Buy Gypsy Cob

Looking for a Gypsy Cob for sale? This compact, strongly built horse has a long mane and tail, heavy feathering on the lower legs and, very often, a bold piebald or skewbald coat. It was bred by Irish Traveller and Romany families in Ireland and Britain, and you will also see it advertised as a Traditional Gypsy Cob, a coloured cob or an Irish Cob. Buyers look for one because it is sensible, sociable and built to carry a family, for hacking or for driving. On Paardplaats you can browse the horses for sale, or place an ad for your own.

The story starts with the vardo, the horse-drawn living wagon. From the middle of the nineteenth century Travellers in Britain lived and travelled in them, and they needed strong, sound, good-natured horses to pull the load and carry the family. Coloured horses became fashionable in the twentieth century, and the type took shape after the Second World War. The Dales Pony shaped the type and size most, with some Fell Pony; Shire and Clydesdale blood added bone and feather, and the Welsh Cob (Section D) improved the trot. Pedigrees were passed on by word of mouth until the first studbooks of 1996.

That history explains the many names. Mainland Europe calls the breed Tinker, but in Britain and Ireland "tinker" is an offensive word for Travellers, which is why British owners use the other names. Americans say Gypsy Vanner. The Traditional Gypsy Cob Association keeps a British studbook, and the Irish Cob Society, founded in 1998, inspects horses and keeps a studbook with sections by height. The societies disagree about which studbook is the original, and passports from one are not automatically accepted by another, so read the papers rather than the label.

Size varies enormously. The Irish Cob Society sections run from pony, about 128 to 148 cm, through small horse, about 149 to 159 cm, to horse, about 160 to 170 cm, and horses of roughly 1.45 to 1.55 m are in particular demand. Some studbooks distinguish cob, vanner and grai types: smaller and heavier, taller, and lighter and more refined. Look for a strong neck, deep chest, sloping shoulder, short back, rounded quarters, flat heavy bone and good hooves, with a kind head rather than a heavy, ram-like one. Piebald and skewbald are the classics, but solid colours occur too, as does the blagdon, a solid horse with white splashes on the belly. Judge conformation, movement, legs and character first, and colour and hair last. Match size and substance to the rider; a small horse is not automatically a weight carrier.

A well-trained horse of this type is a wonderful all-rounder: hacking, trail riding, single and pair driving, therapy riding, showing and lower-level dressage. High-level dressage or serious jumping is not what the build was made for. The temperament is calm, intelligent and willing, though some can be stubborn. A youngster needs patience: groundwork first, then backing, and long-reining before harness. Build the back and topline slowly, and do not ask too much too young.

The breed is an easy keeper, adapted to sparse forage, and rich modern grass, sugar and starch quickly lead to obesity, EMS and laminitis. Feed forage first, restrict lush grazing, watch body condition and keep the horse working; a track system suits it well. Moisture under the feather invites mud fever, so keep the legs clean and dry and check the skin often. Feather also protects, so do not clip it without reason; ask your vet. Feather mites cause itching, stamping and rubbing, and every horse on the yard needs treating together. Chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) causes thickened skin, folds and swelling of the lower legs, often first seen on the pasterns; there is no cure and no DNA test, so early detection matters. Sweet itch calls for rugs and fly control. Keep a regular farrier rhythm, and fit the saddle to a broad back.

Start with the passport and the studbook papers. Which studbook is it, and does the passport match the horse, its microchip and the Central Equine Database? A horse of the right type without papers is a different purchase from a registered one, and priced accordingly. Check age and height, and ask for a five-stage vetting with X-rays. Look carefully at the skin of all four lower legs under the feathering, and ask about laminitis. If the ad says ridden and driven, see both, including traffic, loading and farrier manners, and see the horse more than once. That matters even more at a traditional fair such as Appleby. The usual mistakes are buying on colour and hair alone, assuming every coloured horse is a registered one, overfeeding, underestimating feather care, buying a green youngster for a novice, buying unseen from photographs and choosing a horse too small for the rider.

The price of a Gypsy Cob varies widely, and these are indicative asking prices; exchange rates move. Typical riding and companion horses are listed at about £1,500 to £5,500 (about EUR 1,800 to 6,500), well-bred ride-and-drive horses at £6,000 to £10,000 (about EUR 7,100 to 12,000), and exceptional bloodlines and show horses from £15,000 (about EUR 17,500). On the Continent a trained, sound Tinker typically asks about EUR 6,000 (about £5,100), with most between EUR 4,500 and 9,000 (about £3,800 to £7,600). Trained Gypsy Vanners in America often ask USD 15,000 to 30,000 (about £11,500 to £22,500). Papers, size, age, training, colour, feather, conformation, leg and skin health and the vetting all move the price. Since Brexit, horses from the EU also need export health certificates and customs paperwork, and transport adds to the bill.

Buyers are families, leisure riders and drivers. A good advert gives the studbook, size, colour and age, what the horse does under saddle and in harness, and how it behaves in traffic, at the farrier and when loaded. Add clear photographs of the whole horse, including the legs and feathering, plus video under saddle and in harness. Be honest about mites, any signs of CPL or any history of laminitis; honesty sells better in the end.

How much does a Gypsy Cob cost?

Most riding and companion horses are asked about £1,500 to £5,500, and well-bred ride-and-drive ones about £6,000 to £10,000. Exceptional bloodlines and show horses can reach £15,000 or more. Exchange rates move, and vetting, transport and any import paperwork come on top.

Are Tinker, Irish Cob, Gypsy Cob and Gypsy Vanner the same breed?

They describe the same breed group, but each studbook has its own rules, so papers from one are not automatically accepted by another. Tinker is the continental name and is not used in Britain, Irish Cob and Gypsy Cob are the names you will meet here, and Gypsy Vanner is the American one. A coloured horse may be of the right type without being registered with any of them.

Is a Gypsy Cob suitable for beginners, families and heavier riders?

A well-trained, sensible horse can be an excellent first horse and a good family horse, but a young, green one still needs an experienced trainer. For a heavier rider, look at the individual: weight-carrying capacity depends on size, back, fitness and training, not on the breed label, so a small cob is not automatically suitable.

What should I check before buying a Gypsy Cob?

Check the passport and studbook papers and the age and height, and have the horse vetted with X-rays. Look closely at the skin of all four lower legs under the feathering for mites, mud fever and signs of CPL, and ask about laminitis. See the horse more than once, ridden and driven if the ad says so, and check traffic manners, loading and farrier behaviour.

Ready to find your own? Browse the horses for sale on Paardplaats and take your time, or, if you have a horse to part with, place your own for sale and describe it honestly. The right home is out there for every sensible, feathered, good-hearted horse.