The Name Game

     As you do your research into the Gypsy Horse, you will hear it referred to by many different names.  Among those are Gypsy Cob, Tinker Horse, Romany Horse, Irish Cob, and Gypsy Vanner.

     These are all names that refer to the exact same breed of Horse - The heavy, colored cob bred by the Gypsies of England and Ireland.

     It really doesn't matter what name you use, but we feel it's important that we at least be aware of the origins of the names, and where it's proper and improper to use a particular name.  In addition, let's remember that the breed is still in it's infancy, and that we are recording the early chapters of it's introduction to the Americas.  We owe it to the future of the breed to be aware of as much factual information as we can.

     If you ask a Gypsy man what name is used to refer to his horse, the most common answer you will hear is that he simply calls them "colored cobs".  It is from this reference that the name "Gypsy Cob" was derived and is in common use by persons outside of the Gypsy community.  It seems to be a well accepted name which is a nicely descriptive term for the breed.

     The name "Gypsy Vanner" has an interesting history.  You can visit the largest Gypsy Horse fairs in England & Ireland, and never hear the word "Vanner".  If you ask a Gypsy man what a Vanner is, you'll be told something similar to "The horse that pulls the milk van through town".  A reasonable definition would therefore be  "a horse capable of pulling a van". - A group to which the traditional Gypsy Horse could theoretically belong.
The name "Gypsy Vanner" was created by an American gentleman with a strong commercial marketing background, and through his efforts has become a well known term for the breed.  For a number of years, the name was trademarked as the personal property of this man.  Fortunately, this is no longer the case.

     Here at BFSGH, we've always preferred to use the term, "Gypsy Horse".  It's pretty simple to understand, and is descriptive as well.

     At the time of this writing, there are four active Gypsy Horse registries in the USA, and numerous other smaller clubs and organizations.  They may use any of these names (cob, vanner, horse), but refer to the same horse.

     It is not uncommon to find individuals who will try to convince you that there is some difference between horses called Vanners and Cobs.  Such talk should be taken in the context it is received.  If a person is trying to sell you their vanner, then they will of course attempt to talk-down cobs, or any other horses that are not vanners.

     We do not register the horses we have for sale, but allow our clients to choose whatever registry offers the best services to them.  Whether you choose a vanner or cob registry, the horse is the same.  We have many clients who have registered their horses in multiple registries.

For more information, please see the topic on Registries.