AGHBA Horse
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ANNOUNCER
BEGIN HERE:
The American Gypsy Horse Breed Association is
pleased to have this opportunity to share with you
the beauty, magic, charm and versatility that is the
hallmark of a unique horse…a horse bred by the Gypsy
people. This magical horse encompasses the color and
beauty of the Gypsy culture and combines it with a
kindness and substance seldom seen in other horses.
Gypsies have had horses for as long as their culture
has been in existence but the horse we recognize
today as the Gypsy Cob or Gypsy Vanner has only
emerged within the past 50 years. In the mid 1900’s,
the Gypsy breeders began infusing the blood of the
Clydesdale and Shire horses, which gave the breed
bone and feather. They then introduced the
bloodlines of the Dale and Fell ponies for their
economical use of forage and more manageable size.
By the early 70’s, a breed type was becoming
established.
These horses were used in nearly every aspect of the
Gypsy’s life. Traveling the roads and often cared
for by children, it was essential that the horses be
strong, kind and have a willing disposition. They
also had to be of a hardy nature, sound and easily
kept, as there were no special provisions made for
food or shelter. The horses lived on the vacant land
and grass strips found next to the road.
Easily recognized, these sturdy little horses come
in nearly all colors and most have pinto markings.
The Gypsy Horse has a sweet head with a kind eye and
neat ears, a short well-muscled back, well-sprung
ribs, deep shoulders with a good slope, and powerful
rounded hindquarters. They will have substantial
bone that is flat, clean and dense and a generous
foot with thick walls and open heels. Thick manes
typically fall below the shoulder and tails drag the
ground. The crowning glory on a good Gypsy horse is
the abundance of silky feather. Though you can find
horses ranging from 11 hands up to 16 hands, they
typically stand between 14 and 15 hands.
Originally bred to pull the caravans, Gypsy horses
excel at driving but are also being used for nearly
all riding disciplines and can be found throughout
Europe and the Unites States doing everything from
pleasure riding and driving, CDE driving, trail
riding, dressage, hunt seat, jumping, cattle sorting
and ranch work. Many are used as safe mounts for the
novice.
The American Gypsy Horse Breed Association is a
mission based organization motivated to educate the
public, promote the breed, and make benevolent
contributions of Gypsy horses to worthy causes such
as therapeutic riding, horses for health, inner city
youth organizations, and other groups that might
benefit from these special horses. Funds to support
these interests are raised through our Angel Baby
Program.
To help the funding of our Angel Baby program, the
Association is sponsoring a Gypsy horse raffle for
Lord Duncan, a 2 year old gelding. Lord Duncan was
donated by Happy Camp Cobs of Moorpark, Ca. He will
be delivered to the winner, free of charge, anywhere
in the continental United States. The drawing will
be held on October 14th, 2007, at the Georgia
Feathered Horse Classic.
The members of the American Gypsy Horse Breed
Association thank you for joining us in celebrating
this wonderful breed. We invite you to visit our
website at www.aghba.org for more information on the
Association, our Angel Baby Program, the breed and
on breeders in your area.
© Copyright
2007 American Gypsy Horse Breed Association.
All Rights Reserved.
Long Script
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(Adobe Acrobat .pdf)
ANNOUNCER BEGIN HERE:
The American Gypsy Horse Breed Association is
pleased to have this opportunity to share with you
the beauty, magic, charm and versatility that is the
hallmark of a unique horse…a horse bred by the Gypsy
people. A relatively new breed…dreamed of and
created by a culture known for its appreciation of
bold colors, vibrant artwork and mysticism. The
Gypsy’s horse reflects his flamboyant appreciation
of life. This magical horse encompasses the color
and beauty of the gypsy culture and combines it with
a kindness and substance seldom seen in other
horses. Never before has a breed so touched the
human heart and inspired such emotion and
imagination.
Gypsies have had horses for as long as their culture
has been in existence but the horse we recognize
today as the Gypsy Cob or Gypsy Vanner has only
emerged within the past 50 years. In the mid 1900’s,
the Gypsy breeders began infusing the blood of the
Clydesdale and Shire horses, which gave the breed
bone and feather. They then introduced the
bloodlines of the Dale and Fell ponies for their
economical use of forage and more manageable size.
By the early 70’s, a breed type was becoming
established and some magnificent foundation stock
had been produced. These horses were used in nearly
every aspect of the Gypsy’s life, from pulling the
colorful wagons known as Vardos, which were the
Gypsies’ homes, to pulling the smaller wagons called
drays (flat carts), which were used for work. A
Gypsy’s horses were his means of travel, his means
of employment and his greatest source of pride.
Traveling the roads and often cared for by children,
it was essential that the horses be strong, kind and
have a willing disposition. They also had to be of a
hardy nature, sound and easily kept, as there were
no special provisions made for food or shelter. The
horses lived on the vacant land and grass strips
found next to the road. The Gypsies take great pride
in the horses they breed and use themselves.
While the traveling people have now settled into
more modern housing, occasionally you can still find
the horse-drawn caravan on the roads. And even
though the travelling lifestyle is no longer a way
of life, Gypsies often attend many of the weekend
horse fairs either to buy, sell or just flash their
horses. Weekends that do not have a horse fair often
see the Gypsy families gathering together for what
they call a drive. A drive usually consists of
meeting at a prearranged site, forming a line and
driving a ten mile circuit. These drives will
include dozens of horses pulling everything from the
exquisitely ornate, traditional living wagon to the
handsomely carved and painted flat carts, or drays,
or even breaking carts and racing sulkies. Before
and after the drive is a time for families to visit
and compare horses. The Gypsies may not live on the
road these days but traveling is still very much a
part of their heritage and the weekend drives keep
that heritage a part of their lives.
With the importation of these mystical horses to the
United States and Europe, the Gypsy people have had
a revival of inspiration to continue to breed and
improve the quality of their stock, as the demand
for the breed and its versatility is becoming
renowned world-wide.
The Gypsy-bred horse is often used by non-Gypsy
families as a great all around horse. Many are used
as safe and sane mounts for the novice and many
riding schools and trekking centers also use these
kind and willing partners.
Easily recognized, these sturdy little horses come
in nearly all colors and most have pinto markings.
Though black and white is still the most prevalent
color, you can also find them in red, buckskin,
palomino, grey and even the occasional Appaloosa
spot. Like most horses of high color, blue eyes are
fairly common and can lend a mystical look beneath
an incredibly long and flowing foretop. The Gypsy
horse has a sweet head with a kind eye and neat
ears, a short well-muscled back, well-sprung ribs,
deep shoulders with a good slope, and powerful
rounded hindquarters. They will have substantial
bone that is flat, clean and dense and a generous
foot with thick walls and open heels.
With less need for the larger, draft type of horse,
Gypsies now prefer a smaller cob or pony type with
an active and speedy trot. When these horses are not
used for working, the Gypsies love to “flash” them
in front of onlookers. The Gypsies strive to add
amazing amounts of hair with each generation of
stock. Thick manes that typically fall below the
shoulder and tails that drag the ground are only the
beginning. The crowning glory on a good Gypsy horse
is the abundance of silky feather. Though you can
find horses ranging from 11 hands up to 16 hands,
they typically stand between 14 and 15 hands.
When showing a Gypsy horse, it is encouraged to
present the horse in its natural state. Hair is
highly prized and the long, full manes, tails and
beautiful feather should be emphasized as much as
possible.
Clipping should be kept to a minimum, if done at
all, and should not be more than the ears, muzzle,
chin and possibly a very small bridle path. The
mane, tail and feather should never be clipped,
thinned or pulled. The feather does require some
care to maintain its most luxuriant look. Heavy mud
or poor ground conditions can adversely affect its
appearance. Care should also be taken to keep the
skin beneath the feather clean and healthy.
For years, the Gypsy horse suffered a certain lack
of appreciation from within the mainstream
equestrian society. Recently, however, they have
developed an enthusiastic following throughout
Europe and North America and they have even made
their way to Australia, Mexico, and South America.
The beauty of these horses is surpassed only by
their gentle and intelligent nature, making them now
highly sought after outside the Gypsy community.
Coming from a culture that traditionally has not
kept written records, the best bloodlines were all
kept and recorded only in memory. Many horses
without specific names, other horses with names like
the Lob Eared horse, the Horseshoe Mare, the Teddy
Mare, the Roadsweeper and the General being
considered some of the best of the breed.
Generations of breeding have been handed down father
to son without the aid of accepted means of
documentation. With the now widespread popularity of
the breed, crossing not only international borders
but also cultural boundaries, it became imperative
that proper parentage verification be administered
and documented. DNA testing has been established to
form a modern data bank and many people have worked
countless hours to ensure the colorful history and a
bright future is preserved for this wonderful breed.
While most of the mature horses have been imported
either from the United Kingdom or Ireland, there are
now nearly 1,000 horses currently in the United
States, with the number growing every year.
Originally bred to pull the caravans, they excel at
driving but are also being used for nearly all
riding disciplines and can be found throughout
Europe and the Unites States doing everything from
pleasure riding and driving, CDE driving, trail
riding, dressage, hunt seat, jumping, cattle sorting
and ranch work.
The American Gypsy Horse Breed Association is a
mission based organization motivated to educate the
public, promote the breed, and make benevolent
contributions of Gypsy horses to worthy causes such
as therapeutic riding, horses for health, inner city
youth organizations, and any and all organizations
who might benefit from and care for one of these
special horses. Through our program called Angel
Baby, which is in direct support of these causes,
our hope is to raise enough funds to support these
interests. To help the funding of our Angel Baby
program, the Association is sponsoring a Gypsy horse
raffle for Lord Duncan, a 2 year old gelding.
Lord Duncan was donated to the American Gypsy Horse
Breed Association by Happy Camp Cobs of Moorpark,
Ca. He will be delivered to the winner, free of
charge, anywhere in the continental United States.
The drawing will be held on October 14th, 2007, at
the Georgia Feathered Horse Classic.
The members of the American Gypsy Horse Breed
Association invite you to visit our website at
www.aghba.org where you will find more information
on the Association, our Angel Baby program, the
breed and on breeders in your area. Thank you for
joining us in celebrating this wonderful breed.
© Copyright
2007 American Gypsy Horse Breed Association.
All Rights Reserved.
