Gypsy Cob

AUTHOR: 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 more forward-built withers attributed to agricultural horse). Although the Gypsy Cob is a driving cob, its active movement and docile temperament also make it popular for riding.

GENERAL APPEARANCE

The Gypsy Cob is a compact, powerful, medium to heavy boned driving cob with ample muscle and bone, and a 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

Up to 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 and well set on.

NECK

Should be compact and not too short. The neck should also be very generously muscled, including the crest (stallions’ 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 broad, deep, very powerful and well-muscled. The shoulder blades can be set a little far apart on each side of the withers.

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 on each side of the withers, it can cause the withers to appear broad and/or round in appearance. Because the withers can have little or no obvious protrusion, it can give the withers the appearance of being quite flat.

CHEST

Should have a driving cob structure and therefore be well sloped. The front points of the shoulder/chest (Greater Tubercle) should be set higher than the riding cob, which 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, 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 in front and behind, and appear sound and free from obvious hereditary defects.

COLOUR

The Gypsy Cob can be any colour.

NOTE: A Gypsy Cob is still a Gypsy Cob even if it has had its mane and/or leg hair/feathering removed.

HISTORY OF THE GYPSY COB

Gypsy Cob

To understand the Gypsy Cob Breed Standard, it is important to know the history of the breed and, therefore, why the Gypsy Cob is a driving cob that can be ridden.

The Gypsy Cob was developed by Romani people in Wales and England (UK), by selectively breeding Ireland’s original Traditional Cob (Irish Cob) to maximise the stockiness and very heavy bone and feather that The Lion King, The Lob, The Old Black Horse (and other such stallions) brought to the Irish Cob, to reduce the height of the Irish Cob, and to add driving cob characteristics attributed to the Welsh Cob including more of of a driving cob type shoulder, withers and chest and a sweeter (‘Welsh type’) head. The Gypsy Cob is mostly Small (Pony) sized (13.1 hands to 14.1 hands) and Mini (Pony) sized (under 13 hands), but is also Standard (Cob) sized (14.2 hands to 15.2 hands).

Romani people (who were historically referred to as Gypsies) are officially recognised as Roma. Some of the famous Gypsy Cob stallions bred in England (UK) by Roma are Vines Lloyds, Hercules (son of Vines Lloyds), Bullseye (son of Bob The Blagdon), SD Tornado, SD Rocking Horse, and SD Wooly Mammoth. However, Prince, The Kerryman and The Earthshaker (all sons of Hercules) were born in Ireland (ROI).

NOTE: Although the Irish Cob and Gypsy Cob are the same breed (Traditional Cob) and therefore share the same unique Traditional Cob breed characteristics – a powerful compact build with ample muscle and bone, large joints and an abundance of leg hair/feathering and a luxuriant mane and tail capable of growing to a substantial length – the main difference between the two Traditional Cob breed types is structural. Whereas the Irish Cob is a riding cob that can be driven, the Gypsy Cob is a driving cob that can be ridden.

Modern Gypsy Cob

Since the 2000s, the Gypsy Cob has become modernised. Not only does the modern Gypsy Cob have a wider range of colour, but it is also regarded as more refined ('showier') than the original Gypsy Cob.

Although the original Gypsy Cob has been modernised, the modern Gypsy Cob has retained the driving cob structure (the dimensions and proportions attributed to the driving cob, including the driving cob shoulder and chest) of the original Gypsy Cob and therefore also the emphasised movement action of the original Gypsy Cob. Although the modern Gypsy Cob has a sweet head, it may not be quite as sweet as the head of the original Gypsy Cob.