[Lupita]

Does anyone OWN a gypsy vanner horse?
Have you ridden one?
Seen one in person?
Have any stories to share?

I've seen an ad for one for sale and fell in love with it...but don't know much about the breed except from what I see online, don't know anyone who has had personal experience with them.

here's a link to see them


http://www.gypsyvannerhorse.com/content.html

[cassidy]

we had a post similar to this the other day by matty y not take a look i posted lots of ites an info ill bring it back up so you can read through it ok

[cassidy]

there read mattys post about irish cobs its about them british drums an gypsy vanners

[cassidy]

About Gypsy Vanner Horses

Personality and equitation


Gypsy horses have been called "golden retrievers with hooves." Their natural disposition is to be friendly, calm, and gentle. As you can see from the photograph to the right, my daughter decided to rest on top of one of our horses while it was lying down in a paddock. The animal simply would not stand up until she was safely out of the way! And if you click on the image, you can view other examples of how "easy" these creatures are.

Gypsy Vanner horses excel at virtually every equestrian activity, including driving, dressage, and both English- and Western-style riding. They can even jump tolerably well — an amazing feat for a big-boned animal that was originally bred to pull heavy caravan wagons!

As of 2004, the United States Dressage Federation now officially recognizes Gypsy Vanners as an accepted dressage horse and list them in their All Breeds program.

It is this mix of beauty, versatility, and temperament that makes Gypsy horses such appealing animals and an ideal choice as a family horse for riders young and old alike, and of all skill levels. Our horses are available for sale...if you're interested in owning one of these beautiful animals, don't hesitate to contact us.

What to look for in a Gypsy horse

Our fine foals
[Click to enlarge]


The primary characteristic of a true Gypsy horse is its conformation. Traditionally, they are stocky, sturdy creatures with heavy bones and a very compact body type, ranging in size from 13 to 15 hands. They have a well-sloped shoulder and rounded croup along with a short-coupled back. A good Gypsy horse will have a nice, big barrel chest. They are flat-kneed as well. And, of course, they have abundant, gorgeous feather around their lower legs; there should be sufficient hair to entirely cover the front of the hoof. The mane and tail should be long and flowing.

If conformation is what determines a good Gypsy horse, then it is coloring and markings that make the animal truly beautiful. Many of these animals have distinctive piebald or skewbald markings on their coat that are as individual as fingerprints.

History of Gypsy horses

For decades, Rom breeders have relied on these horses to pull their family caravans, with all their belongings, up and down the rural country lanes of England and Ireland. These were true work horses, not just family pets, so they had to be strong, sensible, and easily trained.

Their intelligence and loyalty were such that nomadic Romany families used them as "guard dogs" in their encampments — the animals would snort in warning when they sensed an intruder or possible danger. The horses also had to be docile enough so that at the end of a day's work, they could be used to teach Gypsy children how to ride.

The colorful markings of these horses are like a brand — they are so distinctive among individual horses that it's easy to tell them apart. As a result, their coloring tended to discourage theft.

Many Romany families, even those who have given up the itinerant lifestyle of bygone days, continue to breed Gypsy horses as part of their cultural tradition.

Within the United States, there are plans underway to create a registry of true, high-quality Gypsy horses who have been imported and bred along accepted family lines. For more information, see our links page. However, in some respects, the only authentic "registry" of the breed as such exists not in paper records, but in the collective memory of the Romany families who breed and raise the horses. They maintain an astonishingly detailed oral history of breed type and bloodlines that is actually much older and more accurate than most conventional paper-based registries.

In other words, the most reliable way of obtaining authentic Gypsy horses is to buy them directly from a trustworthy provider, such as one of the Romany families in the U.K. who have been breeding them for generations. At Blarney Stone Acres, that is how we obtained our breeding stock of mares.

The "Romany" horse —
a word on nomenclature

Overheard at a horse show featuring Gypsy horses: "Look, mommy — that horse has bellbottoms!"
Thanks to the extensive media work that Dennis Thompson and the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society have done to promote and establish a professional registry for this distinctive breed, Romany or Gypsy horses are known officially as "Gypsy Vanner Horses" in the United States. Nevertheless, for the sake of simplicity, throughout the site we frequently refer to this breed of horse by its most common name, which is "Gypsy horse."

Among the Romany folk in the U.K. who breed and raise horses, the term "Gypsy" is considered derogatory. The word means "Egyptian," since it was once believed that long ago the ancestors of modern-day Romany (or Romani) families had migrated from Egypt; in actuality, however, their ancestors were a group of nomadic people who left India over 1,000 years ago.

And when it comes to their horses, even the most casual observer cannot fail to notice some of the characteristics that make these animals so distinctive: the remarkable beauty of the horses, their coloring, the long mane and tale, and the thick feathering around the feet.

The Gypsies of the United Kingdom mixed many different horse breeds, including some types of draft horses, to create the animal that has come to be known in North America as the "Gypsy Vanner." Originally, these mixed-breed animals were prized for their strength and the sturdiness necessary for them to pull the large, heavy wagons in which many itinerant Romany people lived. Yet they had to be docile enough, too, to fit comfortably and safely into the relaxed yet close-knit family-oriented lifestyle of the Gypsies. Small children often played and crawled around these horses after a long day of traveling; and so it was absolutely critical that their horses not be skittish by nature or easily spooked. Thus it came about that, besides their beauty, the strength, intelligence, and placid nature that are the hallmark of this particular breed of horse were perfectly suited to the Gypsy way of life, and those characteristics continue to be favored in the breeding of this line.

In the U.K, there is little in the way of a formal breeding standard or common nomenclature for so-called Vanners. Among the Gypsy people, the preferred term for this breed is "Romany horse," reflecting the heritage of the animal. Commonly, they are known as "black and white cobs" or "colored" horses. There are many other names for these horses, but these names often reflect the differences in the quality and breeding. Most Gypsy men think of them simply as horses. Just as you would not ask a Catholic priest if he has a Catholic Bible, you would not ask a Gypsy, "Do you have any Gypsy horses?" Most of these animals are considered to be trade horses. The differences in their characteristics are a function of the different uses for which they are bred, whether for riding or pulling or show.

The very best of the Gypsy horses have been bred Gypsy to Gypsy for generations to create the look of the horse that we see today. Over time, as more and more Gypsies abandoned their itinerant lifestyle and settled down in one area, there was less and less need for such large, heavy horses to pull the huge "living" wagons of the olden times. Nowadays, many Gypsies may still own a living wagon (mainly used for family get-togethers and fairs); but more commonly, they will use a dray, which is a smaller lightweight cart, for day-to-day business.

Similarly, the Gypsy horse has changed over time, giving it the look that it has today. Though still strong and sturdy, it is also smaller. More importantly, one of the most prized characteristics (especially among the more well-to-do traders) is its beauty.

Through generations, the best of the Gypsy breeders have created this vision of strength, versatility, and beauty in their horses that we admire today. Thus, over time, what started out as a "mongrel" breed has been transformed into a pedigree breed; and the very best of these horses are now known as Vanners. Many people (Gypsies included) may disagree about the use of the word Vanner. But in North America, it has come to define the essential difference that sets this breed apart from other "Gypsy" horses. Regardless of one's view, the word Vanner denotes a horse of true quality. They are the most elite of the Gypsy man's horse, achieved through decades of precise breeding, to produce an animal that is much different from the "practical" horse of long ago. Many horses are Gypsy horses, but only the best of the breed can be called a Gypsy Vanner.

At Blarney Stone Acres and Bayhaven, our horses spring from lines that have been bred Gypsy to Gypsy for decades by private families in the U.K. You will not find horses of comparable quality just anywhere. Horses this good are hard to come by. These "blood" horses have been carefully selected and bred over time for generations. Their lines are from old traditional family lines, which are often sought out by other Gypsy breeders themselves. With the help of some of the best breeders in England, we are able to make the very best of this breed available to horse lovers in the United States.

We are very proud of our horses; and in the end, their quality speaks for itself.

[ILoveRedRanger!]

there was a gv at the barn i work at we sold her but she was beautiful her name was gypsy and she was a gental giant!

[shell]

I looked into buying one in utero, but decided against it. I like the look of them a lot and would not pass one up if I had the chance to buy one at a reasonable price, but they are WAY too expensive for me right now.

[buggywhipp]

I've only seen pics of them. They are beautiful horses.

[Lou3]

over here we call them Common Coloured Cobs, i have ridden about a hundred, they arent uncommon. I definately say read the thread on Irish cobs, the breed gypsey vanner didnt even exist until someone took one to america and called it that. You gotta be really gullible to fall for this one, it bugs the heck outta me that people can take what is a very ordinary horse, give it a fancy name and make a lot of money on it just because people in a certain place have never seen one and dont know how ordinary they are. The gyspey vanner is an insult to the intelligence of american people. The same horse you would pay $15000 for in the UK would barely make $1000. And thats if the owner was really lucky and had put in a LOT of work schooling, most of the horses imported are bought for $500 from people who keep them tethered at the side of the road.
Lou

[Lou3]

Also wanted to add that i owned a pony once who was ACTUALLY bred by REAL gypseys and therefore had much more claim to the title "gypsey vanner" than any horse that is currently officially called that.
As you can see from the pic, she was no coloured cob - a cob yes but no markings, and not nearly the feather the american "gypsey vanners" have.


Lou

[Lou3]

oh and she was no calm laid back creature like the american sites claim them to be either. She was the craziest pony i ever rode, and to be perfectly honest the vast majority of ponies bred by actual gypseys are like that. They do still exist in britain and they sell all their ponies through the auction ring usually, certainly dont ship them off to america.
Lou