Gypsy Cob

What is a Gypsy Cob?

A short-legged, heavy-boned, heavily feathered cob of 132-155cm, usually piebald or skewbald, bred by Romani and Traveller families in Britain and Ireland to pull a wagon and be safe around children.

It is a type rather than a closed breed, though several societies now register them. The name tells you what the animal looks like and very little about what is behind it, which matters more here than in any other guide on this site.

History and origins

Developed from the 19th century by British and Irish Travelling communities, from Shire, Clydesdale, Dales and Fell stock crossed for size, colour and temperament. The requirement was a horse that could pull a heavy wagon all day, live out, and be trusted around a family.

Formal registries - the Gypsy Cob Society, the Irish Cob Society and others - are recent, and registration is far from universal.

Appearance and size

132-155cm, 400-650kg. Broad chest, short strong legs, abundant feather from knee and hock down, and a thick mane and tail that is often left to grow to the ground.

Piebald and skewbald predominate, though solids, blagdon and tobiano all occur.

Temperament and personality

The reason people buy them. A good Gypsy Cob is unflappable, willing and genuinely kind - the horse that carries a nervous returning rider back into the sport, or takes a child on their first hack.

They are unhurried rather than lazy, and they forgive a great deal.

Intelligence and trainability

Sensible and steady rather than quick. They learn thoroughly, retain what they learn and rarely invent problems. They can be strong, and a cob that has learned to lean on the bit takes real work to re-educate.

They drive exceptionally well, which is their original purpose.

Children and other pets

Among the best types for a family, and often the safest ride on a yard. Easy in traffic when properly produced, easy in a herd, and untroubled by dogs and farm activity.

Too wide for most small children to sit comfortably across.

Health problems

Laminitis and obesity. An extremely good doer on UK pasture. Restricted grazing, weight monitoring and a muzzle for most.

Mud fever and feather mites. The feather that makes the type beautiful traps wet and mud all winter and hosts Chorioptes mites. This is a recurring seasonal job, not a one-off, and many owners eventually clip the feather off, which solves it and costs the look.

PSSM1, a muscle glycogen storage disorder common in cob and draught populations, causing tying-up and reluctance to work. Simple DNA test, well worth doing on unknown breeding.

Sarcoids and sweet itch, both common.

Daily care routine

Daily checks, feet out daily, and through winter a hands-on check of every heel and pastern under the feather. Farrier every six to eight weeks, teeth annually, vaccinations annually, worm counts through the year.

Grooming and coat care

The feather is the work. Kept long it needs drying and checking constantly through a wet winter. Manes and tails are thick and grow enormously and need regular attention to avoid matting.

Exercise needs

Moderate but essential for weight control. Three to five sessions a week of hacking, riding club work or driving. They are not built for speed or big fences and asking for either is how cobs get injured.

Feeding and diet

Very little hard feed. Soaked hay in winter, a vitamin and mineral balancer, and a realistic look at the grazing. This is the type most often killed with kindness.

Price

£1,500-£5,000 for a sound, sensible riding cob with a passport and a history. £6,000-£20,000 for a proven show animal or an exceptional coloured horse. Below about £1,200 you are usually looking at an unbroken, unregistered or unpassported horse.

Keeping one costs £3,000-£7,000 a year.

Buying advice

This is the market where the buying advice matters most.

The passport is a legal requirement and a hard stop. Every horse in Great Britain must have an identification document and a microchip that matches it. No passport means you cannot legally move or sell the horse, and it usually means nobody can tell you its age or history either. Walk away.

Ride it away from home, in traffic if that is what you will be doing, and on a second visit. Ask to see it caught, shod, loaded and clipped.

Ask its age and then have the vet age it from its teeth at the vetting; a great many cobs are advertised younger than they are.

Get a five-stage vetting from your own vet, never the seller's. Ask them to check under the feather, look for laminitic rings, and take a blood sample. Add a PSSM1 test if the breeding is unknown.