BREEDERS
If you are a Desert Norman breeder and wish to list your name and contact info on this page, e-mail your info (with your logo, photos and copy if you wish) to desertnorman@cogeco.ca. There is no charge for this service.
If you are interested in becoming a breeder, read the following paragraph before selecting your stallion and mare.
BREEDING YOUR OWN
In breeding the Desert Norman horse, the preference of the Registry is to breed Arab stallions to Percheron mares to produce offspring with as much height as possible. Those wanting a more cob-sized horse may want to breed the other way around. However, it’s possible that a draft sire covering an Arab mare could produce a foal large enough to cause the mare difficulty during delivery.
Breeders are advised to choose Arab stallions with excellent conformation and disposition. Taller stallions (15.2 hands or more) with good bone are preferred. Polish Arabians for example, are known for their size and substance. When choosing a stallion, remember that temperament is as important as conformation. Look for a stallion who is gentle and willing, with a curiosity and alertness that speaks to his intelligence. No amount of good looks and athleticism can overcome a difficult personality, and the Desert Norman is known for its calm and gentle nature. Ideally, if you can find a stallion who has been shown successfully in performance classes, you’re getting proven athletic ability and temperament.
Breeders should choose Percheron mares who are lighter in bone for the breed, and avoid the very heavy work type. Her conformation should be very good, and in proportion to her height. A nice, refined head is highly encouraged, and a kind, gentle temperament essential. She should move freely and rhythmically from a well laid back, sloping shoulder. Hind legs should be as straight as possible, avoiding the sickle-hocked tendencies of the breed.
Best of luck, and send us your baby pictures!
INTERVIEW WITH A VISIONARY BREEDER
Linda Schoonhoven, Colorado rancher and innovative horse breeder, laughs to hear herself called the world’s largest breeder of Desert Normans.
“I just loved them,” she said. “The two breeds just meshed. They complemented each other so well.”
Over a period of 25 years, she bred about 20 arab-Percheron crosses, beginning simply as an admirer of both these seemingly disparate breeds, which nevertheless share a common ancestry.
She loved the warmblood look the cross produced. The arab side contributed self-carriage, refinement, and endurance, while the Percherons brought size, strength and a movement Linda admired for its grace and elegance.
The cross, like its two founding breeds, also had extremely tough feet and sound legs.
“And they had personality coming out their ears. They are real people horses. They like their people.”
But at first other horse folk thought her breeding program a little odd.
“There was some resistance. People just weren’t sure what I was up to…I guess I was just a little ahead of my time.”
Although she stopped breeding Desert Normans several years ago when ranch work got too busy, she has seen the interest in the new breed increase as some of her horses have made a name for themselves, including the magnificent Made in the Shade, featured on the DN website’s home page.
Linda advises people interested in breeding this cross to buy the best stock they can afford.
“And it’s all in the feet, the legs, and the disposition. Disposition first but feet and legs are right up there.”
“It’s hard to go wrong with a Percheron and a good working arab.”
Ms. Schoonhoven doesn’t agree however, with people who say the Percheron calms down the arab. Arabs are already steady, sensible horses, she says. Her stallion, Sakkara el Din, could work cows, carry fence-mending tools around the ranch, breed a mare, and do a dressage test all in the same day. Arabs are certainly hot blooded, she said.
“But you can be hot and still be manageable.”
Linda started by buying a registered Percheron mare over the phone after viewing a few photos.
“I had buyer’s remorse until she showed up in the driveway, and then I thought, ‘Wow’.
The mare, Hammon Candy, was the first of five Percheron mares acquired by Linda, who also bought mares of the Black Hollow and WR breeding lines.
At 16 hands, the elegant Hammon Candy produced horses under 15 hands, who nevertheless went on to become very successful mounts for junior riders. The other mares ranged between 16.1 and 16.3 hands, whose offspring were of similar size.
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