Gypsy Cob Breed Standard

Gypsy Cob Breed Standard

Author: Evelyn Flynn
Founder of The Traditional Cob Registry

BREED DESCRIPTION – The Gypsy Cob is a driving cob (which has the more laid-back shoulders and withers and more forward-built chest and forelegs attributed to the carriage horse) and not a work horse (which has the more upright and straight shoulders and forward-built withers attributed to agricultural horse). Although the Gypsy Cob is a driving cob, its docile temperament also makes it popular for riding.

GENERAL APPEARANCE – The Gypsy Cob is a compact, powerful, heavy driving cob with ample muscle and bone. The Gypsy Cob is a powerful yet agile driving cob with good depth of body and heart room.

TOPLINE - The head should be set on a powerful, well-crested neck that can be a little short and joined to laid back withers that can be quite low and even flat and round in appearance and that are joined to a back that should be short, broad, and sloping upwards to a very well-muscled croup that can also be a little short.  The top of the quarters should be well-muscled, broad and ample.  The angle of the spine from the croup to the tail can be a little steep.

BONE - The Gypsy Cob should be heavy boned (some allowance can be made for mares and geldings).

TEMPERAMENT - The Gypsy Cob should possess a docile and willing nature, with a friendly disposition towards humans and other animal species.  Displays of aggressive and threatening behaviour, such as ears back, kicking, biting, rearing and not being under control of the handler, will result in expulsion from the Show Ring.

HEIGHT – under 155cms (not exceeding 15.2 hands)

HEAD - should be sweet, neat, straight or slightly concave, in proportion to the rest of the horse and can taper a little towards a muzzle which should be generous.  The forehead should be broad and flat, and the cheek generous.

MOUTH - should have a level bite.

EYES - should be bold, open and set well apart.

EARS - should be small, neat, well set-on, and slightly curved in.

NECK - should be compact, not too short and should be very generously muscled, including the crest (stallion’s necks should be particularly well muscled and crested).

SHOULDERS - should have a driving cob structure and therefore be well sloped. The shoulders should also be deep, very powerful and well-muscled. The shoulder blades can be set a little far apart.

WITHERS - should have a driving cob structure and therefore reach further into the back than the riding cob. Because the shoulder blades can be set a little far apart, it can cause the withers to appear broad and/or round in appearance.

CHEST - should have a driving cob structure and therefore be well sloped. The front points of the shoulder/chest (Greater Tubercle) should therefore be set higher than the riding cob, which therefore has the effect of placing the forelegs in a more forward position than the riding cob. Because the chest can be very ample, powerful, well-muscled and broad, the chest can be “bullish” in appearance. 

BACK - should be short, straight, broad, well covered in muscle and flesh and slope gently upwards towards the croup.

HINDQUARTERS AND HIND LEGS – should be very generous, well-rounded, broad and powerful, with a well-muscled croup that can be a little short (but not too short) and have a slightly steep angle to the tail (too steep an angle from croup to tail set is a fault). The second thigh can be a little short, but should be coupled to good, straight, very powerful, ample hocks. The hind legs should be well boned and muscled.

BODY - should be short and compact with ribs that are well sprung to barrel shape.

FORELEGS - should be powerful and not too short.  The forearm can be a little short but should be reasonably muscled, and the shins (cannons) should be generously boned.

KNEES AND HOCKS - should be well developed and flat boned and be of generous dimensions. The knees and hocks should be in balance with the proportions of the horse.

FETLOCK JOINTS - should match the other joints in power, size and build.

PASTERNS - should be of sufficient bone and not too long (straight or over-angled pasterns are a fault).

HOOVES - should be well shaped, neat, balanced and of a size capable of carrying the frame of the horse without stress.

LEG HAIR/FEATHERING - Ample, thick, straight leg hair/feathering is a characteristic and decorative feature of the Gypsy Cob. Leg hair/feathering should fall from the back of the knees and hocks, down to a thick covering of hair/feathers on the heels. Leg hair/feathering should also fall over the front of the hoof, from at least the coronet. Thick leg feathering can also fall from the front of the knees. 

MANE AND TAIL - should be straight, thick, luxuriant and capable of growing to a substantial length.

MOVEMENT - should have good action and appear sound and free from obvious hereditary defects.

COLOUR - Although the Gypsy Cob can be any colour, blagdon followed by piebald are the most typical.