The Irish Cob & Gypsy Cob - The Difference

The Irish Cob and Gypsy Cob are the same breed (Traditional Cob) and therefore share the same Traditional Cob breed characteristics (Breed Standard) - a stocky body, large joints, an abundance of mane and leg feather and being coloured or solid. 

However, although the Irish Cob and Gypsy Cob are the same breed (Traditional Cob), they are different because they are different Traditional Cob breed types. So, although Irish Cob and Gypsy Cobs have the same Traditional Cob Breed Standard, they also have their own defining Traditional Cob breed type characteristics (Breed Standards).

The Irish Cob

The Irish Cob (the Traditional Cob of Ireland) was developed in Ireland by Irish Travellers.

The Irish Cob​ – which is from medium to heavy boned and typically from 14.1 hands to 16.2 hands – is a ‘riding cob’ that can be driven, and therefore has a ‘riding cob’ structure with the sloped shoulder and chest (front) of the ‘riding cob’ and with a similar distance from the wither to the girth as from the girth to the ground. The Irish Cob is therefore a ‘riding cob’ with a shoulder and chest built to wear a saddle or a harness with a breastplate or collar. Being a 'riding cob' with size, and being from medium to heavy boned, the Irish Cob often has its mane and leg feathering removed, which transforms it into an exceptional ridden ‘show cob’ and/or hunter fit to carry the hunt master or huntsman.

The Gypsy Cob

The Gypsy Cob (the Traditional Cob of the UK) was developed in England (the UK) by Romani people (Romani Gypsies) who used the Traditional Cob of Ireland (Irish Cob) as the foundation breed to develop the Gypsy Cob.

The Gypsy Cob – which is heavy boned and typically from 13.1 hands to 15.2 hands – is a ‘driving cob’ that can be ridden, and therefore has a ‘driving cob’ structure. The Gypsy Cob is therefore different to the Irish Cob in the following ways: -

• Being a ‘driving cob’ the Gypsy Cob has a ‘driving cob’ front – a chest that is broader and more substantial that the Irish Cob and a shoulder that is more sloped than the Irish Cob with withers that are set further back than the Irish Cob and that would be rounder and broader than the Irish Cob. The substantial front of the Gypsy Cob can be ‘bullish’ appearance.
• Because the Gypsy Cob has a ‘driving cob’ shoulder that is more sloped than the Irish Cob and has withers that are set further back than the Irish Cob, the chest and front legs of the Gypsy Cob are set in a more forward position than the chest and front legs of the Irish Cob. As a result, the Gypsy Cob can have a more upright neck and head carriage than the Irish Cob and a shorter topline and longer underline than the Irish Cob. The Gypsy Cob is therefore a ‘carriage horse’ that is built to wear harness with a breastplate, rather than an ‘agricultural horse’ which has a straight (upright) shoulder and that is therefore built to wear a harness with a collar.
• Although the Gypsy Cob is ‘driving cob’ built to wear a harness with a breastplate, the Gypsy Cob can also wear a saddle. However, because of the Gypsy Cob’s ‘set back’ withers, the saddle can sit further back than it would on the Irish Cob, and combined with the more forward position of the chest and front legs of the Gypsy Cob, the girth placement can therefore be behind the usual girthing area.
• The overall appearance of the Gypsy Cob against an Irish Cob would be that the Gypsy Cob would be shorter-legged (but not always), stockier, stouter (in body and neck), deeper bodied, and bigger fronted than the Irish Cob. Because of the ‘set back’ withers of the Gypsy Cob, the back of the Gypsy Cob back can be shorter in the back than the Irish Cob with a croup than can also be shorter than the Irish Cob and that can have an angle that has a slightly steeper to the tail-set than the Irish Cob. The Gypsy Cob also has a 'sweeter' and more 'ponyish' head (often described as a 'Bambi head') and smaller ears than the Irish Cob (which should have a straight handsome riding cob head). The Gypsy Cob would typically have an even longer mane and even more feather than the Irish Cob. 

The Famous Foundation Stallions

The Irish Cob foundation stallions

Some of the famous Irish Cob breed foundation stallions from Ireland are The Lion King, The Road Sweeper, The Paddy Horse, The Coal Horse, Bob The Blagdon, The Sham, Shampoo Boy, The Lob-Eared Horse (aka The Lob), Old Henry, Eddie Alcocks Old Black Horse of Ireland, The Checkity Horse, The Old Horse Of Ireland, The Old Paddy Horse, The Kerry Horse, and Sonny Mays.

The Gypsy Cob foundation stallions 

It is the famous Irish Cob breed foundation stallions from Ireland as well as Irish Cob mares from Ireland that were used in England to breed the famous Gypsy Cob breed foundation stallions. Some of the famous Gypsy Cob breed foundation stallions are Vines Lloyds, Hercules (son of Vines Lloyds), Prince (son of Hercules), The Kerryman (son of Hercules), Bullseye (son of Bob The Blagdon), SD Tornado, and SD Rocking Horse.

NOTE: If you were to put the famous foundation Irish Cob stallions in a lineup and put them up against a lineup of the famous foundation Gypsy Cob stallions, the difference would be obvious between these two unique and distinctive (Irish and English) Traditional Cob breed types.

Irish Cob Breed Standard & history of the breed

https://www.traditionalcobregistry.com/breed/irish-cob

Gypsy Cob Breed Standard & history of the breed

https://www.traditionalcobregistry.com/breed/gypsy-cob