Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
I still think buying the cheapest thing you can find on Dragon Driving and shipping it to the States to sell for stupid money is a brilliant business plan.
Gyspy vanners
- Thread starter Tinsel
- Start date
spacefaer
Well-Known Member
@Fransurrey the only thing I've found that removes oil/grease is fairy liquid and hot water. (And I mean real FL not just washing up liquid)
Obviously you don't want hot water on the skin but it's the most effective for feathers/tails etc
Obviously you don't want hot water on the skin but it's the most effective for feathers/tails etc
AandK
Well-Known Member
A decent one is beautiful, but not for me as my horse, I am a TB person, the traditional cobs have too much hair for me! Have seen how much work goes into keeping on top of the hair/feather, and the prep for a show! No thanks, having a grey TB is more than enough...
eahotson
Well-Known Member
Really?
eahotson
Well-Known Member
Stunning.
eahotson
Well-Known Member
Lovely.He is going to be a beauty.
Leandy
Well-Known Member
No and just no. I want a sport horse bred for performance not a common animal bred for clumpy ploddiness. I also detest the "barby horse" hair thing (not restricted to cobs/vanners) that is increasingly in vogue. Horses are working animals and should be presented and trimmed in a workmanlike manner to allow them to perform effectively. They are not "barby doll horses" to be primped and brushed and have their hair put into bags/plaited so it gets longer and longer and thicker and thicker and is only ever brushed out for human enjoyment and by then it is so long it hides the (often bad) conformation and impedes the horse's sight and way of going and rider's effectiveness. I saw a "hairy" at a dressage competition this summer whose mane was so long it would have been impossible for the judge to see what on earth its head, neck and mouth were doing on that side.
meleeka
Well-Known Member
A massive 'no' here, but I do need to explain the reason as I do have some mad logic.
The rebrand of Gypsy Cobs to Gypsy Vanners is one of the most cynical money-grabbing enterprises that I have read about. IIRC it was started by one couple that exported the first cobs from the British Isles and took them over to America, bred them and sold them for $$$$$$. The Gypsy Vanner breed society was also set up over there. The whole magical hairy horse thing I read about in regards to GV's is a bit odd as a non-American.
So why would I buy a 'Gypsy Vanner' that costs loads, then import it back to the UK when I can go on Dragon Driving and buy a nice Cob for far less money that might even be registered with the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association (although if they had a generic passport but were a nice enough horse I'd be happy anyway).
I agree with this. It’s bonkers and then you have the people who live in caravans claiming their scruffy foal is a relation to one of the famous ones and they are suddenly worth £££ too.
I have one, who I love the bones of but the hair was a bit of a shock in the beginning and so was the mud he produced. He has a pony type head though and mostly black apart from his feathers, so is more attractive than most.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
They are just hairy cobs. I have owned hairy cobs, and liked them for doing the job I had for them, but this "vanner" stuff is just silly and a marketing/branding ploy.
eahotson
Well-Known Member
whereas of course,a crank nose band makes everything the mouth is doing very plain.
Leandy
Well-Known Member
Well its hard to disguise tension and resistance if you can generally see the horse but this thread is about hairy horses not tack. For what it is worth though, there are of course existing rules about the tightness of nosebands.
AdorableAlice
Well-Known Member
It is what lurks under the feather that you need to be worried about, not the hair you can see. I do think many people let furry cobs suffer without realising what is happening.
saddlesore
Well-Known Member
I love them. I have a hairy boy and whilst his feather in particular needs a lot of attention, he looks fabulous ?
Cinnamontoast
Fais pas chier!
Tihank you! Haven’t seen him hardly at all this week due to work/dog issues.
A massive 'no' here, but I do need to explain the reason as I do have some mad logic.
The rebrand of Gypsy Cobs to Gypsy Vanners is one of the most cynical money-grabbing enterprises that I have read about. IIRC it was started by one couple that exported the first cobs from the British Isles and took them over to America, bred them and sold them for $$$$$$. The Gypsy Vanner breed society was also set up over there. The whole magical hairy horse thing I read about in regards to GV's is a bit odd as a non-American.
So why would I buy a 'Gypsy Vanner' that costs loads, then import it back to the UK when I can go on Dragon Driving and buy a nice Cob for far less money that might even be registered with the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association (although if they had a generic passport but were a nice enough horse I'd be happy anyway).
I always thought taking some really hairy cobs to America could make me my fortune! ?
meleeka
Well-Known Member
I think you are right. There seem to be lots that really suffer with their skin. Thankfully mine has amazingly effective feathers. He can be fetlock deep in mud, yet if I part the hair his skin and the hair next to it is bone dry and still persil white. I’m lucky he isn’t in mud all winter though.
My Freisian, with less feather, is better off without hers as she gets mites
ROMANY 1959
Well-Known Member
shortstuff99
Well-Known Member
Here is one of my plain cobs I think you can't beat a great cob! You get used to the looking after, becomes second nature really.
I think you can't beat a great cob! You get used to the looking after, becomes second nature really.
cauda equina
Well-Known Member
Darkly_Dreaming_Dex
Well-Known Member
I bought a two year old with the intention of making a nice hogged cob - he’s now 4 and still fluffy as all the judges adore him and he’s shown a real talent for dressage (serious red ribbon collector with my trainer on board - she was only going to keep him ticking over while I had surgery but they’ve clicked so well together I’m encouraging them to keep going) one dressage judge even wrote “love his pompoms “
Urshee
Member
I love the breed, and would consider owning one but feathered legs are pitting me off, only due to how much work is needed to keep them healthy and nice
GoldenWillow
Well-Known Member
I'll admit I get get very cross when I see or read of people having problems with their cobs skin under their feathers but won't clip them to treat them.
Berpisc
Well-Known Member
Had he been eating Wotsits? ?
eahotson
Well-Known Member
Brilliant.
eahotson
Well-Known Member
Well there are cobs and cobs. I went to see one a few weeks ago and knew as soon as I saw her that I didn't want her, her conformation was so poor,she was short in the back and couldn't carry a decent sized saddle and had a short stubby little neck.The one I bought though is a completely different article altogether.Beautifully put together, nice length of neck,very pretty refined head and lovely paces, particularly the walk.
Tinsel
Well-Known Member
Thank everyone for the replies I did try and post a ph of a riding holiday horse but the photo was too big
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
I’d not say an absolute no to one, however the first thing I’d do is get the clippers out!
I can’t bear hair!
I can’t bear hair!
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
In fact I have a cob, I’m not even sure how much of a cob he is as he’s never been given the opportunity to grow ?
Even retired I plan to keep him reasonably neat
Even retired I plan to keep him reasonably neat
Cortez
Tough but Fair
I've always trimmed my cobs' feathers; just don't see the point of all that hair, it causes too many problems and hides others.
J&S
Well-Known Member
They look very smart when they are clipped out like Shortstuff's.
Cinnamontoast
Fais pas chier!
Ha, no, fussiest horse I’ve ever known! Won’t ear pears, bananas, parsnips, any kind of bread (not that I want him eating that) but loves haribo.
What I love about cobs is how they go from fluffy filthy monsters to shiny niceness for shows.
