When talking about the Gypsy Horse, the first thing that comes to mind is the striking appearance – piebald in all variations, lush feathering, full long hair and the typical little goat’s beard on the lower lip. The Irish breed has become a fashionable horse in Europe since the 1990s and continues to enjoy great popularity in the course of recreational riding.
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Facts & figures
Origin: Great Britain, Ireland
Main breeding area: mainly Europe
Distribution: worldwide
Height: 4,4 ft to 5,2 ft
Weight: 1014 lbs to 1610 lbs
Appearance: cold blood type
Colors: all colors are possible, often pied coat
Main use: riding and draft horse, leisure horse
Is a Gypsy Horse a warm or cold blooded horse?
Gypsy Horses are considered cold-blooded, but because of their breed history, they also have many characteristics that are typical of warm-blooded horses.
Origin of the horse breed
Gypsy Horses, also called Irish Tinkers or Gypsy Cob, are horses of the Irish Cob breed and horses similar in type, but not recognized as Irish Cobs. This applies, for example, to horses that are under 5,2 ft tall.
Gypsy Horses were originally the workhorses of Irish Travellers. The traveling people were often disparagingly called Gypsy Horses, translated as tinkers or gypsies, so the name was transferred to the horses as a breed name. However, little is known about their breeding history and their breed origin, because in the countries of origin, Ireland and Great Britain, the Gypsy Horses were never recognized as an independent breed.
Without a studbook and lobby and without more detailed information about their origin and the breeding method of the Traveller, the history of their origin can only be roughly outlined. It can be assumed that cold-blooded horses and Dales ponies were crossed with them, since good character, robustness and traction were the most important characteristics. Friesians and Clydesdales may also have played an important role in the Gypsy Horses’s history of origin. The horses combine the best characteristics of warm-blooded, cold-blooded and ponies and are especially known for their friendly nature. In the 1990s, Gypsy Horses came into fashion through the first imports in Germany and other Central European countries. It was only through this that interest grew in Ireland as well, so that a breeding association, the Irish Cob Society Ireland Ltd. was founded for the first time in 1998.
Appearance
These horses are quite diverse in appearance, with characteristics of both warmbloods, ponies and coldbloods. From the heavy draught horse with cold-blood characteristics to the medium-heavy type to the Gypsy Horse with pony influence, different characteristics are possible. Basically, a compact, strong and rather square-built breed type with a stick size between 53 and 63 inches is the priority.
Their head often has the shape of a ram’s head and is characterized by large eyes as well as the breed-typical, differently strong goat and upper lip beard, which must not be clipped. Desirable are a medium length, well set neck, good gaiter freedom as well as long, sloping shoulders and adequate, not too short withers. The strong build should also present itself with a well muscled, not too long back, a sloping and muscular croup and sufficient depth of chest. The dry foundation is characterized by clear joints, medium length pasterns, correct leg placement, and large but often flat hooves.
In addition, the strongly pronounced long coat in the form of an abundant feathering, a long and full mane and a magnificent tail is striking. In the coat coloration, all colors occur, including the Sabino, Tobiano and Overo check as well as all mixed forms. Preference is given to the Gypsy Horse plate piebald, while albinos are completely undesirable.
Gypsy Horse in Video
Character traits
Gypsy Horses are robust, light-fed and reliable horses suitable for draft and riding purposes. Basically, they are characterized by intelligence, curiosity, human orientation and a balanced character. However, they sometimes show stubborn and dismissive behavior when they lack trust in the rider and find it difficult to form a harmonious bond. In addition, the nature of Gypsy Horses is characterized by independence, willingness to learn and a sense of responsibility. Aggressiveness is not tolerated in breeding, and animals with this disposition are quickly sorted out.
Although Gypsy Horses often appear wild because of their mass, long shaggy mane and the rest of their appearance, the horses are actually very well-behaved, patient and well-balanced. Their strong nerves also come in handy during training. There, the animals are very focused and eager to learn. They can always be handled and do not use their weight and strength against the rider. It is not without reason that Gypsy Horses are considered to be one of the most gentle and sociable horse breeds in the world.
Are Gypsy Horses robust?
Gypsy Horses are very robust animals. However, the back is a major weak point of the breed, which should be well trained, especially if the horse is to be used for riding.
Special characteristics of the Gypsy Horse
In Ireland, sometimes illegal trotting races with Gypsy Horses were and are organized. The Travellers simply block off roads with cars and let the horses run on the asphalt. The stars of this scene are Gypsy Horses with a lot of trotter blood. The best stallions are licensed internally and are very famous in the Traveller circles.
Because the focus of breeding has long been on serving as draft horses, Gypsy Horses have rather soft and poorly muscled backs. They need good training to be able to carry a rider healthily and sensibly. Due to their natural uprightness and rather inactive hind leg, Gypsy Horses tend to have a low back and often have back problems. This is especially problematic because the horses look like weight carriers at first glance due to their robust stature and are therefore often ridden by riders who are far too heavy. In fact, however, the load weight is only between 110 and 132 lbs, possibly a little more in very well trained horses with good back muscles.
Are white Gypsy Horses rare?
Gypsy Horses come in all colors, including white. However, the horses are often spotted.
Use of the breed
Originally, Gypsy Horses were pure draft horses, which convinced by their reliability and strength in front of the carriage, but also in agriculture. Today, Gypsy Horses are bred as all-rounders. Due to their heavy build, the horses are not suitable for dressage, show jumping and eventing at the tournament, at least in the higher classes, but nevertheless they can show successes in broad sport competitions also in these disciplines. Gypsy Horses are ideal leisure time horses, which inspire with their swinging and ground covering gaits and their endurance. Due to their great character, they are also often used as therapy horses.
How old can a Gypsy Horse become?
Gypsy Horses live between 20 and 30 years on average.
Hereditary diseases
Gypsy Horses have no known hereditary diseases. However, the horses often react to overly nutritious feed with sweet itch, mallenders, allergies and stomach problems. Chronic diarrhea and fecal water are also common problems caused by improper feeding that is not adapted to the breed.
Feeding
Gypsy Horses are historically accustomed to gaining as much energy as possible from meager forage while consuming as little energy as possible. With this knowledge, it quickly becomes clear that the now much more nutrient-rich grass in much of Europe is often already too “fat” for Gypsy Horses. In part, one can even assume that today’s grass, as well as hay made from it, acts like concentrated feed on a Gypsy Horse’s body. Accordingly, Gypsy Horses should be fed with caution. Nevertheless, it should be noted that there should be no feeding breaks of more than 4 hours. Hay nets or automated feed racks are a good solution here.
It should also be noted, however, that compared to other horses, Gypsy Horses react much more strongly to starches and sugars. These easily digestible carbohydrates can be found in grains, juice feed, pomace or in the form of molasses. If Gypsy Horses consume too much sugar, the body often reacts with lymph accumulation. This makes the horses appear fatter than they actually are.
