The Traditional Cob

The Traditional Cob

Traditional Cob is the group name for Irish Cobs & Gypsy Cobs

GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGINS

Irish Cob
Ireland / Republic of Ireland

Gypsy Cob
Great Britain / England, Scotland & Wales

BREED CREATION & DEVELOPMENT

Irish Cob

The Irish Cob is the first Traditional Cob breed type (original Traditional Cob), created in Ireland by Irish Travellers who were historically referred to as Tinkers.

Some of the famous Irish Cob stallions born in 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. 

Gypsy Cob

The Gypsy Cob is the second Traditional Cob breed type, which was developed in Great Britain by Romani people who were historically referred to as Gypsies. Romani people developed the Gypsy Cob by selectively breeding Ireland's original Traditional Cob (Irish Cob), to maximise the stockiness and heavy bone and feather of the Irish Cob, to reduce the height of the Irish Cob, and to add driving cob characteristics attributed to the Welsh Cob – including a more driving cob type shoulder, withers and chest and a sweeter ‘Welsh type’ head.

Some of the famous Gypsy Cob stallions born in Great Britain or in Ireland are: Vine’s Lloyds (born in Great Britain), Hercules (son of Vine’s Lloyds born in Great Britain), Bullseye (son of Bob The Blagdon born in Great Britain), SD Big News (son of Bullseye born in Great Britain), Prince (son of Hercules born in Ireland), Earthshaker (son of Hercules born in Ireland), The Kerryman (a full brother to Hercules born in Ireland), SD Streetfighter (born in Great Britain), SD Wooly Mammoth (born in Great Britain), SD The Rocking Horse (born in Great Britain), Warrior (born in Great Britain), and Top Gun (born in Great Britain).  

NOTE: Although the Gypsy Cob is in itself a unique Traditional Cob breed type, Gypsy Cob was also another name given to the Irish Cob from the time the Traditional Cob became known outside of  Ireland and Great Britain in the early 1990s.

OTHER TRADITIONAL COB NAMES  

Tinker

Tinker is another name for the Irish Cob, given in the Netherlands and Germany from the time the Traditional Cob became known outside of Ireland and Great Britain in the early 1990s.

Although the very first Traditional Cob register in the world (The Irish Cob Studbook) was officially recognised in Ireland (in the country of the origin of the breed) on 18 July 1996, because The Irish Cob Studbook was the very first Traditional Cob register in the world, on 16 July 1998, The Irish Cob Society in Ireland was officially approved to maintain the Irish Cob Studbook as the European Union recognised studbook of the origin of the breed (‘mother’ studbook).

However, in October 1999, The Dutch Studbook for Tinkers NSvT was officially approved in the Netherlands (which is not the breed's country of origin) to maintain a second studbook of the origin of the breed ('mother' studbook) for Ireland's Irish Cob, but under a different breed name. Not only has this caused confusion, but it has also depleted the number of Irish Cobs that would have been registered in the true ‘mother’ studbook in Ireland, and/or in its ‘daughter’ studbooks in other European Union Member States.    

 Gypsy Vanner Horse 

Gypsy Vanner Horse is another name for the Irish Cob, given in the United States of America from the time the Traditional Cob became known outside of Ireland and Great Britain in 1996.

Although the very first Traditional Cob register in the world (The Irish Cob Studbook) was officially recognised in Ireland (in the country of origin of the breed) on 18 July 1996, the second recognised Traditional Cob register in the world (The Gypsy Vanner Horse Register) was founded in the United States of America on 24 November 1996 by the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society.

However, although Gypsy Gold Horse Farm recognises the fact that the great founder Gypsy Vanner stallions were from Ireland, Gypsy Gold Horse Farm wrongly promotes Ireland (the Republic of Ireland) as part of Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales), and also wrongly promotes 'Travelers' (Irish Travellers who created the Irish Cob in Ireland)  and ‘Gypsies’ (Romani people who developed the Gypsy Cob in Great Britain by sectively breeding Irish Cobs from Ireland) as the same people from Great Britain. 

All TRADITIONAL COBS HAVE IRISH ROOTS

Because Ireland is the country of origin of the Traditional Cob, all Traditional Cobs in the world—no matter which Traditional Cob breed type they are (Irish Cob or Gypsy Cob) or no matter what Traditional Cob breed name they are registered under (Irish Cob, Gypsy Cob, Tinker, Gypsy Vanner Horse, Gypsy)—are either Traditional Cobs from Ireland or the descendants of Traditional Cobs from Ireland. All Traditional Cobs in the world therefore share the same Irish ancestral roots.