bringing with them the genes of the Mongolian Horse. The Romans crossed the bidet with the heavy pack mares that serviced their legions, to produce a strong, round-buttocked utility horse, ancestor of the modern Norman Cob.
By the 10th century, Normandy had become established as one of the world´s best horse breeding areas. In particular, the Norman breeders were famed for a war horse, that would now be considered as a draft type.
By the 16th and 17th centuries, this horse had become lighter as a result of crosses with Barb and Arabian horses and in the 19th century there were more crosses with the Norfolk Roadster and the English Thoroughbred, and with half-bred English „hunter" stallions. This process led to the development of the Anglo-Norman, which then developed into the Selle Francais.
The Norman Cob, in common with all the French breeds, owes much of its development to the French royal studs that were established in the 18th century to meet the seemingly unending demand for big numbers of horses for military purposes. Today, the principal establishments keeping Norman Cobs are the National Studs of Le Pin and Saint Lô.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a distinction was being made between the Norman horses of riding type suitable as cavalry remounts, and those of less quality that could be used in light draft. At Saint Lô and Le Pin it became the practice to dock the tails of the light draft horses. Soon, the animals were being called cobs and were recognized as a breed in their own right. The name cob came after the dual-purpose English cob that they so much resembled.
Even though Norman Cob stallions are to be found at the National studs, especially at Saint Lô, no studbook is kept, although breeding is documented and in some areas performance testing of young stock is carried out.
The Norman Cob is not a true heavy breed, but a warmblood lacking the massive proportions of the heavy draft horse.
Description
- Head:
heavy - Conformation:
-powerful and stocky frame but without the massiveness of the true heavy breeds
-strong shoulders, producing a noticeably free action
-tail set high in the quarters
-short legs, thickly muscled in the second thighs
-proportionate hocks well set on the hind legs, cannons and shanks both short, prominent joints
-hooves of medium-sized and sound, light feathering on the heels - Average height:
15.3 to 16.2 h.h. - Colour:
usually chestnut, although there are also bays and the occasional red-roan - Temperament:
docile, energetic, lively - Today:
having exceptional gaits, the Norman Cob is especially adapted to carriage work, a task for which it is in demand, not only to work the fields but for leisure and harness. The Cob is also an appreciated meat breed.
