I rode one in Ireland and wouldn’t take him for a gift. He had a sewing machine/pile driver trot and the 'tude of"Who’s gonna make me?"
Try one or lots more before you get your heart set on one.
My trainer has two, with her gelding showing 3rd level this year. I have a GV crossbred and she is one of the best horses I’ve ever had. She doesn’t have as much feather as a purebred but enough that it does take care to keep her legs clean and healthy although she’s never had scratches.
Yes, she is an easy keeper but she has no problem going out on pasture. She gets plenty of exercise and she doesn’t get any grain.
As far as temperament and riding, I love them. Mine as well as my trainer’s (which are used as lesson horses), are always friendly and eager to go. They are very much people type horses and seem to enjoy being around humans.
Mine is fun to ride, extremely comfortable if a bit wide. Will she be a international dressage superstar? Of course not, then again, I’ll never be a international dressage rider so its all relative. However, she is certainly capable of going beyond 2nd level. So, while she may not be the flashiest horse in the ring and I doubt we will win any big events, she is obedient, willing, and certainly capable of earning qualifying scores for my bronze.
[QUOTE=carolprudm;8589611]
I rode one in Ireland and wouldn’t take him for a gift. He had a sewing machine/pile driver trot and the 'tude of"Who’s gonna make me?"
Try one or lots more before you get your heart set on one.[/QUOTE]
I’ve ridden a QH like that. I wouldn’t just decide “I wouldn’t take one for free” based on that.
I rode one in Ireland and wouldn’t take him for a gift.
She was talking about that particular horse. I am sure she knows good and well that she did not want him.Then mentions to try many of them if that is what she is set on. Read
Whatever you buy, OP, please make sure that you know all the negatives as well as the positives about the breed of the horse. For your own benefit as well as for the benefit of the horse.
[QUOTE=invinoveritas;8590541]
Whatever you buy, OP, please make sure that you know all the negatives as well as the positives about the breed of the horse. For your own benefit as well as for the benefit of the horse.[/QUOTE]
Yes, of course, everybody is very pleased to list any negatives they can think of real or imagined. That certainly makes sense and having horses in my life for 35 years this comes as no surprise.
This is just silly. A couple years back I started a very similar thread asking about fjords, and the responses were nothing like this thread, although fjords are also small drafty hairy horses…
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?436411-Fjord-horses
We had a young GV at the place I board at for about a year. He was absolutely adorable to look at, about 12h, but he was not the most pleasant horse. The owners paid a lot of money for a 1.5 year old colt for a mentally disabled girl to show in hand.
The vet was out constantly because of scratches and similar issues under all the feathers. They finally had to keep his lower legs shaved.
He was a biter, a kicker and growled the couple times they had to twitch him for the vet.
They gelded him about 6 months after he arrived and it didn’t improve his personality much. I think with the right handler he would have improved a lot but he was definitely not a horse for the inexperienced or the mentally disabled.
If you want a real Gypsy Vanner - go to Ireland and ask properly. If you’re lucky you might get someone that’ll sell you a horse. If you are really lucky you’ll get a horse that will bear some resemblance to the butterfly farting “fads” been falsely sold as Vanners [or by some as Gyspy Cobs].
Here’s a little bit of fact for those bashing the breed.
As like any old and/or rare breed it is very unusual for the locals to give outsiders a legit or even good quality specimen. Those wrinkley Shar Peis so popular in the pet shop would be considered bizarre [poorly bred] in China. Those fat Spanish mastiffs you sometimes see guarding livestock outside of Spain – bet the Spanish who sold them laugh like crazy as those heavy / fat dogs are actually house guardians (you’ll rarely find them on a Spanish farm) and the livestock type Spanish Mastiffs are a lot like Kangals and similarly designed breeds.
The “discoverers” of the Vanner were Americans who knew nothing about this type. And the farmer took advantage of that ignorance to make some quick hard cash.
See the thing is - 25-30+ years ago these heavy boned, high feathered “Vanners” didn’t exist among the “Gypsy” camps. Because seriously think about it - a horse that eats considerable amount of food / care is going to be kept by a people whom oftentimes had no money to their name and at times barely enough food for themselves. :lol:
As it is, their horses were light boned coldbloods and heavy warmbloods - and carriage [the trotters you’ll still sometimes see racing]. You could get some good trotting horses if you attended the right fairs.
But these mix blood “fads” sell, and they sell big, even if they aren’t the original or real breed - the original / true breed has existed for a long while by the way in Ireland.
Still I bet everyone who knows the truth has a good long hard laugh about the “cute as button” ponies.
Here’s some real Gypsy Vanners / Cobs - don’t even look close do they?
http://s23.postimg.org/wi3uw53kr/TINKERS.png
[QUOTE=IceThorn;8591350]
If you want a real Gypsy Vanner
Very interesting and thanks!
[QUOTE=IceThorn;8591350]
If you want a real Gypsy Vanner - go to Ireland and ask properly. If you’re lucky you might get someone that’ll sell you a horse. If you are really lucky you’ll get a horse that will bear some resemblance to the butterfly farting “fads” been falsely sold as Vanners [or by some as Gyspy Cobs].
Here’s a little bit of fact for those bashing the breed.
As like any old and/or rare breed it is very unusual for the locals to give outsiders a legit or even good quality specimen. Those wrinkley Shar Peis so popular in the pet shop would be considered bizarre [poorly bred] in China. Those fat Spanish mastiffs you sometimes see guarding livestock outside of Spain – bet the Spanish who sold them laugh like crazy as those heavy / fat dogs are actually house guardians (you’ll rarely find them on a Spanish farm) and the livestock type Spanish Mastiffs are a lot like Kangals and similarly designed breeds.
The “discoverers” of the Vanner were Americans who knew nothing about this type. And the farmer took advantage of that ignorance to make some quick hard cash.
See the thing is - 25-30+ years ago these heavy boned, high feathered “Vanners” didn’t exist among the “Gypsy” camps. Because seriously think about it - a horse that eats considerable amount of food / care is going to be kept by a people whom oftentimes had no money to their name and at times barely enough food for themselves. :lol:
As it is, their horses were light boned coldbloods and heavy warmbloods - and carriage [the trotters you’ll still sometimes see racing]. You could get some good trotting horses if you attended the right fairs.
But these mix blood “fads” sell, and they sell big, even if they aren’t the original or real breed - the original / true breed has existed for a long while by the way in Ireland.
Still I bet everyone who knows the truth has a good long hard laugh about the “cute as button” ponies.
Here’s some real Gypsy Vanners / Cobs - don’t even look close do they?
http://s23.postimg.org/wi3uw53kr/TINKERS.png
http://s27.postimg.org/puofsi2hv/VANNER_REAL.png
That’s very much the type of horse I remember seeing with the travellers when I was a kid - coloured but not a lot of feather or mane. We considered them very ‘common’ and nobody really wanted one for riding.
In the UK the travellers (mainly settled ones) are big into their Welsh Cob section Cs & Ds. For years I showed with and against them and they had some stunning horses. My current Welsh came from a traveller who bred some fabulous horses. My gripe with the great majority of their stock is that it was bred for looks and size, not temperament and soundness. The trotter racers are high percentage TB or SB with some welsh/hackney and a touch of cob for soundness = they go like stink usually road racing at 30mph+…
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45874000/jpg/_45874225__44857278_bb98d60f-0caf-4376-84c4-1eac57977547-1.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5YujvEWhV8
The coloured cobs bred by traveller types here and in Ireland, as a rule are small around the 13hh mark, coarse with poor feather, poor movement and are generally useless for most things with low value. Harsh I know but there are massive inbred herds flygrazing all over in very poor condition. Traditionally they were meat horses but Eastern Europe has pretty much taken over that market so their value is now next to nothing.
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/tag/fly-grazing
The average square cob here that most matches what I see as an American Gypsy Vanner would be a useful type that can turn their hoof to most things but won’t be a superstar at anything is valued as a riding school/ riding club/kids or nervous novice mount. However correct turnout will usually be feathers and mane clipped off (hogged) with the tail pulled and cut to just above the hocks. The do look very smart 
http://www.clipcloptraders.co.uk/Photos/Testimonials/MickeyBlueEyesTestimonial6.jpg
Your bigger coloureds are often Clydesdale crosses and they do have the hair - still draughty and in demand as Drum Horses for the Army bands. Other big coloureds are TB/ID/WB crosses are doing well as better quality riding and competition horses. They would be plaited and trimmed for the showring or hunting.
http://householdcavalry.info/images/Sparky01.jpg
As I age I would happily consider a workman like cob, coloured or not as my next horse but the clippers will be in use! Years of silly Welsh Cobs with lots of hair has been fun but slowing down is appealing…
When you talk about scratches do you mean what we would call mud fever? I use pig oil and sulphur to prevent/treat that and mites. Shire people also use it to keep feather silky and clean in our 9 months of the year mud!
http://localriding.com/image-files/equine-mud-fever.jpg
I have a 4yo that is the love of my life. He is a doll baby, easy as they come, and is the “perfect horse” for me. I could not ask for more and yes, he is majikal and does fart butterflies. Why would someone want a GV that didn’t?
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?489891-Everyone-Needs-A-Gypsy-Vanner
