What's In a Name?

What's In a Name?

Buyers will see gypsy-bred horses referred to by several names—Gypsy Horses, Gypsy Cobs, Drum Horses, and Gypsy Vanners or, simply, Vanners. And not only the name will differ. Among gypsy-bred horses will be seen heavier, more drafty horses with profuse feathering and also lighter framed horses with much lighter or even minimal feathering. Beyond this general body type, there are other, more subtle conformational variations—length of back, head size relative to body, shape and size of rump, heaviness and shape of legs, and more. Within two of the three registries for Gypsy-bred horses, all of these general variations may be present. To further complicate matters, buyers may see the draftier, more heavily feathered type having a short back, rounded, powerful hips, a deep broad chest, and heavy, flat-boned legs referred to as a Vanner, a Gypsy Cob, or simply a Gypsy Horse.

The Vanner

The term “Vanner" was chosen by American discoverers of the breed Dennis and Cindy Thompson to honor a horse which their four-year research led them to believe has been selectively bred for the past 60 years for one purpose—to pull a Gypsy traveling wagon or caravan. They felt that this name best honored the horse and the people who envisioned it at the breed's inception.

What characteristics exactly best suit a horse breed to pull a caravan? One such characteristic is colorfulness and flash. Dennis Thompson states that, although Gypsies throughout Europe have employed horse-drawn wagons to live and travel in for centuries, only in the British Isles did these wagons attain the level of an art form. Gilded, brightly painted, intricately carved, British Gypsies needed a horse just as colorful to complement these caravans. Although the Vanner can appear in any color, it is most often associated with loud black and white spots. It possesses profuse mane, tail, and feathers--hair which begins at the knee and grows down to cover the hoof. When he is in motion, a Vanner's flying feathers are truly an impressive sight.

The Vanner's suitability to pull a caravan also had a practical side. According to Michael Vine, noted British breeder, a small horse capable of performing the work required of him but able to exist on minimal forage was one of the goals of creating this breed. The work of pulling the caravan would have been trivial to the massive Shire from which the Vanner was partially bred, but the Shire would have required a tremendous amount of food to maintain it. The smaller horse known as the Vanner could do quite well on much less forage and still be powerful enough to perform the work of pulling the family's caravan.

A further requirement involved temperament. Like the Arabian, the Vanner lived and worked with his family, which included small children. Any horse which was not docile, kind, and easily managed, even by the children, was not kept. Thus, this type of temperament has been bred for.

The Registries for Gypsy-Bred Horses

Three registries exist for Gypsy-bred horses—The Gypsy Cob Society of America, Inc., The Gypsy Cob and Drum Horse Association, and The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society. The first two registries accept a less drafty and less heavily feathered Gypsy-bred horse as well as the draftier, more heavily feathered horse referred to as a Vanner. Many horses are registered with the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society (GVHS) and one or more of the Cob registries also. Many horses which would qualify for registry with the GVHS are not registered with it but are registered with one or both of the other registries.

Each registry has its own vision of what a Gypsy-bred horse should be like and what types of horses should be included. By mandate, The Gypsy Cob Society of America (GCSA) and The Gypsy Cob and Drum Horse Association (GCDHA) will not turn away a genuine Gypsy-bred horse, even though it is lighter bodied and minimally feathered. Members of these registries rightly contend that such horses are as much Gypsy-bred horses as are the heavier, abundantly feathered Vanner. On the other hand, the GVHS will not accept these relatively lighter bodied and feathered horses. According to its American discoverer, Dennis Thompson, the Vanner is the breed envisioned by the Gypsy breeders who started it 60 years ago, and these lighter horses are crossbreeds and therefore unacceptable for registration in the GVHS.

The choice of registry is a personal one, and no choice of registry is “wrong” or “right.” Persons discovering Gypsy-bred horses for the first time are urged to visit the web sites of all three registries and thoroughly research each before choosing a registry or registries. Each has much to offer, and all are dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of the Gypsy-bred horse in some form or another.

Our choice of registry was determined by the GVHS’s emphasis on preserving the heavier and more abundantly feathered horse; we adore this type and wish to preserve it. Also, in our opinion, it will hold its value to a greater extent than the lighter framed and minimally feathered Gypsy-bred horse, which, after all, can be created simply by breeding a Vanner to a nondraft horse or pony to create a crossbreed. The pure Vanner is therefore much rarer than the lighter crossbreeds.

However, buyers may prefer these lighter Gypsy-bred horses. Among Friesians, there is a trend toward a lighter framed “sport body” and away from the heavier, draft horse body type. This lighter-framed horse has greater agility and so is better suited to the higher levels of dressage than the traditional Friesian.

One further name is used to describe some Gypsy-bred horses—Drum Horse. The Gypsy Cob and Drum Horse Association (GCDHA) is the registry for these. They were so named because, by tradition, British regiments have used them to carry large drums during parades and regimental ceremonies. The GCDHA has requirements for the composition of a Drum Horse’s pedigree; please see its web site for these rules. Because of its function, the Drum Horse is large. The GCDHA requires a regular registered adult Drum Horse to be 16 hands or over. The GCDHA does not allow a Drum Horse to be dually registered as a Vanner or Cob; such dual registry immediately cancels its Drum Horse registration.

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423.538.7966
317 Sharps Hollow Road | Bluff City TN 37618