~ THE GYPSY VANNER HORSE ~


 ‘A perfect caravan horse is strong, intelligent, docile, athletic, colorful and has excellent endurance. It is our mission to show that these same traits would make the perfect horse for any number of pursuits’


A relatively young breed, the Gypsy Vanner Horse can be described as “a people-sized draft horse” with heavy bone and broad body but on a smaller scale. The Vanner is a body type and not a color breed, which derived from the Shire, Clydesdale, Dales Pony and Friesian.

A docile, remarkably affectionate personality is primarily reflective of the Vanner’s cold-blooded heritage.  Selectively bred for half a century by the Gypsies of Great Britain, the Vanner lives closely with Gypsy breeders and their children, therefore aggressive or dangerous behavior is never tolerated. Horses displaying such behavior are immediately banished. The Vanner's easygoing personality has moved the breed’s American discoverer, Dennis Thompson, to nickname them “A Golden Retriever with Hooves”.

Their strong build coupled with a docile nature allows the Vanner to be a willing and versatile mount for equestrian sports such as dressage, western riding, fox hunting, jumping, trail riding and, of course, driving. Although not as visible as their extravagant feathering and profuse mane and tail, a delightful personality is key in defining the Vanner breed.


THE GYPSY VANNER HORSE BREED STANDARD
 

#1: Short back in proportion to overall body(short
distance between last
rib to point of hip).

  
(Gypsy Gold's BB King)
     
     


(Belle Reid Farm's The Black Faced Mare)

   #2: Broad chest.
     
     

#3: Heavy well-rounded
hips (slab sided or severely sloping hindquarters are considered a fault).

  
(El Brio Vanner's Charlie)
     
     


(N'Co Gypsy Vanner's The Headliner)

   #4: Heavy flat bone at
the knee, ample hooves
(small or contracted hooves
are considered a fault).
     
     

#5: Feathering that begins
at the knees or near the
hocks extending over the
front of the hooves. Ample
to abundant mane and tail.

  
(Bill Brisben's Miss Downs)
     
     


(Gypsy Gold's Caymus)

  
#6: Sweet head (fine
head on a strong neck in
harmony with the horse’s
overall look).
     
     

#7: Disposition; horse should exhibit traits of intelligence, kindness and docility; overly aggressive behavior is considered a fault.

  
(WR Ranch's Esmerelda)
     


THE CONFUSION
(...and why this breed inspired an integrity based program!)

      Here's what must first be known:

Only 20% of the horses raised by Gypsies are selectively bred
and are a breed.  80% (although they may look similar enough
to fool you) are raised as a commodity like cattle. They're
referred to, by Gypsies, as 'knacker', 'trade' or 'export'
horses and are priced accordingly by weight.

    Domestic breeders, in general, do not supply the Vanner breed to the public in North America; traders/importers on the Internet do. The fact that only 20% of Gypsies' horses are truly the breed enabled importers to confuse the public.  When the breed was first introduced to America it was a sensation which created a huge demand that couldn't be met by domestic breeders. No importers understood the breed in the beginning so they  bought inexpensive, black and white trade horses and presented them as the true breed. This was especially easy to pull off with young stock. Today, most importers understand the difference between the breed and the trade type, but continue to offer both. Remember, too, that any horse showing bad temperament was banished by the Gypsies - probably to an auction or sale. Unfortunately, those horses are likely to show up on an importer's web site, now. Selling horses without a vision to educate people about the genetics and established values of the selectively bred horses raised by Gypsies is not good for anyone except a trader/importer. 
 
     If you're wondering why certified horses must only be registered with the  Gypsy Vanner Horse Society it's because only 20% of Gypsies' horses are the true breed and only the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society has understood and focused on the true breed since it's establishment in 1996.

In April of 2003 the system tried to improve when a large gathering of breed enthusiasts voted to disband all names and all registries except the name Gypsy Vanner Horse and the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society. Thirty days later, a person in that room established another breed society by another name.  
 
    The problem occurs when a person wanting to learn about the breed enters this world of contradictory information, multiple names (see All In a Name) and inaccurate messages designed to market horses on the Internet and elsewhere. Because the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society was established in North America with a strong base of knowledge and focused goals, the breed and it's society in general are doing very well.  It is the goal of the Certified Horse program to complement the GVHS in it's efforts see that it continues to do so. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The description of the Gypsy Vanner Horse above is nice; it paints a picture of a very desirable breed developed by Gypsies in less than 1,000 words.  But to “embrace the pure vision” of a breed, more needs to be understood.  Please take a moment to learn about the vision which created one of the most magical breeds of horse on earth and the effort to establish it with it’s magic intact.  


ALL IN A NAME


"Mother is the name for God in the
lips and hearts of little children."
-William Makepeace Thackery

A powerful quote illustrates how meaningful a name can be. Words conjure up messages, images, visions and feelings both good and bad. Names that develop and maintain a special feeling deliver the promise of their name every time. Mercedes is a name that must deliver the feeling it has intentionally come to represent or the name Mercedes will be diminished. The name 'Gypsy Vanner Horse' is no different.

Until 1996, all horses raised by the Gypsies of Great Britain were called coloured horses or coloured cobs . The phrase identified 100% of all horses raised by Gypsies; no matter if they were selectively bred for half a century or a horse raised like cattle for the European restaurant business. The story of Gypsy Gold and the Gypsy Vanner Horse is a story about two people from America and their desire to understand one of the world's least understood societies and the horses they raise. It began one day when my late wife Cindy and I noticed a little black and white stallion standing in a field on the border of England and Wales (Oswestry England). When we stopped the car for a closer look, our lives were forever changed.  A desire to understand the horse that fate had handed us was born that day and quickly became an unrelenting obsession.  The effort gave us an understanding of the horses raised by Gypsies which was unparalleled outside of the world of Gypsies - and that kind of knowledge is a must if one is to legitimately establish a breed of horse developed by the Gypsies of Great Britain.

Our study was an unbiased, non-prejudiced overview of Gypsies and their horses that resulted in conclusions that even Gypsies found fascinating. 

Our effort uncovered a vision that was unknown outside of the world of Gypsies: to create the perfect caravan horse. Ironically, the colorful "little stallion" we first encountered was a superb reflection of that very vision. Interestingly, that little horse was named "The Log"; we renamed him Cushti Bok which means 'good luck' in the Romany language of Gypsies. 



The Log (aka Cushti Bok)


Invited by the Gypsy we met on day one, we became the first Americans to attend the 300-year-old Appleby Horse fair. The Gypsy who invited us said, “You will see hundreds of coloured horses there but none as good as mine and if you do, he’s gonna cost you a lot of money”.

For ten days while at Appleby we listened and watched for any Gypsy who sold or purchased a quality looking horse. We then approached them, introduced ourselves and documented how we might contact them later. After ten long days of intensely studying horses raised by Gypsies, we were amazed, there was indeed not one stallion at that fair that was any better (or, frankly, as good) as the one we saw the very first day.  For the next four years we followed the contacts we made at Appleby as we listened and learned about the horses raised by Gypsies.  We traced the genetics of Cushti Bok through three countries finding his parents in one and grandparents in another. It was Gypsy breeders focused on the vision that created him who raised them all.  We learned that, as a yearling, he was the most highly prized selectively bred colt in all of Great Britain at the very same horse fair we had attended years earlier. We would trace his unknown breed’s genetic origins to two stallions: “Sonny Mays” and “The Coal Horse”, and would identify many of the great mares and stallions that came after them. We stood overlooking the Irish Sea with the little stallion's father (The Old Horse) and the Gypsy that raised him (Tom Price) as he pointed to a clearing under a tree and said, “He was born right over there, I will never forget the day he was born. I held him in my arms and knew he was special. He is the best colt I ever raised”. Tom invited us into his caravan that day where he gave us a picture of the little stallion’s mother and a book titled Appleby Horse Fair. Inside the book was a picture of Cushti Bok being ponied through the river Eden at Appleby. The picture was taken the year that Bok was the most prized selectively bred colt at Appleby. Tom gave us the book that day, and here is that very photo (with Bok in the lead!):


The caption reads:  "Black and white horses are a popular choice of the travellers, being a sturdy breed."

Think about it...  You are driving down the road in England and the look of a horse intrigues you. In your effort to understand it, you uncover the vision that created his unknown breed. Once the vision for the Gypsies' breed and it's genetic origins were understood, a name needed to be chosen that would separate the breed from the horses that Gypsies raise as a commodity. The only thing Cindy and I have ever wanted from this experience is to give these people and the wonderful horses they have created their day in the sun. A name that separates the breed from the type and an understanding of the difference is the only way to make that happen.

“You know you are doing this the hard way, but it’s the right way.”  These are the exact words of a Gypsy breeder who has maintained select genetics for over 50 years. By that, he meant that the 'easy' way would be to simply consider all horses raised by Gypsies as a breed. He saw very clearly how difficult it would be to separate his breed from the trade type of horse that Gypsies also raise and we knew that only a name could do it... 

The task of choosing the perfect name for his breed was critically important and more painful than can be imagined. It was a process of careful, deep and sensitive thought that seemed to go on forever. The choice was between Romany Horse and a name that Cindy surprised me with one day. I can still see the twinkle in her eye and feel the glow of her excitement as she sat me on the couch to tell me about the perfect name she had discovered.  The name of course was "Gypsy Vanner Horse".  She found a reference to a “The traditional gypsy vanner” captioned under a picture in a book called The Coloured Horse and Pony by Edward Hart. It was the only book we ever found that referenced coloured horses raised by Gypsies... and here is that actual photo and caption that inspired the name.



...and a close up of the caption:



We received the book from England, sent to us by a man named Phil Ball. Phil Ball managed the Shire center outside of London that was the absolute beginning of our journey resulting in the discovery of Cushti Bok and Phil Ball was paramount in helping us import Bat and Dolly, the first two Gypsy Vanner Horses in North America.  

“The gypsy type of coloured horse” were the words Edward Hart used to begin his section on Gypsies' colored horses. He suggested that perhaps it was time to recognize the selectively bred horses raised by Gypsies as a breed, but Mr. Hart was not referencing a breed at all when he used the term “traditional gypsy vanner" under the picture. He was an Englishman using his English language to describe a horse raised by Gypsies that was suitable to pull a caravan, which in his language is... 
a "vanner".

The word "vanner" (in the English Chambers dictionary) means “A horse suitable to pull a caravan”. Mr. Hart was simply talking in his native English language when he used the word vanner.  Cindy had, indeed, discovered the perfect name for a horse raised by Gypsies born from a vision to create their perfect caravan horse. The icing on the cake was that we both heard Gypsies say “It’s a proper vanner" when they saw a horse they really admired.  Like Mr. Hart, the Gypsies who said “proper vanner” were simply using their English language to describe a horse that was suitable to pull a caravan. Cindy knew that Gypsy Vanner Horse was the perfect name right away, but I was not as sure and agonized about it for a very long time. We had already written a mission on our journey to understand horses raised by Gypsies that began with ...a commitment to bring honor recognition and a better understanding... and concluded with ...to remain quality based, culturally sensitive and socially responsible.  Every night I would wake up and worry if we were honoring these people, bringing a better understanding to them and their horses and being culturally sensitive if we used the name 'Gypsy' at all in their new breed's name. The word is a romantic and colorful word in America but often has a different feeling in Europe.  I was driving Cindy crazy with my obsession over this until the words of a Gypsy convinced me that Gypsy Vanner Horse, was indeed his breed’s perfect name. Here's how I came to that conclusion:

(1.) The word 'Gypsy' is an umbrella word. You can compare it to the word 'American'. There are several types of people who live under it’s umbrella meaning. There are genetically identifiable people originally from India called Romany. There are people who live a Gypsy lifestyle based on historical happenstance (the clearings and the potato famines) called Irish and Scottish Travelers. There are people who are half Romany and half non-Romany called Didikoi (pronounced dih-dih-kye') and there are people who have lived a Gypsy lifestyle for generations who have no connection to genetics or historical happenstance.  All definitions will have horse breeders who have contributed to the development of the Vanner breed. The word Gypsy therefore is the only word that could ever honor all the people that live under its umbrella meaning. Using the name Gypsy in the breed description could therefore achieve the goal to honor and bring a better understanding to the people who live under it’s umbrella meaning. Like American in American Quarter Horse, it is meant to describe the people that had a vision... it is not meant to describe their vision.  Calling a Vanner "a Gypsy horse" is like going to a Quarter Horse farm and saying, of their horses, "Those are nice looking Americans"!  If you don't understand and credit the vision, you risk losing it.

(2.) The word Vanner is the breed's vision word and is absolutely perfect for the breed worldwide because it is the only word that truly identifies a Gypsy's vision to create his perfect caravan horse and it is a proper English word which honors the breed's origin.  A breed must have a word that describes the vision that created it (again, like American Quarter horse) or the vision for the breed must be clearly understood and fixed (like Arabian).  The challenge in all of this has been to separate the vision horses (breed) from the general population of Gypsies' coloured horses. I won’t beat around the bush here; one is a status symbol, and the other is the 'trade' horse raised for the restaurant business in Belgium, Holland and France. If we don’t separate the breed from the trade type, we have compromised the breed’s genetic integrity and established value with Gypsies.

(3.) This one finally allowed me to get some sleep and Cindy to regain her sanity. When given a choice between Romany Horse or Gypsy Vanner Horse a Gypsy (who is clearly one of the most dedicated breeders alive today and referred to by a pillar of the Gypsy community as "King of the Coloured Horses") said:

“ Why, Gypsy Vanner Horse is the perfect name; that’s what they are: a Gypsy's vanner horse”

These are the exact words of a Gypsy who has maintained selective genetics (born from a vision to create his perfect caravan horse) for over 50 years. He has, like all dedicated Gypsy breeders, the genetics of many of the greatest stallions and mares in the history of the breed running through the veins of his vision horses.  The Lob Eared Horse, The Paddy Horse, The Coal Horse, Tyson, The Sham, Old Henry, The Old White Mare, The Eagle Mare, The Horseshoe Mare, Bonnie, The PO Mare, Sonny Mays, Pride, The Roadsweeper UK, The Bank, The Old Horse, The Midget Mare and The Kent Horse are just a few of the names that run deep in the veins of this man's horses and in the veins of all horses raised by dedicated breeders of the Vanner vision worldwide.

We knew that the difference between a Gypsy's selectively bred horse and their trade horses would not be understood for a long time and we also knew that, without an understanding, the breed would be exploited by horse traders. Sure enough, that has happened; the Internet is loaded with confusing  messages about the breed.  Some sites offer dozens of Gypsy raised horses for sale (using multiple names) and even condone importing trade horses! This is exploiting the Gypsies, their breed and the buyer.  It only benefits the trader. 

For that reason, we protected the name Gypsy Vanner Horse for the Society founded to establish and protect the breed. The name is now what is called a certification mark. A certified Gypsy Vanner Horse must have the seven qualities envisioned by Gypsies for their perfect caravan horse to become certified.  It is our intention that no 'trade', or culled horse will make it through the rigorous certification jurying procedure. 

I hope you now have a better understanding of Gypsies, their horses and the name Gypsy Vanner Horse.




On November 24, 1996, Gypsy Gold's Bat and Dolly became America's first Gypsy's vanner horses and, on that same day the world's first registry for a selectively bred horse raised by Gypsies - The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society - was established.  Bat and Dolly stayed secluded at our farm in Ocala, Florida.  Over the next two years, Cindy and I meticulously identified and imported a total of 16 Vanners that were genetically capable of producing the centerpiece of the breed.  As fate would have it, the very horse we saw on day one - Cushti Bok - was one of those.  In June of 1998, we introduced the Gypsy Vanner Horse breed and it's society on the Internet and to the American public at Equitana, USA in Louisville, Kentucky.  The world went wild for the images of the magic horses.  But the world did not understand that they were not merely "Gypsy" horses... they were Gypsy Vanner Horses. All names that are different from Gypsy Vanner Horse came after the breed’s introduction in 1998. Individuals with visions not in harmony with the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society's visions coined them all. To me only one name will ever truly represent the breed that Gypsies envisioned, and that name is Gypsy Vanner Horse. Cindy is gone now and I can only hope that her vision to legitimately recognize a breed of horse raised by Gypsies  (which is now shared by many) will live on forever. 


As amazing as it may seem, the
opportunity is still “All in a Name”.