The Gypsy Vanner Horse - A Flash of Magic by Many Names

The Gypsy Vanner Horse® is a registered trademark and brand name given to the Gypsy Cob for the promotion of the horse by the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society. It is a very flashy and colorful horse with full mane, full tail and lots of feather that has been described as a "people-sized drafter". It is a horse that has the heavy boning and the broad, compact body of a draft horse, but on a smaller scale than the larger draft breeds in its ancestry.

They are also known as Gypsy Horses, Coloured Horses or Irish Tinkers. In the United States, it is known as a Gypsy Cob or Gypsy Vanner; and in its homelands of England and Ireland, it is known simply as a “cob” or “proper cob”. However, the Gypsy Vanner differs from both the Cob and the Tinker in that it is much more selectively bred, and generally a higher quality of horse. A related type is the Drum Horse, which is not a Vanner, but which is generally a cross between a Gypsy Cob and either a Shire or a Clydesdale. All registries for this breed, whether they call the breed a Vanner, Cob, or just Gypsy Horse, have the same visual standards, but the wording will vary.

The Gypsy Vanner was bred by the gypsy travelers of Ireland and Great Britain who had the desire to create the perfect caravan horse for pulling their colorful covered vardos that carried the families and their belongings in a fancy fashion. In fact, the word "Vanner" in the English Chambers dictionary is defined as "a horse suitable to pull a caravan." “It’s a proper Vanner” is a common Gypsy comment when seeing an admired horse. They designed the breed to be half black and half white; and they wanted them to have a "WOW" factor so that families could have competitions on whose stallion was the finest. While most Gypsies no longer live in vardos, they still keep and breed the Vanner as a symbol of status and a source of pride among the Romany Gypsies.

Since the Gypsies have kept little to no written records over the last century, determining the breeds used to create the Vanner had to come from verbal discussions with many of the older Gypsy men throughout Europe. In theory, the Gypsies developed the Vanner from a combination of British, Welsh and Irish breeds including the Clydesdale, Shire, Friesian, Dales pony, Highland Pony and the Fells Pony, all which have the wonderfully docile and kind personality of the traditional cold-blooded draft horse. But the ancestry may include other breeds, even non-drafts. The Romany Grai, another Gypsy-bred horse which has a lighter frame, is reputed to have Fells Pony ancestors. The Fells Pony is smaller and less heavily built than the Dales Pony, which it is closely related to. But it is the extent of other breeds in the pedigree that separates the Gypsy Horse from other lighter Gypsy-bred horses, such as the Romany Grai and the horses the Gypsies call “trotters”.

The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society (GVHS) is the registry studbook for the breed and is the first in the world for the Gypsy Horse. It was originally founded by Dennis and Cindy Thompson in 1996, but is now run by a Board of Directors. The GVHS remains quality based, culturally sensitive and socially responsible to one of the least understood societies, the Romany Gypsy. The breed standards were approved in detail by a Gypsy who has maintained the same genetics for over 56 years. He has raised several of the most famous sires and dams of the breed and was instrumental in choosing the name Gypsy Vanner Horse® for his breed. His name is Fred Walker, "King of the Coloured Horses." The registry is currently open to any horse that meets the seven points of conformation as described on the GVHS website. The Gypsy Horse is rapidly gaining recognition as a breed. In 2004, it was accepted by the United States Dressage Foundation All Breeds Program.

These horses can now be found in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France and a few other countries. There are approximately 9,000-10,000 Gypsy Horses in the United Kingdom, but only around 20% of those are the selectively bred Gypsy Vanner; and of the 1700 Gypsy Horses in the United States, only about 950 of those are Gypsy Vanners.

Since they were created for pulling wagons, they excel at being driven, but they are also being used in dressage, Western riding, hunt seat, low jumping, and have even been used on occasion for cutting cattle. Since the rider is relatively close to the ground mounting is easier, so pleasure riding by children is common. Thus, while not a high performance horse with respect to speed or agility, he makes a very stable all-around mount well suited to most equestrian sports.

The Gypsy Vanner, or Gypsy Cobb horse as it is sometimes referred to, has a build that is powerful and compact with a short neck. The horse should have a short back and a very well rounded hindquarter with a crease down the center of the hindquarter that is called "Apple Butt." It is the short neck and back that give the animal the power to pull the vardos. The breed is known for an abundance of hair and feather, and should also have a very wide, thick tail that is not set too high, and that may eventually drag on the ground. The hair is straight and silky, with some wave or curl being acceptable, but not kinky. Double manes are common, but not required. The profuse abundance of mane, tail and feather give this animal a magical, mystical look, true to the Gypsy heritage and traditions.

The Gypsy Vanner Horse® is not a color breed, it is a breed based on conformation and body type. All colors, markings and patterns found in the genome of the horse are acceptable, including two variations of pinto coloring and lemon. The more white a horse has, the more fancy and valuable the horse is. According to the British Gypsy heritage of the breed, the names of the four color categories and patterns are a bit different from those of most horses and are less restrictive in their descriptions.

The most common color patterns are Piebald and Skewbald. Piebald is a black and white horse, while Skewbald covers three possible combinations of red and white; brown and white; and also tri-color, such as a bay or buckskin with white. "Odd Coloured" is the term used for any other color not defined by Piebald or Skewbald and a Blagdon is a solid colored horse with white splashed up from underneath.

The Gypsy Vanner ranges anywhere from 12.2 to 16 hands with the average around 14.3 hands; but there is no height limit at either end of the spectrum and all sizes are equally acceptable and judged the same in shows. At one time there were three height classifications that you may still run across. A Mini Gypsy is under 14 hands; 14 hands to 15.2 hands is the Classic Gypsy; and any horse over 15.2 hands was referred to as a Grand Gypsy. But in 2006 the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society changed this classification, so all sizes are now just called Gypsy Vanner. They usually weigh between 1,100 to 1,700 pounds.

Because the Gypsy Horse lived and worked closely with the entire Gypsy family, their lifestyle could not tolerate animals that may endanger lives or property, therefore any ill-tempered horse was removed immediately. The result of culling for disposition has led to the Gypsy Horse being extremely gentle and one of the most docile horses in the world. Gypsy children are often found crawling over and around the Gypsy Vanners. In addition, with the nomadic nature of the Gypsy peoples, their horses had to be adaptable to varying climates, terrains and living conditions so it is extremely sound and easy to maintain.

With the extravagant feathering and bold coloring typical of the breed, the appearance of the Gypsy Vanner Horse® evokes joy in all who see this incredibly gentle and intelligent animal.


About Crystal Eikanger
Crystal Eikanger is a freelance writer, web designer, video editor and voice talent working as Ei-Kan Productions on www.rentacoder.com as well as other freelance sites. www.HorseClicks.com is a popular website filled with classifieds of horses for sale, horse trailers, tack, and horse related properties.

The Gypsy Vanner Horse® is a registered trademark of the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society.

The Olympic Medal Winning Dutch Warmblood Horse

The Dutch Warmblood is a breed of horse developed as a competitive and recreational horse for the major international equestrian disciplines of dressage, jumping, three-day eventing and driving for which it has gained world-wide recognition. It is also known as the Royal Dutch Sport Horse or simply Dutch Sport Horse.

Most warmblood breeds are continuing to evolve. In fact, they are not breeds in the sense that Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Morgan Horses and Saddlebreds are breeds. Their studbooks are not closed so that other breeds can be introduced into the gene pool to reap the benefits of hybrid vigor and to speed and improve the evolutionary process of attaining the breeding goal of a particular studbook. The Dutch Warmblood is no exception.

Registered warmblood breeding in the Netherlands has been going on for over 100 years. In 1887, King Willem II recognized the first Dutch studbook organization and in doing so he laid the groundwork for regulated Warmblood breeding. During the 19th century several regional and local studbook organizations bred horses specifically for farming.

In the 1950's, the Dutch Warmblood Horse evolved from crossing two man-created Dutch breeds - the Gelderlander and the Groningen, and then refining the horse with the Thoroughbred to improve stamina. The Gelderlander evolved on the light sandy soils of central Holland and is a medium-sized horse with a stylish gait and jumping abilities inherited from its many ancestors; the Gelderlander gave the new breed its excellent forequarters. The Groningen evolved on the heavy clay soils of northern Holland into a larger and heavier, draft style horse that was nearly lost in the mid-20th Century due to a significant number of mares being used to create the Dutch Warmblood which left few purebreds. Both the Gelderlander and the Groningen share Friesian, Oldenburger and Holsteiner in their ancestry along with other related warmbloods, such as the Oldenburg and the Hanoverian used to clarify minor conformation details as well as to emphasize a calm temperament. The breeding program that began in the 1960's gave the world one of the most successful horse breeds ever developed in postwar Europe.

However, there are 3 varieties of Dutch Warmblood Horses. Using the old established bloodlines, the Dutch developed a true riding sport horse or Rijpaard, using Thoroughbred stallions as well as riding-type stallions from France, Holstein, Hanover and elsewhere while taking care to retain the qualities of the old Dutch breeds. Hackney Horses were also introduced to this cross in order to produce a stylish harness horse with a proud, high head carriage and high knee action, known as the Dutch Harness Horse or Tuigpaard with American Saddlebred being added now. Other breeders continue to breed the traditional Gelderlander light draft horse, or Basistype, by crossing with the Groningen to add more mass. As a result, the modern Dutch Warmblood horse is divided into three categories in the KWPN Studbook as sport horse, harness horse and traditional Gelderlander type.

Breeding and selection of the Dutch Warmblood Horse is strictly controlled and monitored by the Koninkijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland (KWPN) or Royal Warmblood Horse Studbook of the Netherlands. This registry governs the breeding and the studbook in North America through a branch organization (KWPN-NA) formed in 1983. Keurings, or horse inspections, are held each year in both the Netherlands and in North America and the horses are presented at age three or older. Only after they have proven that they possess the necessary quality and breed standard will they be entered into the Studbook and allowed to be branded as Dutch Warmblood horses. However, branding of horses is illegal according to Dutch law, so today only the oldest Dutch Warmbloods still bear the lion-rampant brand on the left hip. Today's horses are micro-chipped instead.

But the selection process doesn't end with that one inspection. Both genders undergo regular re-evaluations and are given classifications according to their contribution to the breed, including their own achievements and the achievements of their offspring. No registry has produced more successful international show jumping horses than the KWPN. With at least 8 Olympic medalists since 2000; 2 in dressage, 6 in show jumping, the Dutch Warmblood Horse ranked first in jumping by the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) in 2007.

Physically, the Dutch Warmblood Horse stands 15.2 hands with no upper height limit, although the average is about 16.2 hands with some reaching 17 hands. A horse that is too tall is impractical for sport and therefore not desirable. The head is refined with a straight profile and the neck is long and arched. The withers are fairly prominent and the girth is deep with plenty of heart room. The forelegs are strong and well-muscled and the hindquarters are powerful. The hock joints are low to the ground and these factors combine to give great power to the Dutch Warmblood. The overall impression should be a horse of balanced proportions. They are easy to handle, easy to ride and intelligent, with a willing and hard-working character.

Most Dutch Warmblood Horses are black, brown, bay, chestnut, or grey. White markings on the face and legs are not uncommon. The gene pool also has several tobiano horses from the approved stallion, Samber, although no tobiano stallion has been approved since. The roan pattern turns up occasionally from the approved stallion, El Rosso.

Dutch Warmblood Horses are high achievers, but good conformation is not to be overshadowed by achievements. In a relatively short time the modern Dutch Warmblood has risen to international competitive importance. Dutch Warmbloods have been exported all over the world and are winners under the flags of many nations in international competitions as well as in the Olympic Games.

Dutch Warmblood foals must have a name no longer than 20 characters or spaces that begins with the designated letter for the year of their birth. The designated letter for 2008 is “D” and may be the same name as a previous horse, although the registration number itself will be unique. However, approved stallions must have a unique name and in some cases must be renamed once approved.

However, there is a downside to the breed. Osteochondrosis (OC) is currently the most prevalent developmental disorder in horses where a disturbance occurs in the process of ossification, resulting in the formation of abnormalities in the bone and cartilage during a foal's growth. Currently, OC affects approximately 30% of young horses worldwide, mostly in warmblood breeds. Of the 12,000 foals born each year and registered by the Dutch Warmblood studbook KWPN, an average of 3,000 will develop OC during their first year. A complete genetic study to investigate the differences in genetic background between joints and differences between factors influencing the development of OC is underway and will continue for two more years.

The success of the Dutch Warmblood Horse is no accident. The same characteristics and approaches which have made The Netherlands outstanding in agriculture and commerce have been applied to their goal to breed the best sport horse in the world.


About Crystal Eikanger
Crystal Eikanger is a freelance writer, web designer, video editor and voice talent working as Ei-Kan Productions on www.rentacoder.com as well as other freelance sites. www.HorseClicks.com is a popular website filled with classifieds of horses for sale, horse trailers, tack, and horse related properties.