There are around nine to ten thousand Gypsy Horses in the UK, however only about 20 % of those are the selectively bred Gypsy Vanner.
| 1. Where does the Gypsy Vanner Horse come from? The Gypsy Vanner comes from England, Wales, and Ireland. These horses can now be found in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France and a few other countries. |
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2. How many Gypsy Vanners are there?
There are around nine to ten thousand Gypsy Horses in the UK, however only about 20 % of those are the selectively bred Gypsy Vanner. |
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| 3. How many Gypsy Vanners are in the United States?
Although there are about 1700 Gypsy Horses here in the US, only about 950 of those are Gypsy Vanner Horses. |
| 4. Is the Gypsy Vanner the same as the Gypsy Cob, Irish Cob,
Irish Tinker, or the Drum Horse?
The Gypsy Vanner differs from the Cob and the Tinker in that it is much more selectively bred, and generally a higher quality of horse. The Drum Horse is also not a Gypsy Vanner; it is generally a cross between a Gypsy Cob and a Shire or Clydesdale. |
| 5. What can a Gypsy Vanner do?
The Gypsy Vanner was bred by the Gypsies to pull their caravans, so they excel at driving. They are also good for dressage, pleasure riding, children's mounts, low jumping, and have even been used on occasion for cutting cattle. |
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| 6. What kind of temperament does the Gypsy Vanner have?
Gypsy Vanners are extremely gentle. These horses were bred by the Gypsies only partially for looks - the other part was for gentleness. Gypsy children are often found crawling over and around the Gypsy Vanners. |
| 7. How big is the Gypsy Vanner Horse?
The average height is 14.2, but they range anywhere from 12.2 to 16 hh. They usually weigh between 1,100 to 1,700 pounds. |
| 8. What colors do the Gypsy Vanner come in?
Gypsy Vanners come in all colors. The most common colors, however, are piebald (black and white) and skewbald (brown and white). All colors are accepted. |
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| 9. Is the Gypsy Vanner Horse a registered breed?
Yes. The registry is called the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society, which was originally founded by Dennis and Cindy Thompson. It is now run by a Board of Directors. The registry is currently open to any horse that meets the seven points of conformation. |
Last photo is copyright Mark J. Barrett 2005, www.markjbarrett.com.