“In ancient days, ‘CaraVANNERS’ were those who traveled, often in pairs or groups across different parts of the world.”(TheGypsyHorse)

History of the breed

When someone voices the word “gypsies” it can conjure up many different views. Some may think of a carefree and live-for-the-moment lifestyle that many see as a dream that is otherwise intangible. It is from this magical and sometimes misunderstood lifestyle that the Gypsy Vanner breed was spawned in the British Isles and in surrounding Europe. Through the far reaching travels of the gypsy caravans, horses were bought and sold. Slowly as history evolved, possibly even without a conscious reason at first, some tentative first steps towards a future breed began to develop and emerge to fit the Gypsy mould. These horses that were produced provided a versatile companion for the Gypsies they were eventually named after; they were instrumental as cart horses to move their owners about the regions and their colorful, vibrant coat coloring and patterns reflected the stereotypical, exuberant, Gypsy lifestyle.

For centuries Gypsies bred, purchased and sold their horses. Some were merely in existence because they served a purpose, such as raising and then selling horses for meat in the European market much like a farmer would with cattle. However, as with all breeds, through careful breeding a quality animal was created and the process repeated in order to maintain this perfected specimen. This is how the Gypsy Vanner breed came unto existence. Gypsies, like the majority of horse owners, tend to keep the best stock for themselves and sell off the lesser quality. These Gypsies were breeding to create the perfect “Vanner” horse for themselves to pull their carts. Until Vanners were given a proper name to try to distinguish between the superior Gypsy horse stock and the rest of their animals, all the animals were grouped into the same category with the same name “Gypsy Horse”. The Gypsy Vanners were first introduced to North America via Dennis Thompson who also founded the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society in 1996.

Conformation and Temperament

The conformation requirements of Gypsy Vanners are fairly straight forward; the horses need to be proportionate overall. The Vanner Horse Society only lists seven requirements for conformation to be followed in order for a horse to be registered as “pure stock”. Vanners are a smaller but still robust version of a more commonly seen draft horse that almost appears to have shrunk in the wash down to “normal” horse height but maintaining the stoutness.

Gypsy Vanners are divided into three different height classes. First is the Classic Gypsy Vanner standing at 13-15.2hh which is most commonly seen and associated with Vanners in general. The second height classification includes any Vanner over the height of 15.2hh and is referred to as Grand Gypsy Vanners. The third, and final, type of Vanner is the Mini. These are any Vanners under 13hh.

A Gypsy Vanner’s body should have the appearance of a small or average sized horse with the stout draft body type. Their backs should be short coupled and proportionate to the rest of the body. Notably, their withers should be well rounded and not high set or fine. Shoulders, hindquarters and neck should maintain the well muscled look of a draft and still be proportionate to the entire body, creating a balanced picture. Stallions need to carry themselves with bold presence and a well arched, or rainbow, crest. Their head should appear more refined than the typical draft. The nose should be flat; some indication of a roman nose is ok but if it is pronounced it will be considered a conformation fault. Eyes can be of any color and ears must tie in appropriately with the rest of the body.

An important feature of the Gypsy Vanner is their hair and feathering. It is arguably one of the most notable features of this breed combined with the coat patterns that make them stand out in many minds. A Gypsy Vanner’s coat should be silky and straight. Some wave or curl is acceptable but if there is a distinct kink to the hair it is considered unacceptable. Feathering in abundance is desirable and should start at the back of the knees on the legs. The mane and tail should be ample, at the very least, with the opinion that more is always better.

Most images associated with Vanners immediately depict a horse that is startlingly white with black “patches” like ink that has leaked across a sheet of paper. This specific coloring and coat pattern is referred to as Piebald. Many don’t realize that Vanners have no color requirements and therefore can be found in a wide range of colors and coat patterns. The only requirements are for their body shape and build. However, in order to stay true to their European heritage, the Gypsy Vanners choose the following descriptions for coat color and patterns:
Piebald – Black and White coloring.
Skewbald – Red and White coloring.
Bay and White or Tri-colored – The tri-colored is a textbook version of a bay tobiano.
Blagdon – Solid in color with white splashed up from underneath. The Blagdon can be classified as either a Blagdon Classic or a Blagdon Highly Expressed.
Odd Colored – This includes any of the following patterns and colors.
Sabino – has the same gene and coloration as the Blagdon Highly Expressed but doesn’t display a white splash on the belly or legs and is therefore considered Minimal Expressed.
Silver Dapple – Horse has flaxen mane and tail. They can sometimes be referred to as a “chocolate” color by mistake.
Dapple Grey – This is a rare color for Vanners. The grey lightens as each year passes until the horse appears almost white.
Blue and White – This is a grey and white Vanner. The grey may fade but when the horse is wet the skin pigmentation is visible.
Palomino – This is also a rare color for Vanners. However, they can come in solid, tobiano or Blagdon patterns.
Ink Spots – Small spots on the horse’s body that resemble “ink spots” or “paw prints”.


The temperament of a Gypsy Vanner is similar to those of drafts in general. They are sweet and docile in nature making them easy to handle yet maintaining an alert and willing attitude. Any overly aggressive behavior is considered a fault.

Dispelling the myth?

There are numerous conflicting ideas as to the reason behind the creation of the Gypsy Vanner breed, some arguing that it is merely an expensive name attached to a more common breed, the Gypsy Horse, in order to increase marketing and sales opportunities. However, this could be argued for many breeds recognized today. It is important to take into account that the creation of a breed is to standardize the characteristics and requirements, to ensure the purity of the horses, to educate the less informed and to ensure the success of the breed for years to come.

The Gypsy Vanner breed is mistakenly believed to have been around for centuries. These statements are true of Gypsy horses in general, but not of the Gypsy Vanner breed itself. Gypsies, like many people whose livelihood depends upon their horses, bred their horses accordingly to suit their particular needs. This involved the mixing of many different breeds in order to create a prefect blend to suit the Gypsy lifestyle and its needs, and would vary from breeder to breeder. Over the last half a century Vanner horses have been very selectively bred but did not have a formal name attached to them. The true Gypsy Vanner horse is a blend derived specifically from Shires, Clydesdales, Friesians and Dales Ponies.

All horses raised by Gypsies were referred to as “colored horses” by the Gypsies that bred and raised them. Others would refer to these horses as Gypsy Horses prior to the Gypsy Vanner name being created. Once the Vanner name was created and specifications put in place it separated the Gypsy Vanner breed from the other horses Gypsies raised. According to the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society, “only approximately 20% of the horses bred and raised by Gypsies fall into the Gypsy Vanner category. The other 80% are merely horses raised by Gypsies.” It is this distinction that is causing a large amount of confusion and disagreements surrounding the breed.

Depending on where you are located in the world and to whom you speak with, the names used to refer to Gypsy Vanners and Gypsy Horses can vary greatly. In the UK they can be commonly referred to as “traditional colored cobs” or “piebald/skewbald cobs”. Elsewhere they can be termed “Gypsy Cob” or “Irish Cob” and even “Irish Tinker Horse”. The term “Tinker Horse” is not generally used by English-speakers to describe the horse because it is considered derogatory. Other references for Vanners can include calling them “Pieball ponies” or even “Pieballs”. However, just because someone uses one of the many terms to reference a Vanner doesn’t mean they have correctly labeled the horse in question. Gypsy Vanners are, by distinction, different than a Cob.

A comparison: the Gypsy Horse vs. the Gypsy Vanner

The pedigrees of Gypsy Horses are somewhat open to interpretation and potential buyers need to go in with their eyes open. In other words, not all Gypsy Horses have their lineage well recorded. This is largely due to the fact that most Gypsies could not read or write. A Gypsy Horse that is considered “traditional” is one that has been around for hundreds of years, and can be found in various areas of Europe. They generally tend to stand 13-15.2hh, which can be directly compared to the Classic Gypsy Vanner. The exact history of the Gypsy Horse is unknown but there are strong indications that they are descendants of Shires, Clydesdales, and Dales Ponies but not limited to just those breeds. The Gypsy Vanners also share the same ancestors. However, the arguable difference between Gypsy Horses and Gypsy Vanner Horses is that the Vanners are the top quality, lineage monitored version of Gypsy bred horses. This is similar to the way one would compare a grade quality horse to another horse of the same or similar breed that is considered of higher value than “grade” because its lineage is recorded, such as a futurity eligible horse. The lineage and quality of a futurity horse is noticeable and traceable. The horse represents the best the particular breed has to offer. On the other hand, the grade horse can be of good quality but the parentage isn’t traceable and if it is, consists of significant mixed breeding.

Present Day

Much of the upheaval surrounding the basis of whether the Gypsy Vanner breed is credible or not has been vastly distorted through information passed along on the internet and through the mouths of those looking to gain financially by selling a horse. Many potential horse owners have crossed paths more than once with someone trying to push their wares as something they are not, regardless of breed. With this in mind it is easy to ascertain how along the way lines have been crossed and interpretations of what exactly a Gypsy Vanner “is” has been created, varying from person to person. This has really hampered the validity of the Gypsy Vanner breed and its society from being able to flourish as they may have otherwise. Not to say that the breed growth is stunted, but it is always hard to change a mistaken first impression.

The Gypsy Vanner Horse is challenging the mainstream, choosing to be a little bit unique and having to overcome adversity along the way. Much like the Gypsy men and women that created this majestic breed have marched to their own drum within the confines of conventional society.

However, despite all the beaurocratic drama the Gypsy Vanner Horse has been establishing itself quite firmly as an excellent companion and versatile animal. Vanners are proving to be quite adept as a trail riding companions, driving animals, and showing their ability to rise through the ranks of the competitive dressage world. They are even showing their versatility in the hunter/jumper world. Though there are few used in western events, they still are well suited and numbers are reflective of the quantity of Vanners in general, not of their ability. For those looking for a unique horse, with an excellent temperament, versatility, and an enchanting vagabond history then the Gypsy Vanner is the perfect horse.





Written by Theresa Coates - 2008 ©

A special thanks to Wild Creek Farm of Ohio for providing pictures for this article.

Sources:

All About Gypsy Vanners – www.certifiedhorse.com
Gypsy Vanner Horse Society – www.vanners.org
Horse Expert Information Directory – www.infohorse.com
Whatitis - The Gypsy Horse – www.harlequinfarmgypsyhorses.com
Wikipedia – Talk: Gypsy Vanner horse – www.wikipedia.org

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