I first saw a so-called Gypsy horse (which was developed by the Romany, or "Gypsy" Travelers of Wales, England and Ireland) about a year ago, in an ad in the back of Horse Illustrated magazine. Granted, with its stout build, massive mane and tail, and heavily feathered legs and feet, the striking piebald stallion would be tough to miss — like most of his Gypsy cohorts, he was an automatic attention-getter. So when I discovered that an Arkansas breeder of Gypsy Vanners would be attending the spring Horse Festival at the UA's Pauline Whitaker Arena in Fayetteville, I couldn't resist the chance to check out a Gypsy horse for myself.
Dedrah and John Wallk raise Gypsy Vanners at their Autumn Ridge Ranch in Gassville. They brought two of their herd — Oakfield Miss Minnie, one of two broodmares; and Minnie's Traveller, a yearling stallion — to the Fayetteville show. Although I was able to spend some one-on-one time talking to Dedrah about the Vanners, I had to fight a fairly constant crowd to get to her — the Vanners were one of the most popular draws at the show (the other big draw was the Friesian — which is actually a cousin to the Vanner).
What I learned is that not all Gypsies are created equal...
— Lisa Broadwater
Horsemen's Roundup: What got you interested in Gypsy Vanners?
Dedrah Wallk: We were looking for something new and a bit different. We really liked their rarity and their looks — they're just so attractive. And we were looking for something a little flashy.
HR: What's your background, horsewise?
DW: Boarding, Quarter horses, trails. But we wanted to go in a little bit different direction. I see a lot of that with this breed. Believe it or not, a lot of dog-showing owners are getting into these horses. I think they're interested in the flash of the Vanner.
And a lot of people are interested because of the small size. The classic Vanner is 14 to 15 hands. You also have a Mini, which this mare is; she's 13'3. Minis are anywhere from 12 hands to under 14. Then there are Grand Vanners, which are 15 on up. But you'd be hard-pressed to find one over 16.
HR: Tell me a little bit about the history of the Vanner.
DW: They're a mix of Shires, Dales ponies and Friesians. About 50 years ago, the English Gypsies had a much bigger, drafty-type horse, and they were looking for something smaller and flashy enough to match their colorful caravans. So they started breeding to the Dales ponies, where they dropped their size down.
HR: They were primarily used for driving?
DW: Absolutely. And as the Gypsies evolved, and less and less were using the caravans — they were finding stationary places to live and commuting with the horses — that's when they went to the smaller size.
HR: How old is the breed?
DW: The vision was probably complete about 40 years ago, so it's really new.
HR: Is it strictly in England?
DW: Yes. There are Gypsy-type horses all over, but this conformation is strictly there.
HR: What does Vanner mean?
DW: A Gypsy would say, 'That's a proper Vanner' if it's a horse that would be suited to pull their caravan.
HR: As in cara-vanner?
DW: Yeah.
HR: So how has the breed evolved from its strictly Gypsy days?
DW: In 1996, the first one came over here to the States. Dennis and Cindy Thompson brought the first Vanner here, to Ocala, Florida. They started the American registry, the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society [www.gypsyvannerhorse.com]. They're the ones holding very steadfast to the conformation.
HR: Is it like the Friesian, with very specific color requirements?
DW: No. Right now, there are seven points of conformation: 1. Short back in proportion to overall body, short distance between last rib to point of hip; 2: a broad chest; 3. heavy, well-rounded hips; slab-sided or severely sloping hind-quarters are considered a fault; 4. heavy, flat bone at knee, ample hooves; small, contracted hooves are considered a fault; 5. feathering that begins at the knees or near the hocks, extending over the front of the hooves; ample to abundant mane and tail; 6. a sweet head: fine head on a strong neck in harmony with the horse's overall look; 7. disposition: the horse should exhibit traits of intelligence, kindness and docility; overly aggressive behavior should be considered a fault.
The breed is so new, that's all it is — those seven points. Actually, there's a whole controversy going on with these horses. There's a gentleman who's bringing in what they call knacker horses from Great Britain. Those are horses the Gypsies don't consider suitable to pull their caravans; they use them for riding, but they're not their pride and joy.
And although he's bringing in some quality horses, buyer beware — there are lesser-quality horses coming in under this broad "Gypsy horse" label, which encompasses much more than the Vanner. There are tons of Gypsy-type horses [such as the Gypsy Cob, Irish Cob, Irish Tinker and Drum Horse]. But only the Vanner meets those seven points of conformation. And any Gypsy Vanner coming in through the Society now is being pre-qualified and pre-registered over there, with Gypsy Horse International.
My best recommendation is if you're looking for breeding stock, stick with the Vanner — unless your intentions are to cross-breed. Then one of those other Gypsy horses would be fine. Because there are very few registered Gypsy Vanner horse breeders who would sell a horse knowing it was to cross-breed, because they want them to remain pure.
HR: How many Vanners are there in the States?
DW: There are 150 registered [and between two and three thousand Gypsy horses in the UK]. They have very strict guidelines about importing colts and stallions. If they don't think they're of the quality, they're gelding them before they come over. You can upgrade a mare — you can breed her to a really good stallion and get some good results. But they're really trying to protect the stallion population. Right now, there are probably eight really good stallions in the States.
HR: Where did you get your Vanners?
DW: A breeder in Wales, through the registry. We couldn't go over there, so we wanted to make sure it was reputable. So we entrusted Dennis Thompson.
We actually bought the horses sight unseen. I would estimate that about 80 percent of the horses are bought that way. We started looking, called a lot of people and asked a lot of questions. When we found out about Dennis and what he was trying to do with the breed — keeping it pure, keeping all the characteristics that make this bred what it is — we knew that was the direction we wanted to go. We were en route to Florida anyway for something else, so we stopped to visit Dennis and Cindy. And that sealed the deal for us.
We didn't see our horses there, but we did a Gypsy Vanner for the first time. And Dennis highly recommended the people we were considering buying from. So we contacted them.
HR: How did you choose your horses?
DW: We did it all online. When we got the details about the horses, we asked to see a video. Because one thing you won't see in a photo is temperament — and it's still iffy on a video. But that gave us a much better idea about the horses we were looking at. Dennis had seen Minnie, the first horse we bought, on one of his trips to Wales, and he was very familiar with the horse; she is a sister to his first horse.
HR: How expensive is shipping?
DW: It depends. For a gelding, it's probably about $5,000, plus insurance. Breeding stock is more expensive. Stallions, you can go up to $8,000 — just to get the horse over here. For mares, shipping ranges from about $6,000 to $6,500. A breeding mare under 2 is a little less expensive because they're not of breeding age yet and don't have to stay in the extended quarantine. (Breeding stock over 2 are in a government quarantine for three days and then up to 20 days in an extended-disease-type quarantine.) From there, you either pick them up or arrange to have them transported to you.
We picked up Minnie and Traveller in Maryland and had our third mare transported.
HR: So you've really got to want one.
DW: The good thing is the numbers are growing in the States, and that takes away a lot of the hassle. It also allows the flexibility of seeing the horse. We did it because the numbers weren't here. But now — unless you're looking for something specific, a new bloodline or something like that — you don't have to.
HR: What have you learned about Vanners so far?
DW: That just about everything we were told about them is true. There are a lot of things about the feathers you have to take care of — mites and moisture and that kind of stuff. They love to roll; they're happy in mud. Our other mare, I swear, is part-pig.
But they're a very laid-back, very lovable breed.
HR: Tell me more about the personality.
DW: That's a critical part of these horses. They're really laid-back — that's the Shire influence. The slogan of the Vanner is that it's the Labrador of the equine community. They're a part of the family. They really, really want to please.
We also have Quarter horses, for example, and we love them too; but the Vanner is different. They're very eager to interact. That's what we really love about them.
HR: What are they like to ride?
DW: I've ridden a friend's, but I haven't ridden Minnie yet; she's only broke to drive. They wanted me to do that first to get her comfortable with pulling and all that, and then break her to drive.
They have a nice easy trot. You're not gonna get them long-term to do more than trot; they're drafts. But we've seen a lot of interest in dressage and are seeing a lot of 50-plus women wanting to ride them. I have two friends who have Friesians, and they like that look. I had one friend tell me she was tired of having to find something to step up on to get on the horse.
HR: What's the difference in a Vanner and Cob?
DW: The Cob wasn't bred from that vision that the English Gypsies had. They don't meet the seven points of conformation.
HR: Do they look the same?
DW: Pretty much. You'll see Paints. But a lot of people think a Vanner is always black and white. Mostly in the States, that's what everybody wants. But there's brown and white [skewbald]; some look a lot like Clydesdales, they'll be all black with white underbellies, white under the chin and white feet. There are also blue roans and strawberry roans.
HR: Who's suited to owning a Vanner?
DW: Someone who's laid-back and relaxed, who really wants companionship — because they're going to become a friend. Honestly, I don't think a high-strung person should have one; I think they'd make the horse nervous.
HR: Do they have any quirks?
DW: Yes. They like to paw. And their favorite treat is old bread. I didn't believe it, but we had a friend who had just come back from England tell us to try it and they almost jumped the fence to come get it!
HR: Do they need a lot of room?
DW: No. We're running them on a one-acre paddock. The Arkansas sun is hard on them and it bleaches them out really bad. So if the mare is out, we keep her blanketed. We usually put them out about 3:30 or 4 o'clock and they're out until after feeding. And they're happy with that.
HR: They don't mind stalling?
DW: Now, some of the ones who come over from England have never been in a stall. Some have never been handled. Because what has happened is, the Gypsies have the ones they use and then they have their breeding stock. Most don't use them for both, except when they're wanting to strut their Corvettes to the other Gypsies.
So some have no stalling experience, and it can be a huge issue. Trailering can be a huge issue. Farrier work can be a huge issue.
HR: Did you have trouble finding a farrier willing to work on them?
DW: We had two that said no. Then we found one who said, "Yes, but you need to work with the horses first and you need to get them comfortable with it." Now he enjoys it.
HR: And how are their feet?
DW: Incredibly hardy. Minnie isn't shod, but we haven't taken her out on hard surfaces very much. The trainer recommended that we keep her without shoes for a while to help her spread more.
HR: What disciplines aren't they suited for?
DW: Rodeo events, speed events. They will do whatever it takes to please you. And if you ask them to go, they will go — even if they're exhausted. One thing the woman from England said is they shave their feathers [when they use them for jumping and foxhunting] because with all this extra hair, they have a hard time expelling heat. So you need to be very careful about that.
HR: What about price?
DW: It depends on your goal. A Gypsy Vanner gelding probably starts around $13,000. Stallions are few and far between, so you're gonna pay at least $25,000-$35,000, unless you buy them young. Traveller, for example, is $15,000; and that price will probably change when he's reevaluated at 2.
Mares have the flexibility of not having all the conformation points because they can be upgraded, but you're probably looking at $15,000-$30,000, depending. Fillies go for more than colts; yearlings start around $13,000.
HR: Are you seeing much interest in them?
DW: Incredible interest. And once someone sees them in person — once they interact with them— there's a big difference. They love their disposition, their temperament, their movement.
When they start moving, it's really, really pretty. They remind me of driving horses. The trainer said it would take a while to get Minnie's head up; they really are more comfortable down. He said we should gradually bring it up and it would eventually have a nice arch on it.
HR: Do you have fun with them?
DW: Oh my gosh. Driving them — I've never had more fun in my life. Minnie just came back from training, so we'll be in the arena for a while. But I really want to ride her.
HR: Was it difficult finding a trainer for her?
DW: Yeah, where we are [near Mountain Home]. Everybody up there is into Quarter horses. So we went up to Sarcoxie, Missouri, to an Arabian breeder.
HR: Why an Arabian trainer?
DW: We had a friend who has Arabians in town. We didn't want the draft training, with the head down; we wanted to get more refined training, so we thought Arabian would be the way to go.
Being 6 years old, she has already developed a personality and attitude of who she is, which makes training her a bit more difficult. But if you start them at 2, you have no problem.
HR: What do you think is most important for people who are interested in Vanners to know about them?
DW: Learn as much as you can about the breed. If you're going to purchase one, make sure you know what you're getting. Go with someone you trust, because there are a lot of people out there right now selling Gypsy horses, but they aren't all Vanners.
Some people have started breeding them with hotbloods to get sport horses. But the first things to leave the breed are the feathers and the temperament. So to get that higher performance, you're losing what makes the breed.
HR: What do you enjoy most about them?
DW: The companionship. I love seeing the response as they learn. They're really smart, and they're really easy learners. Once they realize what you're asking of them, you can see the wheels turn and see it all happen. And being able to show, and meet so many people as I introduce the breed. I love that.
If you'd like to check out a Gypsy Vanner for yourself, the Walks will be at Hoof Fest at the White County Fairgrounds in Searcy on May 21-23; they'll also be at Equifair in Memphis's Shelby Farms Show Place Arena in October. Or you can visit them online at www.autumngypsy.com or by phone at (870) 430-5925.